Is It Time For Ghana To Adopt A No-Nonsense Approach To Religious Charlatans?
From Monday to Sunday, most churches are filled with “believers” crying their hearts out to God. They need God to provide their needs and so they deem it fit to spend precious time praying rather than working.
An observation that struck me is why despite Ghana’s obvious religious dispensation, the nation is still marred in underdevelopment. The classic case of brainwashing by self-styled men of God is obvious. Such men prioritize tithing and offerings over proven tenets of success such as hard work, creativity, dedication and passion. We continuously look up to heaven for manna whereas Jesus Christ proclaimed on the cross of Calvary that “It Is Finished”.
Rwanda has beaten the odds and in the last 5 years has become arguably the most developed African country.
Their president and leader, Paul Kagame has been fearless in his execution of developmental policies. Amongst them is his stance on religion.
Now read this;
“I HAVE CLOSED DOWN OVER 6,000 CHURCHES AND MOSQUES IN MY COUNTRY AND I NOW DEMAND A DEGREE IN THEOLOGY FOR EVERY RELIGIOUS LEADER. STOP PLAYING WITH PEOPLES FAITH AND MAKING A BUSINESS OUT OF IT. RWANDA IS ALREADY A BLESSED COUNTRY”. –President Paul Kagame
Over here in Ghana, we hear of ridiculous claims by people who call themselves pastors and because we feel that spiritual things are out of legal jurisdictions, nothing is done by the powers that be and these “men of God” keep on making mockery of people’s intelligence. I feel that it is disingenuous to think that men of God ought to live in poverty. My concern is about the steps these men of God have put in place so that their members also benefit from the resources of the church. In reality, no pastor throws money up to heaven!!!
I honestly believe that it is time for religious leaders to face the full rigors of accountability. Without this, development here will continually remain a theory that will never find its way into the realms of reality.
If a country such as Rwanda which was marred by civil war in the 1990’s has been able to steer its way into the path of rapid development, what is Ghana waiting for?
