| Cathleen Falsani

Why don’t more evangelicals care about AIDS crisis?

Even though Wednesday was World AIDS Day, I had decided not to write about the AIDS emergency in sub-Saharan Africa — an oft-visited topic in this column.

And despite inquiries from readers about my thoughts on the spiritual content of U2’s newly released album — another favorite subject — I promised myself I wouldn’t mention anything about, um . . . “yer man,” as the Irish say.

Having surmised that the plight of millions of sub-Saharan Africans afflicted with and dying from HIV and AIDS because they can’t afford the $1-a-day, life-saving drugs that are readily available in the United States was a drum I’d beaten perhaps a few too many times, I was determined to write about something different.

Something called Chrismahanukwanzakah, to be specific.

But it’s going to have to wait until next week, as I’m too busy being blind with anger to be funny.

This is righteous indignation, I believe, sparked by an e-mail advertising the results of a survey of evangelical Christian Americans and their attitudes toward the AIDS emergency in Africa.

Progress is being made, the survey said.

Sure, if you think moving from the truly scandalous to the merely shameful is progress.

The survey, conducted by the Barna Research Group for World Vision, a nondenominational Christian relief organization that does heroic work in Africa and elsewhere in the developing world, revealed that since November 2002, the percentage of American evangelicals who said they would be willing to make a donation to help alleviate the AIDS emergency has risen from 5 percent to 14 percent.

The survey of 1,004 adults also found that 17 percent of evangelicals (a group Barna researchers define with a complicated set of nine questions about doctrine, belief and practice) now say they would help children orphaned by AIDS, a figure that is up from a shocking 3 percent two years ago.

World Vision calls this a “small but significant increase.”

That’s far too generous. They’re being way too easy on their evangelical friends, and I say that as one of them.

Let me be sure I’ve got this straight: Two years ago, almost none of the evangelicals polled (in the same Barna survey) said they intended to make a donation to help the African AIDS emergency. And now, about 85 percent of them still feel the same way.

Hardly reason to celebrate. The numbers should be the direct opposite of what they are.

Why don’t more evangelicals seem to care about what is clearly the most urgent physical human crisis on the planet right now?

More than 6,300 Africans are dying of AIDS every single day. And 12 million African children have been orphaned. So far.

Jesus said: Suffer the little children to come to me. Feed the hungry. Care for the sick. The poor will always be with you.

Most Christians know this, right?

So, why didn’t the Barna surveyors discover nearly all evangelicals — the alleged caretakers of Jesus’ gospel message — ready, willing and able to do whatever it takes to help millions of dying men, women and children in sub-Saharan Africa live?

The Barna surveyors also reported that about 12 percent of Americans in general are willing to donate money toward the African AIDS crisis, and about 13 percent are interested in supporting children orphaned by AIDS.

That’s a negligible difference from the evangelical results.

Where does Jesus fit into the equation?

In announcing the survey results, World Vision, an organization I have nothing but the highest respect for, cited the weeklong “Heart of America” tour of Midwestern churches that yer man and his nonprofit Debt AIDS Trade Africa made in December 2002 to raise consciousness about the AIDS emergency, as a turning point.

In churches from Nebraska to Chicago to Nashville, yer man and his band of humanitarians urged, confronted, cajoled, challenged and begged evangelicals to get involved, to hear God’s voice asking them to intervene on behalf of the least among them.

People responded passionately. I saw the tears, watched as people prayed, swayed and filled out political action cards. Many of the faithful souls who responded with such immediacy two years ago have followed through.

The problem is too many of their allegedly kindred spirits have remained inert.

And by the way, a rock star — even one who happens to be a believer — shouldn’t need to light a fire under God’s church. (Although, if the Bible accounts are true, over the years God has used a lot of unlikely folks to do God’s work. Prostitutes. Adulterers. Mercenaries. A chronic stutterer. A teenage mom.)

Hey, church, what’s it gonna take?

Does Jesus himself have to make a special guest appearance, point at Africa and shout, “Yo, a little help over here?!” before you realize it’s unquestionably your responsibility to do something significant to stem the tide of the AIDS pandemic there?

Yes, it’s up to all of us as human beings, regardless of our religious persuasion or lack thereof, to care for those most in need.

But the church should know better. After all, you’ve had missionaries on the ground in Africa for decades.

Here’s an idea: Instead of giving that weekly tithe to the local church to build a new fellowship hall, how about sending it to Africa to buy anti-retroviral drugs that will keep somebody’s parents alive or send an orphan to school.

Actions speak louder than words.

Or as yer man puts it in what (since you asked) is the best track on U2’s new album full of emotional and spiritual spleen:

You speak of signs and wonders

But I need something other

I would believe if I was able

But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table.