C
ChurchSoldier
Guest
So I came across these stats from the FDA website on giving blood and find them to be pretty astounding.
*A history of male-to-male sex is associated with an increased risk for exposure to and transmission of certain infectious diseases, including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Men who have had sex with other men represent approximately 2% of the US population, yet are the population most severely affected by HIV. In 2010, MSM accounted for at least 61% of all new HIV infections in the U.S. and an estimated 77% of diagnosed HIV infections among males were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact. Between 2008 and 2010, the estimated overall incidence of HIV was stable in the U.S. **However the incidence in MSM increased 12%, while it decreased in other populations. *The largest increase was a 22% increase in MSM aged 13 to 24 years. Since younger individuals are more likely to donate blood, the implications of this increase in incidence need to be further evaluated.
fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/BloodBloodProducts/QuestionsaboutBlood/ucm108186.htm
So the question I have, particularly to the more theologically liberal among us, is how do we as Christians correlate promotion of same sex activity and Christ’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves? How do we say “I love you” but then condone a behavior which has a much increased likelihood of causing them to catch a life threatening disease? Doesn’t the concept of “loving someone” by nature include wanting them to abstain from things that are likely to hurt them?
This is a serious question. I would like to hear reasoning that people have come up with which allows these seemingly contrary ideas to coincide with each other for those who support same sex behaviors.
Thanks so much.
*A history of male-to-male sex is associated with an increased risk for exposure to and transmission of certain infectious diseases, including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Men who have had sex with other men represent approximately 2% of the US population, yet are the population most severely affected by HIV. In 2010, MSM accounted for at least 61% of all new HIV infections in the U.S. and an estimated 77% of diagnosed HIV infections among males were attributed to male-to-male sexual contact. Between 2008 and 2010, the estimated overall incidence of HIV was stable in the U.S. **However the incidence in MSM increased 12%, while it decreased in other populations. *The largest increase was a 22% increase in MSM aged 13 to 24 years. Since younger individuals are more likely to donate blood, the implications of this increase in incidence need to be further evaluated.
fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/BloodBloodProducts/QuestionsaboutBlood/ucm108186.htm
So the question I have, particularly to the more theologically liberal among us, is how do we as Christians correlate promotion of same sex activity and Christ’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves? How do we say “I love you” but then condone a behavior which has a much increased likelihood of causing them to catch a life threatening disease? Doesn’t the concept of “loving someone” by nature include wanting them to abstain from things that are likely to hurt them?
This is a serious question. I would like to hear reasoning that people have come up with which allows these seemingly contrary ideas to coincide with each other for those who support same sex behaviors.
Thanks so much.
