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 Rick Warren in Rwanda in 2008. My Take: Church is world’s most powerful weapon against AIDS
By Rick Warren, Special to CNN On June 5, 1981, my wife Kay was late into her second pregnancy, just weeks away from giving birth. Absorbed in caring for our 2-year-old and preparing for a newborn, the farthest thing on our minds was news that day of a cluster of men in Los Angeles with a mysterious, devastating disease. But what began in Africa and was first observed in this small California group became an epidemic, then swelled to a pandemic - touching lives in every country on every continent Though late to the fight, in 2003 Kay and I heard God calling us to care for those infected and affected, to raise our voices on their behalf, and to figure out practical ways for local churches to serve them. Timeline: 30 years of AIDS moments We traveled to Africa, ground zero for this pandemic, and were brokenhearted by the pain and thrilled by the compassion we observed. Out of the bubble that is American life, we sat with dying men and women, held newly orphaned babies in our arms, and cried with shattered family members. In America, we’d heard public leaders, including pastors, make pronouncements about AIDS that implied that those infected were enemies, or at least deserved their illness. But at the grassroots level we witnessed Christ-followers by the thousands opening their hearts, their homes, their wallets and their churches to fellow human beings in their suffering. Clearly, local churches were at the forefront of this battle in Africa.  Kay Warren folding bandages in Rwanda in 2007. We returned home determined to model our church’s response to HIV and AIDS after the African church’s response. We began by inviting a member of our church – Saddleback, in Southern California - who was HIV positive to tell his story publicly for the first time. Our members responded with overwhelming love. And once people realized our church was a safe place, other HIV positive people began attending and opening up about their status. To help remove the stigma, I was publicly tested for HIV with network TV cameras rolling. We began support groups for anyone infected or affected; trained church members to be part of personalized teams for an infected individual; brought in experts in the field to educate our congregation; and hosted three “Global Summits on AIDS and the Church” to showcase the latest scientific, behavioral and psycho-social aspects of the disease. We reached out to local, regional, national and international organizations, offering our manpower and networks in the fight against AIDS. One of the great lessons of this fight is that the single fastest way to mobilize at the grassroots level around the world is through local congregations. Nothing comes close to the size and scope of this pool of compassionate volunteers. The church has the largest distribution network on the planet. There are more churches in the world than all the Wal-Marts, McDonald’s and Starbucks combined. The church was global 200 years before anyone else thought of globalization. We could take you to thousands of villages around the world where the only institution to speak of is a church. Plus, the Christian church is the only organization growing faster than the new infection rate: while 7,000 people are newly infected globally every day, and church growth experts estimate that the church is adding 35,000 converts daily in China alone. These church members have a non-profit motivation to serve. We are commanded by Jesus Christ to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Our church sent 14,869 of our members to all 195 nations in the world to beta-test a local church humanitarian program based on the model of Jesus. Called the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, volunteers Plant churches that promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick and Educate the next generation. We’ve learned that any church can provide six essential services in the fight against HIV/AIDS, easily remembered by the acronym CHURCH: –Care for and support the sick. Caring requires no money, just a willingness to offer compassion and kindness. –Handle HIV testing. At the least, churches can encourage members to get tested, with the pastor leading the way. Everyone should know their HIV status. –Unleash volunteers. There will never be enough professionals to fix all that is wrong in our world. The Christian church claims 2.3 billion followers worldwide. If only half could be mobilized to care for those with HIV and AIDS, the fight would look very different –Remove the stigma. It is not a sin to be sick. Jesus never asked a sick person, “How did you get sick?” He asked, “How can I help you?” –Champion healthy behavior. HIV is almost completely preventable. While new reports suggest that accessing HIV treatment at an earlier stage of the illness is a vital way to prevent transmission, the cost may be an impediment. Behavior change will continue to be the most effective way to cut down on new infections. –Help with antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients. The simplest way to cut down on new infections, to help infected individuals live longer, and to prevent children from becoming orphans, is to create accountability with medication compliance. Church volunteers can make daily visits or phone calls, reminding individuals to take their medication. This strategy has been enormously successful in the Karongi District of the Western Province of Rwanda, where Saddleback Church, the government of Rwanda and local churches established a pilot program to train community health workers. Started in 2008, more than 2,800 community volunteers have been trained through the churches to take on a caseload of 26,000 homes in the rural district where there is one hospital for 300,000 residents. These volunteers provide access to basic healthcare information and are addressing preventable and opportunistic diseases – the big killers of those living with the virus. The lives of 120,000 children and 50,000 adults are being positively impacted. Thirty years have passed since HIV was first recognized. In that time, millions have lost their lives and millions of children have been orphaned. Millions more are living with the virus today. But if the church and other faith communities will step up to the table, and as governments and other health organizations welcome their assistance, the future can be brighter. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rick Warren. soundoff (1,335 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Next »Post a comment
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Editor's Note: Rick Warren is the founder and pastor at 
"The church was global 200 years before anyone else thought of globalization." I'd like to know when that was.
