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HIV in Chimps

The University of Alabama has announced the finding of a “crucial missing link in the search for the origin of HIV-1, the virus responsible for human AIDS.” It was discovered in chimp feces in Cameroon. Since the announcement, Science Daily and National Geographic have published articles on the findings. The international community has been seeking to make headway against a pandemic that affected five million people last year. The origin of AIDS is an important find, and is one step closer to the discovery of how HIV first affected humans. Study team member Beatrice Hahn, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham stated, "Based on what we know about the biology of these viruses, you need to be exposed to infectious blood or body fluids," she said. "You don't get it by petting a chimp." NG suggests the possibility of humans eating chimps, which is common. However, it would have to include the consumption of raw infected blood which could have occurred through eating undercooked or raw meat.

Could it have been an act of bestiality that caused the virus to jump to humans?  Considering the fact that it is widely believed and taught that chimps are a close relative to humans, together with the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s, when AIDS first emerged…

Somehow, it happened. Hahn said, "We think it's likely that the cross-species transmission took place locally" in the Cameroon. After it first infected humanity it quickly spread to metropolitan areas and throughout the world.

It is interesting to note that the spread of HIV has notoriously involved sexual promiscuity. If biblical guidelines of faithful monogamous heterosexual relationships were followed, AIDS would not be the ever growing problem that it is today.

Yet many "authorities," such as the American Psychological Association, reject “abstinence only” programs as an effective way of preventing HIV/AIDs. It is alleged that “there is little scientific evidence that these programs work.” In reality, abstinence till marriage and faithfulness in marriage is the only 100% guarantee against contracting HIV/AIDs! But it is assumed by the APA that the majority of youth in our society would not follow abstinence and that other “precautions” need to be taught. They fail to recognize however, that “safe sex education” totally undermines the effectiveness of teaching abstinence. Why train and equip students to practice illicit sexuality and then “encourage” them not too? It is like giving a child a loaded gun, showing them exactly how it works and how to fire it and then encouraging them not to fire it.

When will the world realize that God was right all along?

Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 at 11:49PM by Registered CommenterTimothy Wesco in | Comments2 Comments

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Reader Comments (2)

Timothy,

Great post, I was not aware of the origin of the AIDS virus.

While I support finding a cure for AIDS I think it would be better for us to examine the root cause of the current AIDS problem. AIDS, though a medical problem in and of itself, is really just a new manifestation of a problem that has been around for 6,000 years. The name of that problem is "SIN" and it is inborn in every individual. Thankfully the shed blood of God's son, Jesus Christ, provides the cure for sin.

There are two lessons that I believe can be gleaned from this illuminating post. 1) When we follow God's guidlines for all areas of life, sexual and otherwise, we will be spared from terrible consequenses that come from ignoring God's law. 2) While it is okay to seek cures for man's physical problems we must remember that the ultimate cure for all humanity is the personal acceptance of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross for man's sin.

May 27, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterBrian Sikma
Two things:

1) The Russians were investigating trying to make an ape/human hybrid. Perhaps the origin comes from their experimentations.

2) While I agree that AIDS would likely be curbed almost entirely by living within God's boundaries, there are a number of AIDS victims in Africa which are not at fault. In Africa, for women to have a roof over their head and food to eat, they have to get a husband and they have to "perform" so to speak. So you have millions of women contracting the disease because they have no other choice than to stay with a man who is not very faithful. And it is often transmitted to their children, too.

I'm working with a team long-distance to help out there with some of the issues they are having, but cannot say much at this point.
May 27, 2006 | Unregistered CommenterJonathan Bartlett

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