Don’t shy away from sex and HIV-AIDS issues, churches told

Dimapur, May 24: The Churches in Nagaland can no longer shy away from ‘moral issues’ such as sex but need to recognize and acknowledge its role in the spiritual narrative because sex is one reason the fight against HIV-AIDS must continue, participants at a recent seminar on HIV-AIDS in Mokokchung were told.

Churches can be ‘the pillar of hope’ for people affected by HIV. The institution can bring about a change in the HIV situation of Nagaland, resource persons said. 

 ‘We need the support of the church,’ said a resource person from the Legislators’ Forum on AIDS, during a daylong seminar for churches arranged by a nongovernmental organization, the Care and Support Society in collaboration with the Pastor’s Fellowship of Mokokchung Town. The event was supported by the forum.

The seminar was conducted at Artang Baptist Church on May 24.

Resource persons, unnamed in a DIPR report on Tuesday, are said to have lamented that 20 years had gone by since nongovernmental organizations began taking steps to control HIV in Nagaland. The spread of HIV is still continuing, they said. The NGOs alone cannot fight HIV; rather, fighting HIV is the responsibility of every right thinking citizen and community including the church.

The meaning was that the church was the right platform to fight HIV as it enjoyed ‘wider coverage’ and influence on the community than any other community group. ‘The church is permanent while NGOs are not; the church has authority and influence; the church can give spiritual guidance and the church possess strong financial resources,’ the speakers are said to have told the gathering. 

Taking all the factors into consideration, the churches in Nagaland can step forward to create awareness about HIV through community programs and also help remove stigma and discrimination away from those affected by HIV, the gathering was told.

During an interaction session of the program, topics about the church’s silence on the issue of HIV/AIDS, and what the church can do
were discussed. Church workers and Care and Support Society members participated in the program.  

A separate update from the Care and Support Society said on Tuesday that the resource persons were from the District AIDS prevention and control unit and Hukatoli Choppy of the forum. Members of the control unit spoke about the HIV scenario in Nagaland and of Mokokchung district. 

“Sex is almost related to moral issue so churches need to think and consider this concern. Ms. Hukatoli Choppy share about the role of
the church on HIV because funds are reducing from funding agencies and in near future there will be no funding for HIV but a lot of issues are arising because sexual route of transmission is very high and church have resources like men power, money in so on. Church can play vital role on this issue,” the NGO added in its note.