AIDS victims are people too

It's not economical, in terms of human lives, to treat African AIDS victims. I know it sounds harsh, but it's true; for the good of the continent, it's crucial that current carriers stop spreading the disease, and the best way for them to do that is die. Furthermore, those who don't have it yet need a healthy fear of the disease - and if African AIDS victims have it as good as American AIDS victims, there won't be enough disincentive to scare people safe.

The above is a well-reasoned Malthusian argument. I wrote it. And it makes me sick to my stomach. The argument is irrefutable: if total population retention is your goal, the infected people need to be isolated and allowed to die. Such a solution - say, creating "AIDS Villages" for victims to live out their shortened days - is reminiscent of the Law. The God-given Law of Moses had strict health rules that called for isolation for cause of uncleanness, even during a woman's period, to prevent the spread of diseases. Kept folk healthy, but it contrasts pretty sharply with Jesus' approach to uncleanness. Christ not only touched and interacted with those carrying infectious diseases, but He commanded them to break the Law of Moses by approaching Him. This - along with many other aspects of His ministry - put people above the Law, as He said, "the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath".

Therefore, InstantReplay supports the first steps towards Bush's $15billion/5 year AIDS relief program. Much of the program will focus on prevention, but as the UNAIDS states, the U.S. plan is the first ever by a donor government to lay out an ambitious strategy for providing antiretroviral therapy and care and support on a scale that contributes substantially to meeting the global need. Caring for other people is a tantamount concern of humanity, and numbers-driven policy analysis alone will not fully meet needs or reflect God's love for individuals (not for economies).