Can 'Religion' Curb the Spread of HIV?
This story came from the Religion Today Summaries at Crosswalk.com. As I read it, I had some immediate thoughts on the subject, some perhaps even contradictory in nature. While I was preparing to comment on it, I began to wonder what you would say about it and whether it strikes you as it did me. If you've got a second, read this little paragraph and let me know your thoughts. I'll let you know mine later.
A UPI story says: "A U.S. study says people with HIV who have strong religious ties are less likely to spread the virus that causes AIDS. The RAND Corp. study says HIV-positive people who say religion is an important part of their lives are likely to have fewer sexual partners and engage in less high-risk sexual behavior. 'Moral beliefs may indicate an underlying altruism and a desire to make sure no one else is infected with HIV,' behavioral scientist David Kanouse said in a release. 'Promoting these feelings could then be used as a component of HIV prevention programs.'" Lead author Frank H. Galvan said, "Religiosity is an untapped resource in the whole struggle against HIV and AIDS, and should be looked at more thoroughly."
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 4/05/2007 09:00:00 AM
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2 Comments:
My first thought upon reading this is that using religion as nothing more than a therapy for illness, cultural problems, etc. takes the power out of the religion. In effect it turns it into precisely what Frank Galvan termed it - "religiosity" as opposed to faith. If you remove the necessity of faith from religion it becomes nothing more than a cultural/psychological experiment and not a vital aspect of one's worldview and character.
I think you nailed it, Rob. I agreed with them that religious people often do have the kinds of convictions that would curb things like HIV. In that, it is a good thing, undeniably. On a deeper level, however, "religion" only goes so far so that one may conform to a moral and ethical code of some sort, but still miss the big picture. Through Christ, we are delivered not only from things like HIV, but, in fact, from cold, dead religion which leaves us feeling good about ourselves, but is little more than a false sense of security for the future (eternity).
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