Easy, find out when someone had that thought, subtract 200 years, and see what primitive religions were in fashion at that time.
The answer is probably druidism or something. These people who say silly things are all over the place.
druidism?! My goodness. People really don't know their history? Christianity is 2,000 years old. 200 years ago, the Christian church was flourishing worldwide. Today, it is stagnating in America, but is growing in the East – such as China (as Warren says in the article – this is a well known fact).
Guest, saying something si a well known fact does not make it a fact. Source please.
guest, how can you say when someone thought of globalization? You can't. It could have happened fifty thousand years ago.
Egocentric horse manure from the horse's mouth....or maybe the other end.
is this guy famous or something? lotta pople dont like him. ive never heard of him
In my experience, people who go to church sleep around just as much as people who don't. Rick Warren is living in LaLa Land.
last time i was in church i fell asleep, so you may be onto something here
Does the guy ever mention condoms? Of course not. Churches and religion are the biggest scam ever perpetrated on mankind. There's no god, never was- it's all made up childhood brainwashing. I highly doubt his figures that there are 35,000 converts a day to believing in the adult invisible friend in China- where's the proof to back that up?
you sound really angry. there are thousands of organiztions providing condoms to communities like this. nobody is working with them to help shed the stigma of aids and tell them its okay to seek help. taking an aids test in front of them and provide the knowledge of why the disease is there and give hope that it can be treated mediclly is good thing. sorry that you hate this but i believe its a good thing. i dont know who this guy is and maybe hes actually planning murders but i doubt it.
John, all Warren wants is the money and the s.ex. You didn't know about the s.ex part, did you?
What is it with religious people and s.ex? Perverted obsessions are not healthy.
Ive never heard of this guy. Was he involved with a s.x scandal or something?
You said you read the article, didn't you, John?
Maybe you should read it again.
RICK WARREN IS A FRAUD. He like so many other millionaire televangalist have raked in millions playing on the fears and ignorance of weak feeble minded people. You would think that after selling millions of his book APDL that this country would be in great shape, but it isnt because the christian community is full of gluttenous, greedy, hateful people and politicians. The very same conartist politicians who have ran this country into the ground and robbed the country blind. These are same politicians who parade around every election cycle touting their so called christian family values and morality smack while they are all nothing more than a bunch of conartist playing on the blind sheeple who support them. Rick warren is no different, he is their enabiler.
"the christian community is full of gluttenous, greedy, hateful people" you pretty much just described human beings.
Warren is a deciever.
Interesting. This is the first ive heard of this guy. Has he been doing pyramid schemes or something? Sounds like hes doing preety good now. What happened, why is he a deceiver
“love your neighbor as yourself.” Yea he is such a fraud. Only a real jerk would go around and tell people they need to take care of the less fortunate. Must truly be an evil person. I bet he has not helped as many people as you have.
Warren is spending millions on "abstinence education". Millions of dollars!
Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?
It's all about the money. The "teachers" rake it in, and Warren gets the biggest piece of the pie which he has clearly eaten.
Of course american christian church is the answer. We are headed to the middle ages via Christians and things like Bachmann it all so revisionist. God forbid we should use medical research or science! What a friggin joke!
I dont think you read the article.
Please tell us specifically what Bachmann wants to do that will take us back to the middle ages? You leftist bigot.
How strange to see people pretending to ignorance in support of religious insanity. How very, very strange.
Better believe 2003 is late to the cause.
No, churches did little when AIDS patients needed them most.
That's like saying Lincoln should have just given up because the country already failed blacks. Better late than never. I doubt if all the dying recipients of his help hold the derisive opinions of all the God-haters on this forum. Go look in the eyes of this mess yourself, then pontificate oh doers-of-nothing.
Tim, you're right aobut being late to the party than never EXCEPT that this lateness was bortn out of bigotry and still lies in bigotry. This article is all about Africa, and I know the problems that are there, but what has Warren done aobut the cut in AIDS/HIV funding prevention in this Country? What is any church doing? Is any chruch making up the differnce or is it good ole Crhistian boys who roade the coattails of the tea party into office that are making thiese cuts. The church works in mysterious ways, and unfortunately, here in the Good ole USA, it is working through state legislatures toi defund HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Now, this is the church we ar eliving with in the US. Nothing that Warren sys in this article makes us think he is any mnore sincere than the sincere church beleivers that are defunding social progreams right and left in this country. I am not of the ilk that thinks we have to solve our problems here before we address crieses elsewhere, but I would liek to see Warren address the funding issues here and how denying people access to reetrovirals in the US is helping folks in Africa.
While commendable, perhaps, Warren artfully dodges several key points. The most crucial though...religious fanatics, and we've seen them here, have been the most vicious towards HIV/AIDS in the last 30 years. He is right in stating Jesus would never have asked 'How did you get sick'...perhaps it is something Warren should be teaching.
He very much is. Not asking how or why a person got sick is foundational in everything his church is teaching about HIV. That's one of the MAIN reasons that this is the first church response to the pandemic that I can support.
Isnt that sort of what this article is about? Teaching these people not to be ashamed or live stigmatized and accept help?
He does teach it.
A.) The Roman Catholic Church has fought against the widespread distribution of condoms and family planning for decades and has thus contributed to the worldwide spread of HIV/AIDS. B.) The Christian Church's denominations NEVER give people something for nothing. There's always prostheletizing involved and who knows what. I'd prefer that we continue to support independent social work organizations to carry out this important work.
So you would rather him NOT be doing it at all because he talks about God with them? Thats pretty selfish.
Nope, JOhn, want him to funnel hsi money through Dcootrs without Borders and preach in the chruches.
When there was public fear of West Nile a lot of people ran to their Dr to get tested. HIV will kill you and yet only a small majority gets tested. Also blood banks don't allow donation of blood from gays because of an increased risk of HIV yet they accept blood from African-Americans who have the highest infection rate.
The article is about shedding the stigma of aids. The article answers your question
given the girth of warren it seems he feeds off all the donations he will be asking for soon. what a waste obviously cnn had nothing better to post
The Church is indeed the answer. The church is behind every great social movement – from the civil rights movement, to all of the great charities of today, such as United Way and Salvation Army, either they were started by the Church or still are affiliated, but the Church is the group that brings change. This is because they view all people as created in the image of God, therefore all people are ultimately valuable – much more valuable then if one simply views them as simply a biological random occurrence.
Plus all people have a spiritual need. Everyone is searching for something more and for true meaning, whether they want to acknowledge it or not.
generally you are right. unfortunately, your religion is lead and organized by very questionable people and causes.
Keith your forgetting the inquisition!
Keith,
The church is behind every great social movement? Really? Do you mean things like genocide against the Native Americans when they wouldn't convert to Christianity? Or the Catcholic vs. Protestant violence in Ireland? Or the Crusades? Or the Spanish Inquisition? Or burning scientists alive for daring to suggest that the Sun, and not the Earth was center of the solar system? Or the execution of millions of pagans? Are those the great social movements you are talking about?
The church has been behind most of the violence and genocide that has been conducted throughout human history.
Really? So the church has my back in my fight for equal rights under the law? Nice try. The church is the one fighting me every step of the way; some of them going so far as to call for my death simply for being gay.
Organized religion propagates nothing but a fairy tale to keep people too scared to think for themselves. It is the bane of this country.
Most of these replies are completely asinine, but I will answer them regardless. Of course bad things have been done in the name of religion. People are sinful and do bad stuff, although equal amounts of damage have been done by secularists (eg. Joe Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot etc...) So this is an invalid argument.
But on the flip side, one would be hard pressed to find a powerful social movement that the church was not behind. Without the church mostly all of the worlds greatest charities, social groups, and relief organizations would not be around. The church takes the needs of people seriously, and takes the call of love seriously.
Yes the Church is behind every great movement. The Crusades, The Spanish Inquisition, ignoring the Holocaust... BRAVO!
Religion is for the weak. There is no God. If you think there is one then you are a person who's life is run by fear. Enjoy!
The RCC's misinformation and downright lies in Africa -that condoms CAUSE AIDS- has not been what I'd call a powerful weapon against the spread of AIDS. Neither was Warren's trip to Uganda with other US "evangelicals" to spread fear and hatred against gays that has resulted in the "Kill the Gays" bill. He and these other so called religious leaders have blood on their hands.
So when has so much damage been done to human life in the name of secularism again? There is a big difference between someone evil being without belief than somebody doing evil in the name non-belief. Your point is moot.
Your statements are just too broad in scope to be believable which is why so many people are objecting, stick to some specifics to help support your case.
3 largest charities in the world according to Forbes. 1. United Way – started by pastors, 2. Salvation Army – overtly christian, 3. Feed the Children – overtly Christian.,
There are the specifics. And Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao were all secularist who murded millions of people. Why because they did not view people as inherently valuable but instead products of random chance...If people are simply rand biological compounds then what is the point?
You need to brush up on your history!
@ Andrei Christianity is for the weak? Are you kidding? I have a friend who has spent 40 yrs in Africa as a surgeon serving the African people. Weak? Hardly. I have a cousin who has spent 20 yrs. in Asia helping develop micro-businesses and enabling very poor people survive. His family has been in the middle of several armed rebellions, lived a very primitive life, gone without most of the conveniences you enjoy. Weak? Hardly. I could give you multiple stories like those from my personal experience. You have your head in the sand.
What if it's true? What if the cross and the empty tomb are true? What if God morns over the darker days of human history more than his creation? What if there really is a God that isn't distant and removed but rather deeply involved in mankind's history? What if its true?
If it is true then Jesus Christ the only hope for anything. "The image of the invisible God."
Joe, if it's true, then your god is the filthiest, meanest, low-down dog of a god that ever ra.ped a child so he could kill his own.
@Keith regarding charities. So with all that money being donated, with religious backing, I'm guessing the leftovers are spent on $30 million dollar churches?
No Keith, it is not an invalid argument. You'd like to think it is because you don't want admit that your Christian religion is responsible for more violence than anything else in history. Like it or not, that is the historical truth. There is nothing asinine about the comments. The only asinine is that we still allow Christianity to exist in today's society, given how much violence and fraud it has been responsible for. As I said, the only reason the pastors of these mega-churches arent' arrested and thrown into prison next to Bernie Madoff for bilking people out of their money is because they are protected by freedom of religion.
The sooner we pass laws outlawing Christianity, the better society will be.
