Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

by Alan Williamson
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 4, 31 December 1991

In this case: Who's afraid of the AIDS virus?

With news of the infection of basketball superstar Magic Johnson, a new warning has arisen relative to the dangers of the HIV virus. "Anybody can get it!" is the new watch cry. Young people who formerly thought themselves to be "safe" because they were not in a "high risk" category (homosexual or intravenous drug user) have been awakened to the risk of promiscuous "straight" sex. A new wave of concern is sweeping the nation.
Renewed calls are expected for more education, more information, more public service announcements, more fundraisers, more documentaries, more spokespeople to speak, and more tax dollars to pay for it all. People will be bolstered in their demand that a "cure" be found for AIDS --- and found now!

What is lost in all the rhetoric is the fact that a solution to the AIDS epidemic has already been discovered! It is known that the HIV virus is spread primarily through behavior that is either immoral or unlawful or both. Stop the behavior and stop the disease. It is that simple. But, that is a message that the homosexual community, the users of drugs (needle sharers), and now, the promiscuous promoters of "free sex" in the heterosexual community do not want to hear!

False information abounds in the effort to quiet the fears of the public. Programs to distribute "free condoms" and "clean needles" have been implemented. Many schools now have mandatory "AIDS Education" programs in place. The impression is left that all one has to do is use a condom when engaging in "high-risk" behavior, and you will be safe. This is simply not true! While condom use may "slow down" the spread of the virus, it is by no means a "safe" mechanism in the truest sense of the word (safe). Mention is seldom made of the high "failure rate" of condoms. And all it takes is one failure to permit the infection of the person who has been misled to depend on it for their safety. As for the effectiveness of distributing "clean needles," one might ask, "What happens after it has been used once?" Not only has a "crime" been committed, but the free needle now becomes the vessel for further infection when it is used a second time.

There is only one foolproof means of protecting yourself from AIDS, if you are intent on being sexually active, and that is to practice monogamy. The wedding ring and the faithful execution of the marriage vows will protect the uninfected. A man and a woman who are faithful in their marriage to each other need have no fear of the AIDS virus. In the absence of marriage, celibacy is the answer for the single person. Chastity may not be popular, but it is truly safe! "Anybody can get it," they say. Not so! (Ordinarily, with profound apologies to Kimberly Bergalis and others who have contracted the disease innocently.)

This message will not be popular among those who have set their hearts to do wrong, but it is true. If you would be free from the fear of "getting AIDS," abstain from sharing needles with drug addicts and refrain from sharing beds with fornicators (I Corinthians 6:18; Hebrews 13:4).