Question

      In 2015, in a presentation at Charis Bible College in Colorado, Christian author David Barton reiterated his belief that God will never allow a cure or vaccine for HIV to be discovered because the disease is divine punishment for homosexuality.

In December 2014, Pastor Steven Anderson, a Baptist pastor from Tempe, Arizona; called for the murder of every g-a-y or bisexual person as a solution to end HIV and AIDS. His sermon titled “AIDS: The Judgement of God,” which was given the day before World AIDS day, evoked Levitical law saying “G-A-Y people should be killed.”

How would you refute these claims with a scientific (rather than theological) argument?

Answer 1

AIDS OR ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME is caused by the HIV or HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS. HIV is transmitted by having unprotected sexual intercourse including both anal and oral sex or by having multiple sexual partners, blood transfusions, use of hypodermic needles. It can also be transmitted during pregnancy from mother to child if the mother is already affected or during breastfeeding. However, this virus is not transmitted from the saliva or sweat of the affected individual. With increasing time number of individuals affected with AIDS are also increasing, as a result, AIDS can be termed as a pandemic.

Normally around the globe HIV is transmitted by having sex with an INFECTED individual of opposite/same sex. However, in the US percentage of HIV getting transmitted is significantly high in case of g-a-y and bisexual men which tells that about 15% g-a-y and bisexual men,28% transgender women have HIV. This is possible because in the western countries people are vulnerable in choosing their sexual partners and under the influence of several phychoactive drugs perform group sex. But there is no where stated that if a person is g-a-y or bisexual that person has to have the disease. Not only this, there are several people including g-a-y, bisexual or transgenders who share needles commonly used for drug injection.In these countries if one notices, the prevalnce of STD(Sexually Transmitted Disease) is also high which has more or less a common method of spreading. Anal sex if practised imposes a greater risk of receiving HIV as the walls of the rectum are thin as compared to vaginal walls and this is a practice performed by many people but its prevalence might be high in g-a-y couples due to obvious reasons. Moreover, there are many who don't go for a routine check up or treatment- true for all. They don't use condoms including the one's who practise casual sex- again a fact true for many of the individuals including the normal couples. So the statements given in the question needs a little bit change in that g-a-y, bisexual, transgender and even people who perform sexual activities with opposite sex must practise SAFE SEX, SHOULD UNDERGO ROUTINE HEALTH-CHECKUPS, SHOULDNOT INDULGE INTO HAVING ANAL OR ORAL SEX, AND THE USE OF CONDOMS IS A MUST. Simply, by killing the g-a-y and bisexual men we cannot eradicate the disease because the disease has not originated in them. This can be transmitted through anybody irrespective of the individual, so what is important is to abide by the safety norms and not indulge in fancy thoughts.Every individual has the right to live by his/her wishes and it's stated no where that no vaccine or medicine can be improvised against AIDS as there are innumerable diseases against whom medicines are not available and those can occur in anyone. What is important to note is-g-a-y and bisexual men are at a higher risk of getting the virus . So the safety norms should be strictly followed.