Keith, I really doubt that church being the Social change machine you think it is. Don't think the Southern Churches really went big for the no slavery thing. Tell me where the white chruches were in the desegregation of the south. Where was the chruch on the Equal Rights Amendment whose time becuase of the Wal-Mart decision last week has come again? Where did the church stand on women's right? Don't think that was the Southern Baptists or Catholics? I also want to know where Rick Warren was in New York last week? What was the Catholics point of view on that? Who gives money to Maggie Gallagher anyway? Where was Rick Warren on Prop 8? Where is any of the great denominations in the civil rights movement of our time? The UCC is there, but they have no great numbers. The MCC is there, but give me an instance and point to data where the church*-h has acutally been at the forefront of the social movements. I'm foggy here. Can you do the work to support your statement?
Church is world's most powerful weapon against aids.....except for that one guy who was cured of aids and leukemia simultaneously using stem cells.
Christians are not against stem cell use. We were critical of using fetal stem cells, but not the stem cells now almost universally used.
RE: the inquisition. Christians struggle to live a biblical worldview in the midst of cultures that are often very violent, political, and prejudiced. We are not always successful in breaking free from those cultures. The inquisition is one example. Read history. That kind of violence was characteristic of the European pre-Christian cultures.
That is not to excuse Christians – if those who drove the inquisition really were Christians – but neither does it diminish the tremendous good that Christians have done across the world. Warren is right. Christians are and have always been the greatest force for good the world has ever seen.
I didn't say Christians were against stem cells I was simply conveying that religion was not needed in this very interesting case. And as far as the inquisition is concerned, you completely missed the point. It was intended to help (anyone) develop a pattern of thinking which would lead to a realization that we don't need religion, it's a human construct.
If we followed the supposed word of God completely and fully today we could all come to the conclusion that the world would have a lot less people in it. This conveniently Christian population that we have today is involved in the group until they do something wrong, then they're outcast.
We don't need religion to be good people, to develop morals, and for starters if we did follow the word of the bible on a daily basis women would be a lot worse off. If you ever need an example of how horrible life would be without religion, check out Sweden.
From these postings it appears as though there a lot of hateful misconceptions and stereotypes about Christianity being thrown around as though they are facts.
There tons and tons of Christian organizations that help all kinds of people. Christian and non-Christian. Please get educated.
"Please get educated." ironically that's exactly why people are turning away from religion. there is direct correlation between the education level of an individual to there religious beliefs . education and free thinking are the reason religion is on the decline in the west. and the opposite effect is being seen in places like the middle east , south america and Africa. the US is the only nation that breaks this trend but i believe that is just a statistical anomaly from polling questions. many Americans report they are "Christians" but attendance at places of worship is at the lowest in recorded history. so while 75% claim to be Christians less than 40% actually practice the religion. and one more "fact" . there is a drastic contrast in responses by age with the population between 18 and 40 having the lowest numbers of "faithful" in another decade you will see a massive shift away from "Christianity " in the US as individuals no longer feel pressured to "belong". Religion has been used for thousands of years to explain the unexplainable. as mankind's knowledge grows the need for religions "answers" declines. In the end i believe this will make a purer form of religion that is between an individual and his "god" focused on making themselves better and not trying to change everyone else. But in the end all "modern" religions will eventually go the way of the ancient religions. moved to the myth and legends category.
"there is direct correlation between the education level of an individual to there religious beliefs "... sorry, i couldnt read the rest of your reply after that. i really hope it wasnt about being educated because that is the most ignorant thing i have ever read. its borderline scary to think someone might actually believe this.
It's a miracle.
@ john....not at all surprised you wouldn't read any farther than were you disagreed. look up the statistics on the web. they speak for themselves. but what speaks volumes about your character is the fact that you wouldn't finish reading my post but still felt compelled to rebuff it. sounds like a typical "believer" to me .
Using Guttmacher Inst-itute data on birth control method failure rates, one is able to calculate the number of unplanned pregnancies resulting from the current use of male condoms. It is an horrific number of 1.2 million/yr. Even perfect use of would result in 138,000 unplanned pregnancies.
