Pastors in ‘HIV healing’ claims should be prosecuted- Evangelical Association of Malawi
An Evangelical of Malawi clergy has proposed to government to draft a law that would send to jail all pastors or prophets that discourage people from taking taking their life-saving drugs , describing the trend as very worrisome.
Reverend Evans Jeka of Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) central region manager said it is extremely worrisome that most Malawians stop taking the life prolonging drugs on the advice of the clergy.
“This is killing people, this is no different from killing, I do not see any difference of these clergy and the killers of people with albinism, they need punishment and a custodial jail term would deter us,” he said.
Health workers and civil society groups have of late said many people who are HIV are defaulting on ARVs on the advice of the clergy.
At least two million people are HIV positive in Malawi with a million of them on ARVs.
One of pastors Adam Usi has openly come out in the open to tell people that he is HIV positive.
“I have come out in order to encourage my congregation to go for HIV testing so that we have an HIV free nation,” he said.
He said instead of telling people to default on ARVs, the clergy should encourage people to go for HIV testing so that they know their status and can start the ARVs as soon as they can.
Malawi Interfaith Aids Association (MIAA) also condemned pastors giving this advice, saying: “It’s dangerous to the public and dangerous in terms of public health.”
“It’s irresponsible,” MIAA Executive Director Robert Ngaiyaye said, suggesting pastors should instead “encourage people to receive treatment”.
Ministry of Health spokesman said prayer is not a substitute for HIV treatment, advising that faith organisations can make a positive contribution to raising awareness of HIV by highlighting the benefits of testing and effective antiretroviral treatment.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
EAM is overstepping its mandate! what they are proposing no sense! Preachers are not practicing medicine by healing people through prayers! The good news is that EAM is not a legal arm of the nation so whatever they say has no legal bearing on the churches!
I find this contradicting. Does it mean the Evangelical Association of Malawi does not believe in the God who heals? I think they have got it all wrong. It doesn’t need a Sunday School kid to tell them that JESUS healed those ten lepers (Luke 17:12-19), and He sent his disciples to do the same, even more (Matthew 10:7&8). I know of false prophets and tricksters that are all over Malawi and maybe EAM is trying to distance themselves from them, but again I know of true men of God who are walking in integrity and power of God. Check… Read more »
May be the government should just ban any form of praying for the sick and any person who preaches about miracles and healing because there is no such evidence. Even the church fundraising in the name of God should be outlawed because there is no evidence about his existence. All Pastors are crooks who tell us lies about God.
Now..i find this kind of strange though not really surprised. What are these so called pastors trying to say here?…That God can not heal HIV AIDS?…Let them give a list of all diseases there god can heal…i think that would simply issues. Or do they believe in Devine healing at all???…strange to hear that faithless statement from ‘men of faith’…And why mentioning AIDS only?..What about cancer, TB….?…Eyes blinded by the love of money! AIDS money. The that is as sick as the disease itself!…Let me make a bold statement here. If you really believed in the principles of the Bible,… Read more »
Now you are talking. Dont be fooled with crooks called prophets and such people deserve to be in jail.