Has God left Africa? - Quashigah queries

Accra, Aug. 23, GNA - Major Courage E. K. Quashigah (Rtd), Minister of Health, on Thursday called on the Christian community to wake up and counter the colonialists' strategy of brainwashing the youth presently that "God has left Africa".

Addressing the 66th Synod of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, he said the very people who exploited Africa since the slave trade through colonialism to neo-colonialism, were changing their strategies to keep Africa in perpetual poverty and yet "we cannot even see through it".


"Have you noticed that the younger generations are being indoctrinated to believe that God has left Africa?" he asked, listing a number of films that the lead characters made startling remarks such as "God had left Africa long ago", "God already left Africa" and "This God-forsaken place".


He was speaking under the theme: "Christian Stewardship Revisited."


Major Quashigah said if that was the message being drilled into the people by some of Hollywood's biggest names, then Christian stewardship needed to sit up and do something to counter this subtle strategy of Satan.


The Christian community had to drill positive ideas into the heads of their flock that God was still in Africa and had given Africans the greatest wealth in this world so that generations could look for the wealth.


Major Quashigah called on the Church to embark on research and gather intelligence on the activities of Satan. "You need to strategize and plan."

He called on Church leaders to adopt different tactics to fight this battle against principalities and forces of spiritual darkness. Major Quashigah said the Christian Church's innovation in helping the people to overcome the menace of ignorance, poverty, hunger and disease was worthy of recognition and commendation.


"Government will ensure that the good people of Ghana derive the maximum benefits from the collaborative and complementary efforts of the Church and the state," he said.


The Minister, however, wondered why in spite of all the visible commendable Christian Stewardship in Ghana over the years there was still ignorance, disease and threats of hunger, saying there was the need for all to live in accordance with Christian principles. The instructions for good health, clean environment and all could be derived from the Bible, he said.


The Rev. Dr. Cyril Fayose, President of Trinity Theological Seminary, said the theme of the 66th Synod; "Christian Stewardship Revisited" was most appropriate in this day and age.


"Our media is rife with reports on global warming, home-made bombs, environmental degradation, littering of our streets, choking of our gutters with pure water sachets and building in waterways leading to flooding."


He expressed the hope that deliberations on the theme would help resolve the problems confronting the nation and the Church.