6.2 Response to the Attitude towards HIV and AIDS and PLWHA
6.2.1 Silence in the Church
Commenting on the general silence of the Church, some participants articulate their disappointment and shame. The following excerpt from the interview of caregiver, CG39:5, is a reflection of their emotions.
Interviewer: According to what we said it means that the Church is not doing anything about HIV and AIDS?
CG39:5: I am afraid to say that [...] because I might sit here maybe at town in Durban they are doing something. But if they do it it‟s not much; it‟s not visible to me. I have never heard it in report – all the reports, you were here today; you did not hear [even]
one report. This is a conference centre; you did not hear [even] one report, not one.
We finished our reports today, but not even one person who reported about that.
Interviewer: What is your impression?
CG39:5: I think – I think – I think it‟s terrible. I think it‟s terrible. And yet KwaZulu- Natal we are the highest in South Africa [...] Yeah but we don‟t see [any initiative]
and I think – it‟s a shame to me. It‟s a shame. It‟s a shame and I don‟t know – I don‟t know about other conferences; that‟s why I said I don‟t want to be sitting here and say, „nothing happens, nobody says [anything] nobody says [anything]‟, I don‟t know what happens in Eastern Cape; I don‟t know Northern KwaZulu[-Natal], Gauteng [...] So, maybe in other conferences they do mention. But unfortunately here I now would be lying. There is not even statistics; there is not even one person who said, ‟I have heard somebody [saying this]‟, so it‟s sad. It is very much disappointing [...].
This caregiver was interviewed during the Annual Conference of the FMSKZN in 2012 where church leaders from the 10 circuits of this region presented annual reports on the activities. He was disappointed that not a single reporter mentioned HIV and AIDS when they operate in KZN, a province most affected by HIV (Gouws and Karim, 2010:62-64). He is not sure whether
90 See appendices 4 and 5.
145
this silence is due to the failure of the reporters to mention all that was happening and wonders whether this silence on HIV is peculiar to the FMSKZN only or whether it includes all the other regions of the FMCSA.
Likewise, the observation of the overseer of the FMCSA does not eliminate this caregiver‘s doubts. He states:
The pastors within the congregations, some of them are doing that, others are scared because we discussed in the pastors‟ retreat also that the pastors have got to address these issues with the children, so that they may know how they are supposed to behave as children. But you find [...] some pastors who are scared of talking about sex issues; because even the parents at homes they are being encouraged to speak about these issues but some of them are not doing that. It‟s a cultural thing. Talking about sex is taboo in some of our cultures as blacks here in South Africa (CL38:2-3).
In his excerpt, this overseer is disappointed that (some) pastors keep silent about HIV and AIDS because they are afraid to engage on the topic of sex, especially with the youth and children.
Although pastors also acknowledge the silence of the Church on HIV and AIDS, their views on the seriousness of this concern vary. Some recognise this failure and understand that they should engage in raising awareness and should encourage church members to talk about the pandemic.
The following excerpt serves as an example of this category:
I think the Church hasn‟t done anything as a deliberate strategy. We haven‟t discussed about this and the Church hasn‟t done anything really deliberate to encourage that. But I think it‟s a point that is noted that maybe we can discuss about this first in the leadership and then come to a point where we really make decision to go forward and to encourage people. Like I said, maybe one of the ways can be within the leadership or within the board of the Church to encourage every person to do their own test and to bring out their own results and to break the silence, yeah, so that it becomes an opportunity (CL37:4).
This pastor noted that the Church is failing in its mission and purpose. In his understanding, church leaders should be the first people to get tested and to disclose their status and use this disclosure as a starting point to discuss the disease in the church community.
However, other pastors did not recognise the need to discourse on HIV and AIDS. The following excerpt of the interview of the pastor, CL22:1, illustrates this point:
Brother, I think everybody knows about HIV and AIDS. Because [...] the Department of Health they have done some workshops. There are others – because we have Philila91 [organisation] in Snburg92[town]. Philila they are busy helping those people who are HIV positive; so I think brother the Church or people know about this problem (CL22:1).
91 The real name of the organisation is hidden for ethical purpose.
92 The real name of the town is hidden for ethical purpose.
146
This pastor, like others, believes that that HIV and AIDS is currently well-known and therefore awareness programmes are no longer necessary. This view seems to be a form escaping from their responsibilities. Indeed this view contrasts with the concern of a young girl of lack of information about this pandemic. The translator reported her intervention during the FGD as follows:
She is saying that parents and adults within the Church should really try and speak to young people and then announce to all the church community about sexual issues around and HIV and AIDS and maybe make people aware of it. She is emphasizing that they should really raise the idea of fearing the children and come out because the experience is that some of them are scared to talk about sex to their children and that‟s where it happens that the children contract AIDS because they do not know what the parents are hiding. [They think that] ‟maybe my mum and dad or my uncles are hiding something nice.‟
And then they go and want to explore men because it happens in the young men (FGD3:13).
This girl insists on the necessity of parental involvement in discussions on HIV and AIDS and of assisting the youth in getting to know how to deal with it. Her claim therefore confirms the idea of fear and avoidance of talking about HIV and AIDS in the Church and contradicts the view of church leaders who argue that the initiative for HIV and AIDS awareness is no longer necessary.
The last point which highlights the silence on HIV and AIDS in the Church is mentioned by the pastor, CL13:8, who simply understands that the Church is a holy place in which the [unholy]
topic of HIV and AIDS cannot take place. He states:
Whatever question you ask about HIV and AIDS you link it to the Church [...]. It becomes a problem because it‟s a Church. You see. A Church, when people think about the Church they think about the Church where you go and praise God. A holy place; [...] we need to address certain issues in the Church. But because I went there for church services, let‟s look at the issues that pertain to the Church and address them, you see, and forget about other issues [...]. Like I am saying to you I don‟t want to talk about people fearing to talk about HIV and AIDS [...] I cannot say „people are afraid‟ or
„people are not afraid‟ because we don‟t have enough time in the Church. Because you get there at nine o‟clock, by eleven you are out, [laughter] two hours. You don‟t have time to talk about these things. You see! All we talk about, you think about the leaking roof. You think about the closet water [water closet]
that – the tape that is not working because the municipality officers cut off water. Then we start thinking about how to generate funds to be able to pay the debts. You see! Less we think about HIV and AIDS (CL13:8).
Four concerns are evident in this excerpt. Firstly, for this pastor the Church is a holy place in which the ‗unholy topic‘ like HIV and AIDS cannot be discussed. Secondly, the Church has other more important issues than HIV and AIDS (‗issues that pertain to the Church‘) to address.
Thirdly, there is not enough time to discuss the pandemic. Lastly, people are not afraid to talk about HIV and AIDS in the Church; it is only because of these above mentioned reasons that it is not discussed. This pastor is very confident in what he says and by repeating the expression,
‗you see,‘ he seems to be convinced that HIV and AIDS has no place in the Church. It may be
147
said that because of this attitude, it is difficult to expect any initiative involving discussions on HIV and AIDS in his circuit.
Therefore, through this overview on the reactions of the participants, there are many stories which point out the failure of the FMSKZN in promoting HIV and AIDS awareness. The failure is compounded by the Church‘s conspicuous silence on HIV and AIDS because: (1) ‗HIV and AIDS is already known everywhere by everyone‘ (although the youth proves this view wrong), and (2) ‗(unholy) HIV and AIDS cannot find a place in a holy Church.‘ However, in contemplating the complaints of the caregiver and the youth, the disappointment displayed by the overseer and the arguments of the pastors, it can be argued that although there is this silence, people are aware of what the Church should be doing.