many of the religious right believe hiv to be a punishment from god for immoral acts
Also true. But that does not mean they relish the resulting suffering from the punishment and it does not mean that they believe homosexuals to be beyond forgiveness and grace.
Mike- no problem. I am all for jokes in combination with good argument. I apologize for doing a PLF (parachute landing fall) on your head.
Also, not all religions believe homosexuality is immoral. The Quakers are more accepting of homosexuals than, say, the Southern Baptists. It varies from group to group, though. They don’t have a hierarchy like the Roman Catholics or the Mormons or other churches, so there is no official stance on the matter.