A pastor in South Africa shocked church-goers with a sermon Sunday by claiming Jesus was HIV-positive.While some are outraged at South African Pastor's Xola Skosana's words because they portray Jesus Christ as possibly being sexually promiscuous, the pastor told followers that Jesus frequently put himself in the position of the poor or sick population.
Skosana also said he used the example to illustrate the stigma that HIV/AIDS still has on South Africans and people around the world.
"Of course, there's no scientific evidence that Jesus had the HI virus in his bloodstream," the pastor said according to the BBC. "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." (hivplusmag.com)
African pastor sparks outrage with bizarre claim
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήBy Daily Mail
Xola Skosana stunned his congregation in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township with the statement, news of which then quickly spread across South Africa
A South African pastor has provoked outrage after beginning a recent sermon with the claim that Jesus Christ was HIV-positive.
Xola Skosana stunned his congregation in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township with the bold statement, news of which then quickly spread across the country.
And Christians have reacted angrily, claiming it portrays Jesus as sexually promiscuous.
'The subject of my Jesus being HIV-positive is a scathing matter,' said another local pastor, Mike Bele.
'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.'
Pastor Skosana, whose non-denominational Hope for Life Ministry is part of a growing charismatic movement in South Africa, insists his message is more about giving hope than anything else.
By making the claim, he hopes to remove the stigma attached to HIV suffers in his country.
More than 5.7million people live with the virus in South Africa - more than in any other country. Pastor Skosana himself lost two sisters to Aids.
HIV is predominantly transmitted through sex but can also be spread by the transfer of contaminated blood into the system through needle-sharing