The Christian Council has raised concerns over what it describes as a “worrying trend of religious excesses” within the Christian fraternity.
According to the Council, “some self-styled ‘pastors’ who are engaged in these religious excesses, forbid their members from going to school, accessing health care and working to earn a living, because they perceive it to be against the teachings of Christ.”
A press statement signed by the General Secretary of the Council, Rev Opuni Frimpong further noted that “recent media reports of some churches not allowing their school going children to go to school, and pregnant women from accessing health care because they claim Jesus never went to school or the hospital, are but a few of the wide-spread religious excesses in the country today.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”P9slZqmkaSzGlV66ek4muz0I22CpaZv7″]The Council believes such religious practices are a threat to public safety and undermines the socio-economic development efforts of this country, “especially in our attempt to meet development targets such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).”
It said most of these excesses are practiced and championed by ‘men and women of God’ who lack balanced understanding of the Bible and the teachings of Christ.
It therefore called on key stakeholders such as “theologians who are knowledgeable in sound Christian teaching (orthodoxy) and sound Christian practices (orthopraxis), security agencies, judiciary, department of social welfare, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), traditional authorities and other government agencies would have to collaborate to provide a national response to it.”
The Council further assured the nation of its preparedness to make available its expertise and facilities to support national efforts in curbing these excesses.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana