2nd November, 2010
Pastors worldwide especially clergymen in Nigeria have expressed outrage as a South African cleric, Pastor Xola Skosana blasphemed Jesus Christ by saying he was HIV positive.
A British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC report said that Skosena was preaching a sermon to his congregation titled, ‘Jesus was HIV-positive’
“Today, I will start a three part sermon on ‘Jesus was HIV-positive,†BBC reported Pastor Skosana as telling stunned worshippers during a church service.
The sermon first threw his church in Cape Town’s Khayelitsha town into silence and later murmuring as tongues were wagging not only in his church but across South Africa.
Many Christians across the world have been outraged, saying the pastor portrayed Jesus Christ as sexually promiscuous.
It is generally believed that HIV is mainly transmitted through sex but can also be spread through other means like needle sharing, blood transfusion, pregnancy or breast feeding.
Pastor Skosana told his audience at the Luhlaza High School Hall, venue of his weekly services that in many parts of the Bible, Jesus Christ put himself in the position of the destitute, the sick and the marginalized.
“Jesus puts himself in the shoes of people who experience brokenness. Isaiah 53, for example clearly paints a picture of Jesus who takes upon himself the infirminities and brokenness of humanity,†the pastor told BBC.
But he added, “There’s no scientific evidence that Jesus had the HIV virus in his blood stream,†said the pastor whose church was a fast growing church in South Africa. He quickly emphasised that he was using the metaphor to highlight the danger of the HIV/AIDS pandemic which still carries stigma in South Africa townships.
“The best gift we can give to people who are HIV-positive is to help de-stigmatise AIDS and create an environment where they know God is not against them, he’s not ashamed of them,†Pastor Skosana said.
But Pastor Mike Bele of the Nomzamo Baptist Church Gugulethu said most clergy in Khayelisthsa and Cape Town are strongly opposed to associating Jesus with HIV.
“The subject of my Jesus being HIV-positive is a scatching matter,†Bele said.
He added, “I believe no anointed leader with a sound mind about the scriptures and the role of Christ in our lives would deliberately drag the name of Christ to the ground.â€
Reacting, the Prelate Methodist Church Nigeria, Dr. Ola Makinde described the pastor as a mad man, saying that he has blasphemed the Lord. He called on all believers to continue to pray for him so that God should forgive him because he is an ignorant man, adding: “Something is wrong with him upstairs. Let us ignore him. When did HIV come into existence?â€
Another Methodist Church leader, Rev. Oladepo Darmola described the statement credited to the pastor as blasphemous, saying that everyone knew that Christ never had sexual relationship and that the Bible did not tell us that there was HIV/AIDS during the time of Jesus Christ, saying it was discovered in the 70s.
“It is natural for people to blaspheme because of the liberal notion of Christianity. The statement is sarcastic and a sad comment. We should not glorify the statement. Christians need to keep their cool and calm because God will fight for us,†he said.
Director of Communication, Catholic Church of Nigeria, Rev. Gabriel Osu said something must be wrong upstairs with the man, saying it is an attempt by the man to gain cheap popularity.
According to him, the statement is totally condemnable, adding that people should learn to guard their tongue.
“It is blasphemy, the man is sick and his statement should be condemned totally,â€Â Rev. Osu said.