Comments on: Jesus Has AIDS

By: Theology Thursday – Some Thought-Provoking Thoughts from Russell Moore « provPRESS

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:26:47 +0000

[...] think you will be challenged by Russell Moore’s thoughts on World Aids Day, click here. Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterStumbleUponLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:47:54 +0000

@Ted Gilbert, Jesus, Who was both sinless and impeccable, was made sin for us. I don’t believe Dr. Moore’s article in any way implies that He could sin. The spiritual death and physical/emotional misery that sin in this world has caused was dealt with at the cross. “The gay community has just fallen in love with you”? I would hope that in Dr. Moore’s article and in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we’d show our suffering Savior in such a way that, by the power of the Spirit, the gay community would fall in love with Him. And make no mistake, He died for the gay community as well as the murderer, and the rapist no less than the religious. He didn’t make demarcations based upon societal perceptions.

By: daniel v aguiar

daniel v aguiar — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 17:41:41 +0000

@Luis GonzOlv, when christ looked at the hurting and the lost he saw SIN! he knew why all these horrible diseases were and are infecting people. christ saw the sheep as lost without a true shepherd. were they lost because of aids,cancer,etc. no, it was the result of SIN, yes SIN.
we as believers are to point people to the cross to show them how much christ is willing to LOVE them if they accept HIS OFFER of spiritual cleansing and foregiveness.
yes we must show love and compassion to all. BUT we must show them christ crucified, for thier SINS and christ resurrected, for thier salvation!

By: Ανοσοποιητικό σύστημα

Ανοσοποιητικό σύστημα — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:22:27 +0000

Ανοσοποιητικό σύστημα…

[...]Moore to the Point – Jesus Has AIDS[...]…

By: Saturday Survey #8 | Southern Gospel Yankee

Saturday Survey #8 | Southern Gospel Yankee — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 06:31:43 +0000

[...] he’s really starting to annoy me. I recently read a reprint of a terrible 2009 article called “Jesus Has AIDS.” I know… the title says it all. It’s really painful. The level of historical, [...]

By: yankeegospelgirl

yankeegospelgirl — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:15:47 +0000

Yeah Ed, unfortunately I’d agree that post says it all—in the sense that I think it’s correct. Am I right in thinking that’s what you meant too?

By: Ed Fisher

Ed Fisher — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:11:32 +0000

Unfortunately, I think this says it all: http://www.whatswrongwiththeworld.net/2011/12/a_highly_regrettable_blog_post.html#more

By: Bekah Idle

Bekah Idle — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:02:38 +0000

Mr. Moore-

You write so well.

In regards to some of the unfavorable feedback you’re receiving… well…

I’m SO glad that Jesus isn’t as easily offended as some Christians can be.

By: Jesus has AIDS | Calvary Baptist Church

Jesus has AIDS | Calvary Baptist Church — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:40:13 +0000

[...] article on this very subject by Russell Moore, a professor of theology at Southern Seminary. Read it here for yourself (click here). Updates From CalvaryNews and [...]

By: Ted Gilbert

Ted Gilbert — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:09:06 +0000

Isn’t it amazing what we “think” we must do to get a point across. I take your “attention grabber” as an afront to our LORD. Jesus took upon himself the sin of the world and all that goes with it but He NEVER WAS ABLE TO SIN. Your statement implies that He could. Think about it. The gay community has just fallen in love with you. Please use the KISS method in the Lord’s servies.

K eep
I t
S imple
S tupid.

By: yankeegospelgirl

yankeegospelgirl — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:42:11 +0000

Sorry, I just wasn’t that impressed with this article. It comes off rather shallow (and I’m not even going to get into the controversy over whether there really is such a thing as “AIDS,” which doesn’t have as clear an answer as most people think).

By: Andrew Lindsey

Andrew Lindsey — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 03:54:27 +0000

Re: Stephen, “Jesus did not say, ‘I ‘identify’ with the hungry or the naked or…’ He said, ‘I WAS hungry; I WAS naked…’”

-Good point. Some blog commenters try to be more ’spiritual’ than Jesus.

