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ACLU Demands Recall of State Health Department Religious AIDS Brochure
VICTORY!
April 3, 2003
MIAMI ? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida today called upon Florida health department officials to immediately recall AIDS education brochures that are loaded with Biblical references and ask readers to "answer Jesus' call" by reaching out to people with HIV and AIDS.
"While the state must respond to this public health crisis and find ways to stop the spread of the AIDS virus, the state must base its message on the very best medical and scientific information, rather than advocate a particular Christian set of beliefs," said Howard L. Simon, Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida. "Sectarian messages are inappropriate for agencies of the State of Florida and should be left to church groups and others in the private sector."
In the letter sent to Dr. John O. Agwunobi, Secretary of the Florida Department of Health, and Beth Swisher, of the department's Bureau of HIV/AIDS, Simon outlined ACLU concerns with brochures entitled "A Christian Response to AIDS" that were purchased and distributed by the Florida Department of Health. The brochures, with the name and logo of the Florida Department of Health displayed prominently on the cover, were among the top six AIDS-related brochures and pamphlets purchased by the state from a single publisher between 2000 and 2001, though documents obtained by the ACLU as a result of public records request indicate that the brochure had been approved by the health department for purchase and distribution as recently as January 2002.
Rather than focusing on preventative measures to help stem the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus, the 16-page brochure primarily consists of Bible verses and images of Jesus Christ healing the sick and encourages readers to refer to passages in Psalms, Matthew and the Book of Job " for more understanding of human suffering and its relationship to God."
The brochure's authors pose the rhetorical question ? "Why should I learn about AIDS?" ? and the state health department's response is: "Because Jesus calls on us to respond with love to everyone, especially those who are suffering."
"The predominant message conveyed by the brochure is a sectarian religious one, representing a single religious perspective, which is inappropriate for endorsement by any agency of the State government," wrote Simon.
The ACLU called upon state officials to remove the brochure from the state-approved materials list, recall any of the pamphlets that bear the department's name and logo and take steps to ensure that no state funds, either directly or indirectly, continue to be expended on similar sectarian materials.
Media Contact: Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU-FL, 305-576-2336, ext. 16
