Christian Council warns against religious excesses

The Christian Council of Ghana has called on religious leaders to ensure that their teachings and practices facilitate personal and national development to reflect the balanced teachings of Christ. It stressed the need for Ghanaians to use religion to build the country instead of destroying it. It added that faith must facilitate the development of families, communities and nation. A press statement issued by the Council and signed by its General Secretary, Rev. Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, noted with concern the worrying trend of religious excesses in the country, especially within the Christian fraternity. It said some self-styled ‘pastors’ who were engaged in religious excesses forbade their members from going to school, accessing health care and working to earn a living because they perceived such activities to be against the teachings of Christ.  According to the statement, recent media reports of some churches disallowing children from attending school, and preventing pregnant women from accessing health care because they claimed Jesus never went to school or the hospital, are but a few of the widespread religious excesses in the country today. It expressed the view that such religious practices are a threat to public safety and undermined the socio-economic development efforts of the country, especially in the attempt to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Source:Dailygraphic