(And what is the abortion rate in the USA? ~1,000,000/yr CDC data.)
And B16 expects male condoms to prevent contracting AIDs?
Conclusion: currently, a perfect birth control/disease barrier system does not exist. Time to develop one. In the meantime, mono-masturbation or mutual masturbation for heterose-xuals are highly recommended for those at risk. Abstinence is the another best-solution but obviously the se-x drive typically vitiates this option although being biological would it not be able to develop a drug to temporarily eliminate said drive?
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Rick Warren is a fat bag of puss, 'nuf said.
In the early days of AIDS, the hetro led churches turned their backs on the gay community and AIDS community. The hetro led churches are in part guilty of letting this disease go rampent and unchecked because of bigotry and pure religious stupidity. It was only the gay friendly churches that fiercely led the way with the gay community to help curb the disease. In short, the church failed the AIDS crisis miserably. Now this 'big bag of puss' wants on board'? No way!
I remember all of this too well. I was there on the front lines protesting the actions the church was trying to take against PWA's (Person With AIDS) and I watched how religious ignorance truly can kill people. Thanks for your true remark.
http://www.waideriddle.com
Right after Peter Pan and the Tooth Fairy.
Admirable people doing admirable work. However, the big missing piece is condoms. This was artfully dodged by the author, which makes me think they will not promote condom use. This is a pity, because, although an atheist, I admire tremendously the work done on the ground by churches around the World. It is where they cut short the good work they could otherwise do (e.g education on condom use and making them available) based on the supposed wishes of their sky-god, that I part company with them.
Brought into focus, by, for example, having 100 people who contracted AIDS because they followed the Catholic Church's ban on condom use, show up at the Vatican for the Pope's Christmas address, would go a long way toward showing the inanity of allowing Bonze Age superst.itions to curtail what would otherwise be very valuable work.
I suggest the following acronym:
Condom Use – promote them, recognizing that not all people should conform to Christian notions of acceptable $exual behavior.
Health Organizations – do not oppose them, even when what they propose conflicts with the supernatural elements of your belief.
Understand – people are not perfect, but do not deserve a death sentence for straying from Christian ideals.
Reach – out to young people and children using modern social media.
Create – an atmosphere of acceptance for gays and other $exual minorities.
Help – other religions and non-religious organizations who have the same end in mind, even if their beliefs differ to yours.
In short, continue much of what you have been doing so far, but to the extent the supernatural elements of your belief conflict with battling the disease, the former must be subordinated to the extent of the inconsistency.
Evangelicals like Rick Warren are not against the use of condoms.
They teach that abstinence is the only 100% full proof method of HIV infection, but condoms work too.
I seriously doubt these people got aids because they were following the popes orders to not use a condom
To me, it looks liek warren has backpeddled from condom usage. But then he's attempted to backpeddle away from a lot of positions he took and people with whom he closely associated.
I am far more concerned about the spread of religion than the spread of HIV. One of them is now a managable disease, the other a life destroying sickness.
Newt, you are correct. The whole world has been deceived as confirmed in Revelation 12:9. We explain how and by whom this whole world has been deceived on our website http://www.aworlddeceived.ca
Avdberg proves your point. The religious are worse than aids.
Religion will always be around, it has nothing to do with god. If the world had nothing but athiests there would still be factions within the athiest community considered religious. Some theorists are ridiculed as 'religious' for theorizing string theory. Religion stems from mans heart. Sorry to break your bubble
I swear some of these religious people are like zombies who gargle scripture and hack it up every now and then like a hairball.
John
"If the world had nothing but athiests there would still be factions within the athiest community considered religious."
-- That is an interesting observation, but it also holds for (a supposed, (and granted neither are monolithic)) religious community, ie the OTHER side. No matter how far right or left either group is today, tomorrow someone is going to come along and say they are "more holy" more "christian" and more "true" more "authentic" than the one in power. Which is why a civil society has to be based on something other than belief systems.