Stay above politics to win society’s trust - Christian Council urges religious leaders
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called on religious leaders to refrain from making public their political affiliations to enable them to win the goodwill of all Ghanaians.
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It stated that religious leaders were in positions of trust and they needed to be neutral for Ghanaians to see them as unifying authorities.
“Our leaders need to remain neutral, so that if we reach a point, for instance, after the Supreme Court verdict, and there is tension and they are called upon, Ghanaians will listen to them,” it stated.
Speaking at the 13th General Assembly meeting of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) at Kwahu-Abetifi over the weekend, the Secretary General of the CCG, Rev Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, indicated that when the public became aware of the political affiliations of religious leaders, a negative perception about the clergy would be formed, which would not augur well for the country.
The meeting was held on the theme: “The fruit of the Holy Spirit and the believer”, and it was used to honour individuals who have contributed significantly to the development and growth of the church over the years.
Rev Dr Opuni-Frimpong stated that there was strong political polarisation in the country, with politicians going all out to have people on their side.
“Today, politicians are penetrating every nook and cranny of our society, including churches, and they are seeking to divide the people. They want to know which church is for party A and which is for party B. If you are a pastor and you say nice things about the government, then the other political parties tag you as belonging to the party in government,” he stated.
Inversely, he said, when clergymen declared their position on an issue against the government in power, the church was branded as being against the government.
He said that had caused most pastors to refrain from speaking on issues of national interest and that those who spoke ended up creating problems for themselves, as they were not taken seriously by society.
Notwithstanding that growing negative political trend in the country, he indicated that a number of men of God were also playing into the hands of politicians.
“Now, there is an increasing number of pastors openly displaying their political leanings, which does not augur well for the country’s political discourse,” he said.
According to him, although every Ghanaian had the right to freely associate with any political party, “pastors should not in any way openly display their political leanings, as such behaviour will destroy the confidence and trust the people have in them”.
He called on churches to engage with state institutions, ministries and professionals and share their positions on national issues with them.
“Our ability to speak to the facts and figures we obtain from these credible institutions will make what we say more credible in the eyes of the public,” Rev Dr Opuni-Frimpong added.
By Nana Konadu Agyeman/Daily Graphic/Ghana
