The Church Has AIDS: Essays On Sexuality, Sexual Orientation, Taboos and The Black Church

[Minister Gerald Palmer]

I wanted to take this time to tell you about the release of my self-published book "The Church Has AIDS: Essays On Sexuality, Sexual Orientations, Taboos and The Black Church". This book is made up of short essays that explore the social issues and stigmas that fuel the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the African American community. It is a very personal and real look at religious based heterosexism and religiosity and its impact over such issues as sexuality and sexual orientation. Religious Based heterosexism and homophobia are issues that I think we in the Church don't address enough.    

 

The Church Has AIDS explores the social issues and stigmas that fuel the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the African American community. Minister Palmer looks at religious based heterosexism and religiosity and it's impact over such issues as sexuality and sexual orientation in an upfront and in your face manner.

 

To preview the book click below: 

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-church-has-aids-essays-on...

[newview]

Something tells me that you are trying to put the sinful act of homosexuality right up there with God sanctioned heterosexuality...Am I correct Minister?

[Minister Gerald Palmer]

I don't have the power to do anything but speak the truth. It's all in the book.

[newview]

Hahaha!
And what is truth?
'Truth' based on the perverted ideas of our modern society or on the holy instructions of God?

[Minister Gerald Palmer]

Sadly the holy instructions of God have been perverted by our modern society. We have allowed our modern lense to view scriptures in ways in which they were not written and that is the Truth.

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

Minster Palmer, I read the preview of your book and it is truly amazing and full of compassion. I truly understand how you became spiritually attached to "Shay" as I, too, was attached to a dear friend who was homosexual and living with Aids. We met as servants in ministry and quickly became good friends. He was struggling constantly to break free from homosexuality. But, unfortunately, the stronghold was worse than he could have imagined, but he never stop trying to walk away from it. There were periods when he did well with celibacy. But again, it was a constant struggle.

Like you, my friend Jerry and I remained good friends, always encouraging each other in the Word. We truly loved each other like brother and sister. I encouraged him to reconnect with his daughter who was living in California and after a couple of years, she packed up and moved to Texas to be near Jerry and continued their father and daughter relationship with love and compassion, in spite of his struggles.

God will put a person in your life for a reason and for a season. I thank God for all the times Jerry and I shared and although I am sad that his time here on earth ended on 12/23/09, I know in my heart his soul is with the Lord.

I said all of this to say this, when you speak of the "Church" you are speaking of the Body of Christ as a whole, and to say that the "Church" has AIDS (not literally so) is to speak for all of us as individual believers - this is a gross error and invalid assumption. While your statement may be true about some people, it is not true about all people.

I commend you for your compassion and dedication for your outreach ministry. I pray God's strength and endurance for you and the continued support from your family and peers.

Shalom in Yeshua

[Minister Gerald Palmer]

Thank you so much for your kind words and your testimony Chaplain Harris. I do know what you mean by the title and I understand where you are coming from. There is an essay in the book "Why The Church Has AIDS" that explains the title. For to long the church has ran from this issue because of the stigmas attached to homosexuality and drug addiction. If a member of the physical church or their family member has any other illness they are embraced and the church takes that journey with them. When it comes to HIV/AIDS many take that journey alone. So I say the church has AIDS and she needs 1. understand her diagnosis 2. educate herself on this disease 3. create a loving environment for those affected and infected by this disease.

If one part of our body is ailing our entire body suffers; that is what we are faced with now.

Bless you for your time

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

After revisiting your comments, I do agree with your assessment of the Church Minister Palmer.

Blessings to you as well.

[Minister Gerald Palmer]

Thank you Chaplain Harris

[Lester Demings Jr]

Being a man who has been saved and set-free from this I will be first to say that homosexuality is an idolatrous sin and the scripture speaks PLAINLY that this is a sin.
No matter how you try to slice it and dice it, twist it and turn it God is against those who practice the sin of homosexuality.
There are two books that ALL leaders need to read to get a scriptural understanding of homosexuality and how to effectively minister to a homosexual.

"A Strong Delusion- Confronting The Gay Christian Movement," by Joe Dallas
"The Same-Sex Controversy," by James R. White and Jeffrey D. Niell

I suggest that leaders truly get an understanding of this spirit and its strongholds and fast and pray regarding how to deal with this spirit because the way it is being handled currently isn't helping anyone.

[Minister Gerald Palmer]

It is truly a blessing when a movement of God comes into our souls. That is a blessing. Now as far as the books you suggest, well being familiar with both, I would run from them because they are both full of half truths and misconceptions as well as scriptural misinterpretations. Homosexuality is not a spirit. Homosexuality is a sexual orientation and no different than homosexuality.

We can agree to disagree, but praise God for your new life.

[Lester Demings Jr]

God dosn't care about the scientific, medical or psychological terms that the world has given us to make us feel better about the sin we are in.
God made male and female- He did not make heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals or trisexuals.
MAN AND WOMAN PERIOD- nothing in between or besides that.
Show me scripture that proves that God created a homosexual. If the Bible has told is the creation of male and female I am sure you can find a scripture that will prove to us that God also created a homosexual.
If you believe you were born homosexual then do as Jesus said do and be born AGAIN- and that will solve that issue.
Science nor psychology should take precedence over the Word of God.
Homosexuality is an idolatrous spirit that is based in worship of self.
BOTH of these books spoke the SAME language from the very Word of God and had NO misconceptions or misinterpretations. You feel this way because you have made a choice to live this life and try to reconcile your lifestyle (which you cannot do) by the Word of God.
Yes, we can agree to disagree but I am sorry to say as someone who lived that lifestyle and then tried to live it the way you are trying to live it now- it just won't work until we put Jesus as the Lord of our lives, deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.

[Minister Gerald Palmer]

God dosn't care about the scientific, medical or psychological terms that the world has given us to make us feel better about the sin we are in.


God made male and female- He did not make heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals or trisexuals.
MAN AND WOMAN PERIOD- nothing in between or besides that.

"Show me scripture that proves that God created a homosexual."

Show me scripture that says that He didn't.

" If the Bible has told is the creation of male and female I am sure you can find a scripture that will prove to us that God also created a homosexual."

God created male and female and that is what our homosexual brothers and sisters are: Male and Female. Simple biology.

"If you believe you were born homosexual then do as Jesus said do and be born AGAIN- and that will solve that issue."

Well you are covering all of your bases now aren't you.

"Science nor psychology should take precedence over the Word of God."

It doesn't but I thank God for both.

"Homosexuality is an idolatrous spirit that is based in worship of self."

No it is not, show scripture for your point.

"BOTH of these books spoke the SAME language from the very Word of God and had NO misconceptions or misinterpretations. You feel this way because you have made a choice to live this life and try to reconcile your lifestyle (which you cannot do) by the Word of God."

Actually I am a heterosexual married man whom happens to be a lgbt ally. I am tired of the pain that man has caused with their misconceptions and misinterpretations of scripture..

"Yes, we can agree to disagree but I am sorry to say as someone who lived that lifestyle and then tried to live it the way you are trying to live it now- "

Sorry I am not gay. Now here is the deal if I as a straight male abstained from sex I would still be straight and that goes for those who call themselves ex-gay.