If you want to do politics, resign! – Asante to clergy

Clergymen who want to get involved in party politics should resign as clerics, Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev Prof Emmanuel Asante has admonished.

Prof Asante believes the involvement of men of God in partisan politics had the tendency to divide the church for which reason it would better for them to shed their religious garb if any of them intended such.

“In doing that you create divisive tendencies in the church and that is why we will always advise ministers leading churches to be careful. If they want to do partisan politics, nothing stops them from resigning from their position,” he said on Class FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Wednesday, September 7.

He explained to show host Prince Minkah that every human being had the tendency to be political since politics was an essential aspect of people’s lives.

However, what he abhorred was partisan politics where a minister “identifies with a particular political party and canvasses for that party and going at it like how politicians that identify with that party will do”.

His call comes in the wake of widespread criticisms from a section of the populace over activities of some men of God, who, in addition to preaching, dabble in predicting winners of elections in the country.

For Prof Asante, this did not augur well for the kingdom of God where unity and peace are supposed to prevail. “If you are clergyman, you belong to a whole group with people from different backgrounds and so my role is to foster unity,” he added.

Outgoing Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev Prof Emmanuel Martey, recently alleged that some politicians tried to buy his silence with a bribe, an offer he rejected.