By: Derek Taylor

Derek Taylor — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:43:10 +0000

Its hard to compare anything to the scandal of dying a death as a crucified man, stripped naked and so badly beaten that you barely look human, along with other criminals. Good article though - sometimes we need to re-acquaint ourselves with the scandal of the cross - and His stunning and unexpected identification with sinful man (that’s you and I) - and this is one way to accomplish that.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 14:53:40 +0000

Thank you for the article. It’s a much-needed call to the Church to reach out in love to the marginalized, the disenfranchised…And as to the title, Jesus did not say, “I ‘identify’ with the hungry or the naked or…” He said, “I WAS hungry; I WAS naked…” Comedian–and thoughtful Christian thinker–Mark Lowry once said that he’s decided that after reading about Jesus in Scripture, he needs to spend a lot of time around prostitutes. Provocative, and there was nervous(?) laughter, but he went on to make the point, as you did, that that’s where you’d find Jesus much of the time: with the outcasts. The church needs to quit driving across the overpasses on their way to their nice suburban churches and go down below those bridge overpasses to see who lives there, on the streets, amidst the drugs and squalor and desperate need–for the Gospel and for their basic physical needs.

By: Stephen Myshrall

Stephen Myshrall — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:19:48 +0000

@Robin Sulkosky, I don’t believe Dr. Moore meant AIDS is shameful in the way you appear to have understood him. He actually qaulified what he meant by writing it is, “one most often spread through sexual promiscuity or illicit drug use”. According to WHO, between 5% and 10% of HIV infections worldwide are transmitted through the transfusion of infected blood and blood products. If this stat is accurate then, Dr. Moore is correct in saying, “most often.”

Do you think his reference to the Luke 8 passage would leave room for the cases to which you refer?

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:34:22 +0000

@Chuck Thomas,

Would you have read the article if it had said the same thing. I love Russell Moore anyway but the title definitely influenced my opening it.

By: Russell Moore Or Less To The Point: Is “Jesus Has AIDS” Goading Sheep With The Social Gospel? « A Rose by Any Other Name

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:58:49 +0000

[...] Moore to the Point – Jesus Has AIDS. Yes, but we cannot see Jesus only in his Head but also in his Body, also in his identification with those he calls “the least of these, my brothers” (Matt. 25:40). Jesus isn’t right now hungry, is he? He isn’t naked, is he? He isn’t thirsty, is he? He isn’t in jail, is he? Well, yes, he is…in the nakedness, hunger, thirstiness, and imprisonment of his suffering brothers and sisters around the world. [...]

By: David L.

David L. — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:48:58 +0000

@Nate Paschall, I would agree with your concerns, the emphasis seems a bit unbalanced, but Dr. Moore did make it clear that the “least of these” refers to “brothers and sisters”; the family of God.

In the vein of “preaching like an Arminian but teaching like a Calvinist”, in order to reach those of the family of God within these people groups we need to, in a sense, do missions like the Liberal Christian who espouses social justice but filter our efforts through the subtext of God’s sovereign election by means of offering these the Bread of Life.

However, I would agree with you that if the basic premise is to “Love” in this context apart from an upfront gospel then this is certainly beyond the scope of our mission… and should be categorized as ‘hate’. There is no greater from of oppression than meeting the physical and emotional needs of someone and withhold the bread of life.

One might argue that through the credibility of the meeting of felt-needs we are able to “clear a way” for the gospel. This is logical because the gospel is offensive, nevertheless the gospel is the power to save even apart from our attempts to soften it with “love”. This does NOT mean that we avoid caring for the physical needs of the unregenerate, but it is a spoke on the hub of gospel preaching. I don’t think Dr. Moore would disagree.

By: The Good Stuff (12-2-11) « Rural Theologian

The Good Stuff (12-2-11) « Rural Theologian — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:50:10 +0000

[...] Jesus Has AIDS- The title is provocative. The writing is great. Read it. LD_AddCustomAttr(”AdOpt”, “1″); LD_AddCustomAttr(”Origin”, “other”); LD_AddCustomAttr(”theme_bg”, “efefef”); LD_AddCustomAttr(”theme_border”, “a7a7a7″); LD_AddCustomAttr(”theme_text”, “555555″); LD_AddCustomAttr(”theme_link”, “000000″); LD_AddCustomAttr(”theme_url”, “000000″); LD_AddCustomAttr(”LangId”, “1″); LD_AddCustomAttr(”Autotag”, “religion”); LD_AddCustomAttr(”Autotag”, “technology”); LD_AddCustomAttr(”Tag”, “random”); LD_AddCustomAttr(”Tag”, “the-good-stuff”); LD_AddSlot(”wpcom_below_post”); LD_GetBids(); Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

By: Robin Sulkosky

Robin Sulkosky — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:22:32 +0000

AIDS is not a shameful disease. Many victims who develop it from HIV are not promiscuous–sometimes it is as simple as a blood transfusion gone awry.

