Synod of Accra Diocese of Methodist Church opens

Accra, May 13, GNA - The 44th Annual Synod of the Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church of Ghana has opened with a call on both Politicians and Traditional Rulers to join hands with the Church to condemn all kinds of social vices currently facing the country. The Right Reverend Samuel Kwami Hodasi, Methodist Bishop of Accra, said the country would lose the war against HIV/AIDS if the three bodies failed to stop the menace that was penetrating the fabric of the society.

"At this Synod, we are asking that both Politicians and Traditional Rulers unite with the Church to condemn the extremely attractive advertisements littered all over the country in the media which are beckoning the youths to alcoholic drinks packaged as aphrodisiac." The Synod would take stock of achievements and failures in the past years and plan for the future.

Rt. Rev. Hodasi said Highlife Music, which used to extol the virtues in the society was now filled with sexually explicit lyrics corrupting the minds of the youths.

"Saint Valentine's Day, which is a reminder to us of God's love, a day which tells us that even while we were yet sinners, God sent His Son to die for us; has now become one in which immorality is celebrated," he said and called for concerted efforts to address the issue.

Sheikh I.C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister, said the world was plagued with conflicts and problems because "we do not speak the truth".

"Speaking the truth is the key to victory; the key to progress; the key to forging us to live in brotherly unity," he said. He said because materialism and material goals seemed to dominate activities everywhere, most people placed their self-interest above that of the community and the country.

Sheikh Quaye said to change these trends "we must strengthen our faith, by holding ourselves fully responsible for all acts and deeds" and stressed the need for moral uprightness among the society to make the world a peaceful place.

The fraternal messages from the Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Ghana Presbyterian and the Bible Society of Ghana, all centred on moral degenerations facing the youths of this country and stressed the need for both the Government and the Church to address the issue to avoid future chaos.

The Rev Father Francis Adoboli, Parish Priest at the St. Paul's Catholic Church, Kpehe, who represented the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, called for the extension of the educational campaign on social vices to homes, schools, workplaces and social gatherings to reduce the menace.

He also called on all Christians to have the courage to oppose and reject the proposal to legalise prostitution in the country, as legalizing the practice would not stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS. 13 May 05