Sorry if my comment came across too harshly: all members, including those abstaining from the bread, are seeking perfection through Christ. AIDS is a frightening thing, especially for those who are ignorant of how it is passed from person to person.

Margaret–

I am often surprised, even amazed, at the bigness of those who are able to forgive like Darius–he sets a high standard for the rest of us.

Manaen (28), to answer your question, I don’t think there is a difference in the way people react to situations like the one in Mamadou’s story, if one would compare it between continents. I think many of us, as has been said in some comments, would recognize their own reticence if in a similar situation confronted with a person who has AIDS.

As far as racism or other differences are concerned, I think many of us need to go through a maturing process in order to become more accepting persons, in any place in the world. From a politico-cultural standpoint, it is evident that such changes in attitude, viewed per country, have happened in different periods. And that today some countries, as to average feelings of racism, are still behind others. Getting used to diversity and equality therein takes time.

Interesting contrast in this story and later comments:
* In Mamadou’s European story, the branch allowed/encouraged his participation and hesitant members tried to hide their reticence
* In Darius’s American stories, the deacon obviously tried to prevent Darius from touching the sacrament tray and the BYU parents not only were open about their reticence, they demanded — and obtained (!) — institutional support.

Is this a cultural difference in the Church between continents or beween pre- and post-Revelation versions of the Church (the pre- dean apologized post-Revelation)?

When I am at work around several family members that carry infectious blood-borne pathogens, I am aware that there are risks, have informed myself about how to minimize them, and have discussed this with the infected people. None has ever taken offense that I expressed a desire to protect myself with best practices.

I think the ideal might be that we ought to inform and prepare ourselves to deal with such problems, just as health-care professionals routinely do. In this day and age nobody should feel offended at such reasonable precautions.

Why not offer some word of explanation to members of the congregation? Perhaps both they and Mamadou would find comfort and solace through better understanding.