Cowardly Aids Factory, Juan McFarland
Sometimes in life, things are exactly what they seem. There’s no nuance, no hidden meaning, no double entendre and no ulterior motive. This is one of those moments. A man who intentionally exposes women to HIV by using his position of influence and leadership to engage in a sexual relationship with them is a coward. There’s no other side to Pastor Juan Demetrius McFarland’s story. Here’s a man who upon learning he was infected with the virus took no steps whatsoever to protect his subsequent partners or even inform them of his status. This is a man who cared nothing for the health and safety of the community at large by failing to realize that HIV/ AIDS is an epidemic that can devastate an entire region for generations. This is a man who co-opted his position as a religious leader to go on a one man crusade against women because he felt some kind of way about being infected. This is a man who claims to be a Christian but has probably never lived by any of the lessons taught in the Bible, lest he should be in this position in the first place. This is a man who couldn’t help but fall prey to his demons and exhibited no moral character whatsoever in the face of adversity. This is a man who failed to exhibit any inkling of common human decency with a group of people he was supposed to uplift. This is a man who failed to actually be a man.
The funny thing about religion is it can bring out the best or worst in human beings. Mother Theresa is an example of the best. Osama Bin Laden is an example of the worst. To be a preacher is to be the shepherd of a flock. But when the shepherd is leading the flock right to the wolves and refuses to even pretend to give a damn about the lives of the flock as they fall victim one by one, there’s nothing positive to be said about said shepherd. There was no mandate for this man to become a preacher. Nor was he forced into this position. And not only did he accept the mantle of leadership, he used his position to prey on women by taking advantage of their spiritual vulnerability and desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
Cowardice is not always about running away from the field of battle. Nor is it always about failing to show bravery. Dictionary.com defines coward as a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain; a timid or easily intimidated person. There a few things in life more difficult than a HIV diagnosis. There are few things harder than telling someone that you care about that you are HIV positive. And there are few things more painful than watching as people whom you felt you could trust or could depend upon distance themselves away from you because you are HIV positive. To be HIV positive is a battle physically, as your immune system slowly dies; it’s a battle emotionally as people refuse to deal with you; it’s a battle spiritually as you question whatever god you believe in as to why he would inflict such a blight upon your life. And to run away from those battles and simultaneously force someone else to go through the same battles solely due to your inability to face your own situation is the height of cowardice. And a cowards actions never fail to leave collateral damage.
Sometimes, the hardest thing to do in life is exhibit common human decency. It can take courage to do something simple or refrain from doing something simple solely because it’s right even. And it takes a special kind of coward to not only refuse to exhibit common human decency, but to do it over and over and over again with no ounce of remorse. It’s not hard to refrain from a sexual relationship with dozens of women. It’s not hard to use protection while engaging in sexual intercourse. And it’s not hard to realize that HIV is a death sentence and to intentionally inflict someone with this virus is tantamount to murder in the most insidious and dastardly way possible. And that is why this man is a coward.
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To read the original article, Eyes Wide Shut , published October 15
Persecuted Knowledge 