So shame on you, Russel D. Moore, for marginalizing and stereotyping a group largely comprised of victims, and not promiscuous, shameful creatures.

If God were real, or if God were real and hadn’t treacherously created HIV/AIDS, he would likely agree.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:10:46 +0000

Well said and beautifully written. Despite the other comments, I think the title, though obviously provocative, makes your point quite well.

By: "Jesus has AIDS" - Russell Moore

"Jesus has AIDS" - Russell Moore — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:59:37 +0000

[...] has AIDS" - Russell Moore According to Dean of Theology at SBTS - "Jesus has AIDS." Just reading that in the type in front of you probably has some of you angry. Let me help you see [...]

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:45:16 +0000

Awesome. Thank you.

By: Nate Paschall

Nate Paschall — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:41:38 +0000

It seems you’ve blurred the Great Commission with the Great Commandment, and “Jesus has AIDS” is an improper identification. Surely in Christ’s sufferings he identifies with those who suffer, and in one sense he “sympathizes with our weakness” (though that verse is referring to temptation, particularly to apostasy).

You said, “caring for those with AIDS is part of the gospel mandate given to us in the Great Commission.” I would strongly disagree. Love is not the Great Comission, preaching the gospel is. The Great Commandment is to love. Without this distinction we can end up thinking “Jesus wants us to go in to all the world and LOVE”. The Great Comission was not “Go into all the world and love your neighbor as yourself”. That would simply be a mandate of the Law.

Second, you seem to muddy the distinction between those inside the church and those outside. People suffering with AIDS outside the church are not identified with Christ’s suffering as Paul is speaking of in Acts 9:4 and Col 1:24.

A better distinction would be “Jesus understands the suffering of those with AIDS, those who are socially ostracized because of public suffering, because he himself experience the same thing” not “Jesus has AIDS.”

I do wholeheartedly agree with you that we must as Christians not distinguish who we love on the basis of social faux pas. But my love will look different than Jesus’ love. Unfortunately I do not have the divine healing power of Jesus to touch leapers on a regular basis and make them clean. I would certainly do everything in my power to make sure that persons knows and understands the love of Christ communicated to them in my words and actions.

By: roy hdz

roy hdz — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:29:41 +0000

I think this is awesome. From the title to the last period. I would not had the words to say all of this. GOD bless you ;)

By: Luis GonzOlv

Luis GonzOlv — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:20:36 +0000

Wow! this article is AMAZING! I’m crying… I’m young, christian, medicine student & I can understand this like other people cannot. A family friend died this year because AIDS, and was so sad see that all church who we belong was afraid to visit him. Christians must think about this. We must see Jesus’ face in all sicks, hungers and neededs.

By: Chuck Thomas

Chuck Thomas — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:27:28 +0000

Sorry, but the title is remarkably unhelpful. The point of the article is well taken, and an important teaching, but could have been made without the absurd title. Using the logic you have used you would also need to say that Jesus has uterine, or ovarian cancer, both of which, given the testemony of scripture with respect to God’s one and only SON are also absurd on their face and only serve to confuse the larger message and teaching.

How about a simple and direct ‘Jesus love people with AIDS (and any other stigmatizing or otherwise ailment of condition). Do you?

By: World AIDS Day | davegullett

World AIDS Day | davegullett — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:29:19 +0000

[...] Jesus Has AIDS [...]

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:23:14 +0000

@Matthew, You really wouldn’t have liked it 10 years ago when people were still talking about AIDS.

Thanks for writing this great article.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:55:08 +0000

Im sorry but I just don’t like the the title……..

By: Ashley Sigrest

Ashley Sigrest — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:47:31 +0000

Wow!! Great article!!!