What year did the Great Schism occur, splitting the Eastern and Western churches?

Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Dude Abides

Home
Progressive Christian

Last updated on: December 3, 2004 at 2:34 pm by Cathleen Falsani

2004-12-03T14:34:00-07:00 Cathleen Falsani

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why don’t more evangelicals care about AIDS crisis?

Even though Wednesday was World AIDS Day, I had decided not to write about the AIDS emergency in sub-Saharan Africa — an oft-visited topic in this column.

And despite inquiries from readers about my thoughts on the spiritual content of U2’s newly released album — another favorite subject — I promised myself I wouldn’t mention anything about, um . . . “yer man,” as the Irish say.

Having surmised that the plight of millions of sub-Saharan Africans afflicted with and dying from HIV and AIDS because they can’t afford the $1-a-day, life-saving drugs that are readily available in the United States was a drum I’d beaten perhaps a few too many times, I was determined to write about something different.

Something called Chrismahanukwanzakah, to be specific.

But it’s going to have to wait until next week, as I’m too busy being blind with anger to be funny.

This is righteous indignation, I believe, sparked by an e-mail advertising the results of a survey of evangelical Christian Americans and their attitudes toward the AIDS emergency in Africa.

Progress is being made, the survey said.

Sure, if you think moving from the truly scandalous to the merely shameful is progress.

The survey, conducted by the Barna Research Group for World Vision, a nondenominational Christian relief organization that does heroic work in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, revealed that since November 2002, the percentage of American evangelicals who said they would be willing to make a donation to help alleviate the AIDS emergency has risen from 5 percent to 14 percent.

The survey of 1,004 adults also found that 17 percent of evangelicals (a group Barna researchers define with a complicated set of nine questions about doctrine, belief and practice) now say they would help children orphaned by AIDS, a figure that is up from a shocking 3 percent two years ago.

World Vision calls this a “small but significant increase.”

That’s far too generous. They’re being way too easy on their evangelical friends, and I say that as one of them.

Let me be sure I’ve got this straight: Two years ago, almost none of the evangelicals polled (in the same Barna survey) said they intended to make a donation to help the African AIDS emergency. And now, about 85 percent of them still feel the same way.

Hardly reason to celebrate. The numbers should be the direct opposite of what they are.

Why don’t more evangelicals seem to care about what is clearly the most urgent physical human crisis on the planet right now?

More than 6,300 Africans are dying of AIDS every single day. And 12 million African children have been orphaned. So far.

Jesus said: Suffer the little children to come to me. Feed the hungry. Care for the sick. The poor will always be with you.

Most Christians know this, right?

So, why didn’t the Barna surveyors discover nearly all evangelicals — the alleged caretakers of Jesus’ gospel message — ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes to help millions of dying men, women and children in sub-Saharan Africa live?

The Barna surveyors also reported that about 12 percent of Americans in general are willing to donate money toward the African AIDS crisis, and about 13 percent are interested in supporting children orphaned by AIDS.

That’s a negligible difference from the evangelical results.

Where does Jesus fit into the equation?

In announcing the survey results, World Vision, an organization I have nothing but the highest respect for, cited the weeklong “Heart of America” tour of Midwestern churches that yer man and his nonprofit Debt AIDS Trade Africa made in December 2002 to raise consciousness about the AIDS emergency, as a turning point.

In churches from Nebraska to Chicago to Nashville, yer man and his band of humanitarians urged, confronted, cajoled, challenged and begged evangelicals to get involved, to hear God’s voice asking them to intervene on behalf of the least among them.

People responded passionately. I saw the tears, watched as people prayed, swayed and filled out political action cards. Many of the faithful souls who responded with such immediacy two years ago have followed through.

The problem is too many of their allegedly kindred spirits have remained inert.

And by the way, a rock star — even one who happens to be a believer — shouldn’t need to light a fire under God’s church. (Although, if the Bible accounts are true, over the years God has used a lot of unlikely folks to do God’s work. Prostitutes. Adulterers. Mercenaries. A chronic stutterer. A teenage mom.)

Hey, church, what’s it gonna take?

Does Jesus himself have to make a special guest appearance, point at Africa and shout, “Yo, a little help over here?!” before you realize it’s unquestionably your responsibility to do something significant to stem the tide of the AIDS pandemic there?

Yes, it’s up to all of us as human beings, regardless of our religious persuasion or lack thereof, to care for those most in need.

But the church should know better. After all, you’ve had missionaries on the ground in Africa for decades.

Here’s an idea: Instead of giving that weekly tithe to the local church to build a new fellowship hall, how about sending it to Africa to buy anti-retroviral drugs that will keep somebody’s parents alive or send an orphan to school.

Actions speak louder than words.

Or as yer man puts it in what (since you asked) is the best track on U2’s new album full of emotional and spiritual spleen:

You speak of signs and wonders

But I need something other

I would believe if I was able

But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 26, 2004

Next Post

December 10, 2004

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A little happy ARCHIVED COLUMNS BECOMING FAMILY BelieberNess BREAKING NEWS! Disquiet Time DJ JEFF'S SPINTASMS falsani FILM from OCRegister From Sojo.net God Nods GODSTUFF I Take Requests incubatespirit LURKING IN THE NARTHEX On My Nightstand ONEMOMS Polling the Room PONTIFEXCELLENT Thru My Eyes TWO CENTS Uncategorized Upcoming Events VASCO VASCO'S HEART

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 May 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 October 2003 March 2003 December 2002 October 2002 January 2001

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What year did the Great Schism occur, splitting the Eastern and Western churches?

Select your answer to see how you score.

500 AD 1054 AD 1517 AD 325 AD