Abstract
“A Conspiracy of Silence” vilifies religious institutions for their perceived silence during the HIV/AIDS pandemic (Ngoma-Simengwa 2010). There have been few studies to determine whether clergy are silent about HIV/AIDS. This article reviews the 2011 Zambian Religious Leader’s Survey, which surveyed 336 clergy from two denominations in Zambia: Christians and Muslims. Twelve questions were used to identify the frequency of preaching on HIV/AIDS related topics. A factor analysis was used to select factors that were commonly addressed by Christian and Muslim clergy in their preaching, and each factor had several variables as topics of preaching. The t-test was used to determine if preaching on variable topics differed between the two religious groups. The study has helped to create a baseline database on HIV/AIDS church leadership in major denominations and determines that the conspiracy of silence is a myth. Clergy from two dominant religious groups do preach on difficult cultural issues to encourage a healthy lifestyle and are less likely to discuss cures resulting from joining the church or mosque.
Recommended Citation
Lentz, Corliss and Majumdar, Sarmistha
(2015)
"Speak No Evil: Do Zambian Religious Leaders Practice a “Conspiracy of Silence” Regarding HIV/AIDS?,"
Journal of Public Management & Social Policy: Vol. 20:
No.
2, Article 4.
Available at:
https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/jpmsp/vol20/iss2/4
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