Shawn Maree Smith's article, "Refuge of spirit; Clergy helps AIDS victims" (Greenwich Times, November 5, 1989), shows us there are many fine people in organized religion who are indeed providing spiritual nourishment to people with AIDS.  While the article is filled with quotations from clergy, parishioners and priests who speak of the difficulty in ministering to a people alienated by the church, there is not one quote from a person with AIDS.  Given some of the statements made in the article, this is not surprising. Rev. Joseph Sullivan states, "If AIDS is contracted through their lifestyle or through IV (intravenous) drug use, I can see how those people would feel condemned and feel that the church would not want anything to do with them."  Rev. Sullivan goes on to speak eloquently of the need for the church to minister, love, listen and support people with AIDS in the same way the Church would for other ill people.  He states, "there are a lot of old tapes playing in people's heads that the church is for saints and not for sinners."

Greenwich Times

HUNT

Gene

Home

November 25, 1989

Nourishing the Spirit

Despite Rev. Sullivan's empathy and good intentions, his basic assumptions are wrong and only further alienate people with AIDS from the church.  AIDS is not contracted from a lifestyle, but from a virus.  A disease is not a sin.  His statement that the church should minister to all sinners is repugnant if the implication is that having AIDS is a sin. As a gay man, I appreciate the efforts of those who help my brothers and sisters in need, but a church that does not celebrate our holiest of unions should not expect us to come running for spiritual guidance to heal our sick and bury our dead.  Unlike most churches, gay people know how to support each other in sickness and in health.

Published Letters & Works – Social Justice Arrest Record – Honoring the Dead – Party Platforms Hall of Shame – Links – Photos – Albert – Misc – Guest Book anyone@ehhunt.com