In a recent Khayelitsha church service, Pastor Xola Skosana opened his sermon by stating “Jesus was HIV positive.” For some reason, this has caused some small outcry.

Pastor Skosana has been quick to defend himself against the claim that he is accusing Jesus of sexual promiscuity, emphasizing the “picture of Jesus who takes upon himself the infirmities and the brokenness of humanity.”

From the BBC:

“Of course, there’s no scientific evidence that Jesus had the HI virus in his bloodstream,” says the pastor, whose non-denominational Hope for Life Ministry is part of a growing charismatic movement in South Africa.

“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.”

Shockingly, this has not gone down all that well with other members of the South Africa Christian community; Pastor Mike Bele, for instance, of the the Nomzamo Baptist Church, feels that an HIV-positive portrayal of Jesus is more damaging than it is useful. He calls Pastor Skososana out “to explain how it came about for him to bring Christ to our level, when Christ is supreme and is God.”

Reverend Siyabulela Gidi, director of the South African Council of Churches in the Western Cape (SWCCWC?), has also chimed in to support Pastor Skosana, adding that “Pastor Skosana has fortunately got the country talking… and that is what theology is all about.”

Apparently he forgot about that whole ‘God’ thing.

Some pretty heated debate on the topic popping up over here.

[Source : BBC]