March 2002

Evangelicals Called to Fight AIDS

At an international conference on HIV/AIDS organized by his charity, Samaritan’s Purse, Christian evangelical leader Rev. Franklin Graham called on Christians to “lay aside their prejudices” and band together to fight the disease. Speaking at the “Prescription for Hope” conference in Washington in February, Graham asked Christians to show compassion for all those who are HIV-positive, regardless of how they got the disease: “We have to remind each other: What would Jesus do?” He said, “We need a new army of men and women who are prepared to go around the world, to help in this battle.” He added that to fight HIV/AIDS, Christians do not have to compromise their beliefs. “I believe in abstinence. But I’m not going to let that stop me” from working with others who favor condom distribution. Samaritan’s Purse donated $1.6 million last year towards HIV prevention programs. The organization’s Ken Isaacs noted that the conference was “a big risk” for the group because they didn’t know what the response would be in the church community.