AIDS and Romans 1:24-32

[dianetavegia]

Romans 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Before you start screaming about the innocent children of homosexuals or drug users, consider this verse:

2 Samuel 12:7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' 11 Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.' " 13 So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."

15 Then Nathan departed to his house.And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill. 16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!" 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

God said of David:

Acts 13:22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'

God spared not the child of David, a man after My own heart. How then will he spare the children of those who are not children of the King?

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Just something to think about! Verses please! Bible study is good for our soul!

Diane

 

[KenH]

AIDS can be the result of sexual sin just like other STDs can be the result of sexual sin. I think it is misguided to emphasize AIDS in this regard over other STDs.

Innocent people are adversely affected by the sins of others quite commonly. Example: A drunk driver who kills a carload of people.

 

[dianetavegia]

Originally posted by KenH:
AIDS can be the result of sexual sin just like other STDs can be the result of sexual sin. I think it is misguided to emphasize AIDS in this regard over other STDs.

AIDS is currently the only STD that cannot be treated and cured if found early enough. HPV (Cervical Cancer) can be found early and 'healed'. Syphilis used to kill, but can now be quickly treated.

Some people will have no more symptoms, but about one third will progress to tertiary syphilis, with widespread damage to the heart, brain, eyes, nervous system, bones, and joints. Late syphilis can result in mental illness, blindness, severe damage to the heart and aorta, and death.

The list goes on but only AIDS remains 'uncurable' at this time.

 

[Frank]

Diane:
Your post is excellent. God can uses his righteous indignation any way he sees fit. I have often wondered if A.I.D.S. is a punishment for the sin of Homosexuality.
Sin has direct and indirect consequences. This should make us stop and think about how much God hates sin. Hab. 1:13.  Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

 

[mioque]

And now for some practical applications of this stuff?

 

[dianetavegia]

Originally posted by mioque:
And now for some practical applications of this stuff?

John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

Joh 8:11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

 

[mioque]

Diane
I was thinking more about this bit.
"The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."

If God punishes the innocent children of homosexuals or drug users, what attitude are we supposed to have towards them? I know there was a period in the 80's when groups of Christians used the texts you quoted to justify their attempts in trying to get those children banned from a couple of small towns...

 

[mioque]

And there is another related question.
If a certain course of action can lead to a person catching aids (leading a non-monogamous 'lovelife') and you know that a certain course of action that has nothing to do with repentance (a.k.a. the proper use of condoms) can lead to a diminished chanche of getting punished for your transgression, what does a Bible believing Christian do about the actions of others in such a case?
Should one oppose teaching the use of condoms during sex-education?

 

[RockRambler]

And since its very rare for lesbians to pass AIDS to each other, does that mean that God frowns on two men being together more than he does two women?

 

[All about Grace]

The argument over the "why" and "who" of AIDS is irrelevant. The only real question is what is the church going to do in the face of this global pandemic. AIDS is a curable disease in that it is primarily behavioral. The church is the only institution that has the moral basis to address AIDS in a way that can prevent its spread. So why are we so quiet and condemning?

 

[Born Again Catholic]

Should one oppose teaching the use of condoms during sex-education?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes contraception is an intrinsically evil act

 

[AVL1984]

I don't think that anyone should oppose the use of condoms during sex education. They are a valid contraception option. They can be used by saved and unsaved alike for purposes acceptable or unacceptable in God's sight. They are not evil in and of themselves...neither are they "intrinsically evil", BAC.

Now, AIDS...I have had several friends/acquaintances who have had the disease. They didn't go out and cheat on their husbands or wives. They didn't do drugs, nor did they do anything that would have caused them to get the disease, except get a blood transfusion. Too much is made out of the vengeance of God with this disease. Natural occurances of diseases do indeed occur. Indirectly, yes, they are a part of sin, because Adam fell, but some people go far beyond what is real and make EVERYTHING a sin issue.

That's my 2 cents worth!

 

[FriendofSpurgeon]

All about Grace ---

Why, you ask? Because it is easier and oh, so much more fun to cast stones than to share the hope and grace of the Gospel. Just my opinion.

 

[tragic_pizza]

Originally posted by FriendofSpurgeon:
...it is easier and oh, so much more fun to cast stones than to share the hope and grace of the Gospel. Just my opinion.

And typifying all AIDS sufferers as recipients of God's condemnation makes it a lot easier to ignore them all.

We have the ability (and the Scriptural mandate) to be Christ to all people, even those with AIDS. Using Scripture as the executioner's axe is the lazy way out.

 

[Pronto]

The practical application of what you are suggesting is not only inhuman, it is unchristian. Are just trying to stir the pot or is what you believe?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Just curious....

To what extent are homosexual men responsible for the spread of AIDS ?

 

[just-want-peace]

--sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.
--- go and sin no more.

What more do you need to hear????

 

[tragic_pizza]

Originally posted by Bro. Curtis:
Just curious....

To what extent are homosexual men responsible for the spread of AIDS ?

I have no idea. Probably as responsible as the Red Cross and other blood banks in the early days of the disease...

 

[TexasSky]

I have to ask. Do you view "certain sins" as "worse than other sins" and if so, which ones, and why, and on what scriptures do you base your feelings on?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

Originally posted by tragic_pizza:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Bro. Curtis:
Just curious....

To what extent are homosexual men responsible for the spread of AIDS ?

I have no idea. Probably as responsible as the Red Cross and other blood banks in the early days of the disease... </font>[/QUOTE]Yeah. The red cross went around having unprotected promiscuous anal sex ?

Gay men were dying from their bath-house encounters, the government asked them to stop, until they could figure out what was happening, but the gays screamed "opression", we backed off, and now little kids get the disease.

You probably don't buy the fact that they poisoned the blood supply, on purpose, to raise awareness for their disease, either, do you ?

And I know yer gonna call be hateful & lacking the love of Christ, and all other kinds of stuff, but my mind has been made up.

"It appears science and morality teach the same lesson..." Ronald Reagan