From South Central to sub-Saharan Africa, African-Americans and Africans are being shuffled into Hades as if the Underworld was one colossal 21st-century slave ship! As some believe is the case with gays, is God punishing them for something they've done in violation of his divine standards? First, People of Color wrote the most popular, the most translated book in the history of the human race as they were led by God's spirit. Not one European had a hand in writing the Bible; yet, Eurocentric racism is responsible for twisting texts found therein to say that Blacks are the 'cursed' race. The apostle Peter wrote that certain "people who are ignorant and weak in faith explain these things falsely. They also falsely explain the other Scriptures, but they are destroying themselves by doing this." (2 Peter 3:16; New Century Version) Although the contraction of HIV/AIDS is anything but simplistic, the three primary ways Blacks get the virus are: (1) sexual immorality, (2) illicit drug use, and (3) blood transfusion.
Sexual Immorality: Science in Africa: Africa's First On-Line Science Magazine, reports the following on its Web site: "Nearly 60 children are raped every day in South Africa and while experts agree to disagree as to the causes, or whether the pervasive belief in the so-called 'Virgin Cure' prevents/cures HIV/Aids is possibly responsible for this deeply disturbing phenomenon, university researcher, Mike Earl-Taylor suggests it could well be a contributing factor, and a major one at that. Moreover, infant rape appears to be unique to South Africa, however, the Virgin Cure is not." It continues, "Between 1500 to 1700 new HIV/Aids infections occur daily in South Africa."
"African-American women," reports another source, "are 23 times as likely to be infected with the Aids virus as white women and account for 71.8% of new HIV cases among women in 29 US states, government research shows. The Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit health organization, has found that in 2001 roughly 67% of black women with Aids had contracted the virus through heterosexual sex – up from 58% four years earlier." Blacks "are also least likely to have partners of different races." And, disturbingly, "A nationwide 2005 CDC study found that black high school age students were more likely to have had sex by the time they graduated: 68% of black students said they had engaged in sexual intercourse by the age of 18….Those who had had sex were also more likely to have had four or more sexual partners, and African American girls were more likely to have had partners that were significantly older than them." So, we're apparently fornicating more than most.
Now, the Biblical Greek word translated fornication is porneia. It basically means unlawful sex between at least two willing people and by extension includes bestiality. The Holy Writ says that fornicators–"gay" or "straight"–will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Hebrews 13:4; Revelation 21:8; 22:15)
Illicit Drug Use: "One final risk factor that may account for the HIV epidemic among African Americans is injecting drug use. In 2004, injecting drug users (IDUs) accounted for 17% of all AIDS cases amongst African Americans in the US. Injecting drug use is the second leading cause of HIV infection in African American women and the third leading cause of HIV infection in African American men….The principal drugs involved in injecting drug use are heroin and crack cocaine. These drugs present a direct HIV infection risk because users may share non-sterile needles to inject them. Indirectly, they may also make it more likely that a user will enter into crime or prostitution to fund their habit. Sex workers who are desperate for a fix, or are high on drugs are less likely to insist their clients use a condom. Crack cocaine, along with drugs such as crystal methamphetamine, can also lower inhibitions and increase the likelihood that users will engage in high-risk sexual behaviour."
Galatians 5:20 denounces the "practice of spiritism." The Biblical Greek word for spiritism is pharámaákoi« which is where the English word pharmacy is taken. Another translation is "druggers," suggesting that illicit drug use is tied to the occult or spiritism. Consequently, Revelation 22:15 censures "those who practice spiritism."
Blood Transfusion: Drs. William H. Schneider and Ernest Drucker wrote the article, "Blood Transfusions in the Early Years of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa," wherein they assert that "Blood transfusions transmit HIV more effectively than other means, yet there has been little examination of their role in the origins and early course of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. We review historical data in archives, government reports, and medical literature from African and European sources…These data allow estimation of the geographic diffusion and growth of blood transfusions between 1940 and 1990….By 1955, 19 African colonies and countries reported transfusion programs-with national rates of 718 to 1372 per 100 000 by 1964, and urban rates similar to those in developed countries. We estimated 1 million transfusions per year in sub-Saharan Africa by 1970 and 2 million per year by the 1980s, indicating that transfusions were widely used throughout sub-Saharan Africa during the crucial period of 1950-1970, when all epidemic strains of HIV first emerged in this region."
In three different Biblical time periods or dispensations God forbade taking blood into the body. Both the Hebrew and Greek words for "blood" mean human and animal blood. (Genesis 9; Lev 14; Acts 15:29; 21:25) The method of delivery was inconsequential. Other factors also contribute to why Blacks get HIV/AIDS:
Poverty: "Historically, poverty amongst African Americans can largely be blamed on slavery, and the legacy of racism, deprivation, disenfranchisement and lack of education that it left in its wake." Lack of Access to Healthcare: 'The inability to pay for healthcare, accompanied by a general suspicion of the medical profession and hospitals, means a significant number of African Americans do not visit a hospital or doctor until they are seriously ill.'
Racism & Discrimination: "Black HIV positive people can face prejudice on a number of different levels in their lives. First and foremost, racism, whether overt or subtle, can be a major barrier to acquiring the benefits that most white Americans take for granted." Low self-esteem is also a factor. "This lack of self-worth was clearly evident in the fatalistic views of black LA gang members recorded in a 2006 study by the Minority AIDS Project. The study found that 26% of respondents felt it didn't matter if they got HIV, because they believed they would probably die young anyway."
Prisons: "Around one in ten African American men in their twenties and thirties is currently in prison, and if current trends continue, experts estimate that a third of black males born today will spend time in prison at some point in their lives…A variety of research has shown men in prison to be at high risk of HIV, so their theory was that many black men became infected in jail and then went on to infect their female partners upon release," though the CDC says that they may have been infected before going to prison.
Conclusion: Practice abstinence, don't do illicit drugs, and abstain from blood by accepting alternative treatments and the chances any African or African American would contract HIV/AIDS will be greatly reduced. What our ancient ancestors wrote is relevant today. All we (and everyone else) have to do is follow their instructions, and we'll live longer. Amen.
