tft-short-4578168
Ken Ammi’s True Free Thinker:
BooksYouTube or OdyseeTwitterFacebookSearch

On homosexuality and HIV/AIDS: Elton John finally gets it, does anyone else?

Sir Elton John was one of the stars at the World AIDS Gathering.

Dr. John’s prescription is that, “We need to put our arms around people who are HIV-positive. If you show compassion, no one will be afraid to seek treatment.” No question that homosexuals and anyone suffering from HIV/AIDS needs love, compassion and prayer and not hatred—“for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” James 1:20.

Elton John hit the nail directly on the head by stating:

“I should be dead. Six feet under and in a wooden box. I should have contracted HIV in the 1980s and died in the 1990s,” like Queen singer Freddie Mercury and actor Rock Hudson and so many other loved ones and friends, he said…

“Every day I wonder, how did I survive?” he said. The full answer will never be known, but “the message that saved my life” — and could save millions of lives if put into practice — is that everyone deserves compassion, dignity and love.

“Why do I tell you this? Because the AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not,” Mr. John said, beseeching the audience to stand against stigma, homophobia, criminalization and other blaming, denigrating actions aimed at people with HIV/AIDS, including prostitutes, drug users and men who have sex with men.*

How many people will realize that while part of his message is blaming others for their prejudice, the key is personal responsibility. In a lot of ways HIV/AIDS is a unique disease. This is because HIV/AIDS is passed on and contracted via immorality. If you do not believe in any morality (or, ethics) or any sort then you will disagree but otherwise, you know that it is true. How so?

elton2bjohn-2225599

You may ask, “What about those who contracted HIV/AIDS from blood transfusions, where they being immoral?” Well, Jehovah’s Witnesses would say yes but not this writer. No, those getting a blood transfusion were not being immoral but the question is, “How did the disease get into the blood bank’s blood in the first place?” Regress the question a few steps and you will find immorality.

In a way, this is what Sir Elton John was saying. He admits that she should be dead due to his chosen behavior, his chosen lifestyle. HIV/AIDS is a disease that people give to each other via chosen, consented upon actions (unless rape was involved).

You can have all of the compassion, dignity and love in the world and yet, if you are sexually irresponsible you may very well get HIV/AIDS. Sir John is quite right, “AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not.” Indeed, the AIDS epidemic is promulgated via irresponsibility and no, of course, this is not just about homosexuals.

The fact is that for all of the, rightful, condemnation of anti-homosexual sentiments and even violence, homosexuals have killed more homosexuals than non-homosexuals have killed homosexuals—see Rev. Dr. Mel White on Christian Homosexuality, part 17 of 21

Now a however which seems to be that he is hiding a message behind the message which is that he and many like him lived self-destructive lifestyles due to being mistreated, condemned and experiencing prejudice. This is why when he was “beseeching the audience to stand against…other blaming” be seems to not realize that this is what he was doing himself.

While he “called for an end to the ‘hate in Uganda, stigma in the Ukraine, indifference in the United States’” he did, of course, exclusively besmirch Christianity:

He praised those who responded to the epidemic by comforting and serving people, even if it meant defying institutions such as the Catholic Church.

“I know Jesus is smiling down on you despite what the Vatican might say,” he said, speaking to unidentified nuns and priests.

Of course, Jesus is smiling upon those who serve Him by serving others. And whatever the Roman Catholic church’s view on contraception may be, they most certainly do not condemn love and care of those suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Do you consider people with HIV/AIDS you neighbors?

Then the Bible tells you to love and pray for them.

Do you consider HIV/AIDS you enemies?

Then the Bible tells you to love and pray for them.

Do you think that HIV/AIDS hate you?

Then the Bible tells you to love and pray for them.

Do you think that HIV/AIDS curse you?

Then the Bible tells you to love and pray for them.

Do you think that HIV/AIDS persecute you?

Then the Bible tells you to love and pray for them.

Do you think that HIV/AIDS spitefully use you?

Then the Bible tells you to love and pray for them.

Do you think that HIV/AIDS mistreat you?

Then the Bible tells you to love and pray for them.

And you did not know that Sir Elton John was a preacher of Jesus! Indeed, moreover:

More policy changes are needed, though, Mr. John said, citing “clean needles” programs and an end to stoning gay men and locking up HIV-positive people. “For Christ’s sake, this is the 21st century!” he blurted out.

Where the stoning gay men and locking up HIV-positive people is occurring, he did not seem to say. Not, that it is not occurring but the point being that he did not say something to the likes of, “For Muhammad’s sake, this is the 21st century!” or “For Moses’ sake, this is the 21st century!” or “For Baha’u’lla’s sake, this is the 21st century!”

What is the point? He did not take aim at Islam, which condemns homosexuality, not at Judaism, which condemns homosexuality, not at the Baha’i Faith, which condemns homosexuality, etc.

For more of his theology, see:

Sir Elton John’s Historical and Theological Elucidations: Was Jesus a “super-intelligent gay man”?

For the discerning, Sir Elton John hits a metaphorical, logical and ethical wall by appealing to the argumentum ad chronologicum. This is a made up term which refers to the fact that he is appealing to a moral code derived from the zeitgeist—the spirit of the age. In other words, at this particular time he and those like him want a certain moral acceptance and so he demands that others follow along.

No, do not get side tracked as this is not about claiming that anyone should be stoning gay men and locking up HIV-positive people. The point is that when we appeal to the morality de jour, what happens when the morality de jour changes and, for example, the majority decide that stoning gay men and locking up HIV-positive people is, again, acceptable?

This is why there is a difference between morals and ethics—see the following video:

Morals vs. Ethics: Greg Koukl vs. John Baker debate “Do moral truths exist?”

Sir John reiterated:

All it takes is a bit more funding, and a bit more understanding,” And more love and compassion, he added, noting that even if there’s a vaccine and a cure someday, those things won’t be enough because they won’t end stigma and prejudice faced by those living with the disease.

“Science can stop the disease, but science alone can’t end the plague,” Mr. John concluded. “We have to replace the shame with love, we have to replace the stigma with compassion. No one should be left behind. That is how we will end the plague.”

The issue is that we can and must love all people but we cannot and must not love the sin: love the sinner, hate the sin.

Love, compassion, tolerance, diversity, acceptance, etc. will not end HIV/AIDS: personal responsibility and ethics will.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Cheryl Wetzstein, “At world AIDS gathering, Elton John appeals for compassion,” Washington Times, July 23, 2012 AD


Posted

in

by

Tags: