Apostolic and evangelical Christian churches in Zimbabew are discouraging and even banning their worshippers from taking their medications for HIV/AIDS, and other conditions, and they are dying by the hundreds. Because Jesus cures AIDS. Presto!
Except that he doesn’t.
Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe
From Zimbabwe NewsDay (emphasis added):
[…]
Apostolic and Pentecostal churches with their origins in West African countries now based in Zimbabwe have been cited as the major culprits.
This sad story came to the fore during the recent burial of Tambudzai Mazvihwa (not real name) of Banga Village in Shurugwi.
According to speakers during her burial, she had stopped taking her anti-retroviral medication and developed complications, which later caused her premature death.
“Parents and relatives, I think you are all aware that our daughter here was taking anti-retroviral drugs, but for the past five months she had stopped her medication on instructions from her church elders who had prescribed holy water instead of the pills. It is the holy water that has caused her death. Had she continued with her treatment, she would be living up to this day,” said an elderly headman during her burial.
Only a few villagers attended the burial and members of her church did not attend for fear of being beaten up for having caused her demise.
As men shovelled red gravel onto her grave, some spoke in low tones condemning the acts of her church.
[…]
There was no cross, no flowers and no name on her grave. Tambudzai is yet another victim of the doctrinaire religious sects that are taking Zimbabwe by storm; she is among hundreds of other worshippers who met a similar fate.
[,,,]
There are also many versions of Christianity, with some churches overtly borrowing from traditional religious practices such as divination, witch hunting and “spiritual” healing.
HIV and Aids counsellors said Tambudzai’s situation is common among people who practise the type of Christianity propounded by the new churches as they always complained that their churches discouraged them from taking medication and instructed them to drink holy water or milk only.[…]
However, the churches offer alternative healing services through “faith healing” which comprises of “laying on of hands”, “holy water”, “prophecy and divination”.
These churches stand accused of dissuading members from taking any form of conventional medicine, including life-prolonging HIV drugs.
Pentecostal churches under the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe said their Christianity is based on a close reading of the Bible and expectations that members would try to base their lifestyle on Bible teachings as closely as possible.
Biblical teachings that include the pastor sticking his dick in you:
Many people who are sick and desperate end up at these churches in search of a cure or some respite as they encourage having faith and using “holy water” and other such items that are given by the leader.
Some use unprotected sex as a form of internal cleansing thereby increasing the risk of spreading HIV and Aids.
Cases of well-known apostolic sect leaders raping women under the guise of treating them are also very common, and have made headlines in local newspapers.
Church elders who spoke on condition that they were not named said it was true that some churches cured the pandemic through the Holy Spirit and it was only those worshippers who did not have faith that were not healed.
[…]
Read the whole article, it goes on about “miracles” done right on the television. =0
Reality Bong 