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(Geneva) Church representatives from around the world pledged Wednesday
to step up the battle against the spread of HIV
and AIDS and called on Christian communities to foster a new spirit of
acceptance for victims of the disease.
``While the churches have been on the front line of care and support for
people affected by the pandemic, many of us have also been complicit in
stigmatizing and marginalizing people living with HIV and
AIDS,'' the World Council of Churches' central committee said in a statement.
The council urged Christian leaders and congregations ``to promote greater
and more meaningful involvement and participation of people living with HIV and
AIDS,'' and said those infected are ``precious members of the community.''
Churches, the WCC said, should provide ``evidence-based'' information on
preventing the spread of AIDS and also facilitate access to voluntary and
confidential counseling and testing, noting that many are still
``ill-informed'' about a disease which causes 8,000 deaths each year and has
left 13 million children orphaned.
However, the Geneva-based WCC - which represents 348 Protestant, Orthodox,
Anglican and other churches and works co-operatively with the Roman Catholic
Church - acknowledged that it has yet to reach agreement on contentious topics
such as condoms and safe needles for drug users.
The council said churches acknowledge the ``lifesaving responsibility of all
to protect themselves through practicing abstinence outside of marriage,
fidelity in marriage and a healthy way of life including rejection of drug
abuse.''
But there was disagreement between different leaders and denominations on
``the response to those who, contrary to the church witness, engage in high-risk
sexual activity or drug use, including the appropriate means of prevention.''
It called for ``open and inclusive discussions on issues related to
sexuality, gender-based violence and intravenous drug use to empower individuals
and communities to be less vulnerable to HIV.''
The WCC also said it would apply pressure on governments and pharmaceutical
companies to fulfill promises of providing universal access to AIDS medications
and to invest in new research aimed at developing cheaper and more effective
drugs.
``Faith-based communities have a responsibility to advocate that
antiretroviral treatments as well as treatment for other opportunistic
infections be made available and accessible to all,'' the council said. ``For
the first time ever, the world possesses the means to reverse the global
epidemic.''
The WCC says its churches represent more than 560 million Christians in over
110 countries.
�365Gay.com 2006
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