Good move.

I agree: good move - and a welcome contrast to South Africa, where the President continues his fitful denial of the scale of the problem.

I agree that this is wonderful news.  It reminds me about how Uganda addressed this huge problem.

They involved their churches proactively, in education, urging blood tests, preaching, more education, more preaching, etc.  The result in Uganda, has been a scaling back of the rate of HIV/Aids infection and perhaps, just perhaps, the corner being turned.  At least the curve is now going in the correct way.

I pray that the Nigerian initiative does the same thing.

I bet before the day is over, someone on the left will explain to us why this is a bad idea, and if Bush (oops, I should have said Akinola) is in favor of it, it must be bad.

David, I think they’ll be fine with it—the vast majority of sufferers from HIV in Nigeria are not homosexual, and thus it’s okay to require the HIV test.

Offering no opinion here, just presenting the counterpoint to fulfill David’s prophecy;)

From Here:  http://akin.blog-city.com/dearlybigoted.htm

Dearly Bigoted: Anglican Church requires pre-marital HIV test
posted Friday, 17 August 2007

Presiding officer speaks:

Dearly Bigoted, we are gathered together here in the sign of prejudice – and in the face of this mob – to disjoin asunder this man and this woman from HIV matrimony, which is commended to be dishonourable among all Anglican clergy; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into advisedly though lightly – but irreverently, indiscreetly, unadvisedly and without solemnity.

Into this HIV estate these two persons present now come to be set asunder. If any person can show just cause why they may be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace.

Bigot speaks with loud voice:

“They have HIV, it is an abomination”, quoting Chapter and verse and approaching the pulpit with the ferocity of a lioness, the whole mob joins in to lynch the hapless couple; cuts, blood and guts everywhere – we all now have HIV.

This is the bizarre development that has come out of the Anglican Church in Nigeria, couples would have to take an HIV test before their marriage is blessed in the church.

However, if the couple does know their status and still decide to continue with marriage “the church will not object but offer them care and support”. Care and support possibly by discreetly informing others to steer clear of the couple and their eventual offspring and technical ostracise them with the Body of Christ till they leave their parish.

This quest to stigmatise HIV/AIDS is becoming the vogue in Nigeria amongst religious organisations and it does not augur well for society. In afct, I am surprised they have not asked for a pregnancy test too just in case the bride is not a pure virgin. This is absurd in the extreme.

Busy-body church

I cannot see what the business of the church is in trying to determine if a couple loves each other and they have not shared all secrets that might have with each other.

Next it would be all sorts of genetic tests to determine compatibility in what is becoming a slippery slope into religious eugenics in the name of better informed new entrants to the institution of marriage.

The uproar from this must not abate or relent until the folly of this rotten bigoted and busy-body exercise is expunged from the canticles, the hymns and the minds of the people.

What next? You may now exchange HIV certificates and you may not kiss the bride?

This is really absurd; it is really, really absurd - time for God to summon the bishops to an eternal consultation.

This situation MUST NOT STAND!

Thanks, Brian.  By the way, don’t most states including NY, NJ, Conn., Mass etc. require blood tests?  And we all know what repressive govenments those are?

I cannot see what the business of the church is in trying to determine if a couple loves each other and they have not shared all secrets that might have with each other.

Sure, it is fine for a person to have a “secret” that will KILL his/her partner - that is FINE - a WONDERFUL start to a lifetime partnership - really, people getting indignant about this is beyond me.

I have never understood how dealing with a STD became a matter of individual rights instead of what is was in the past and should be now - a matter of public health.

From the article: He said the church will not stop people from getting married if they test positive to HIV, the virus that causes Aids.

“If they find out their status and still want to go ahead, we cannot object. Instead, we offer them care and support.”

Bravo! Anything that can be done to halt the pandemic is wonderful.

This report by the BBC is in error.  The Church of Nigeria has contacted the Africa desk of the BBC and the story has now been corrected.

Pity it’s in error, because I think the HIV test is a good idea.  Some people may not even know they are infected.  What’s wrong with making informed decisions?

Conger+

What part of the report is on error?

The error is the impression that the tests are compulsory. Our HIV policy uses the word ‘encourage’ which means that we should not force a test on anybody. We only advise. The BBC has since replaced the word ‘MUST’ with ‘ADVISE’ which I used while speaking with the correspondent.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6951674.stm