Critique of President's "Christ is the President Ghana"

Inherent dangers of mixing Religion and Politics

by: Dennis Adjei-Brenyah Esq.

Sometime last week, I read with stunned horror, the statement by the president

of our country that, “Christ is the president of Ghana.” Apparently, our

President has made this startling declaration before without anyone calling him

to account. I say this because the article stated that “Once again the

President Mills said that Christ is the President of Ghana, and he owes no one

any apologies for the statement.” (See Ghanaweb, May 7, 2011) Our president is

alleged to have made those statements because “it is his guiding principle as

head of state.”

I have known the President for several years as his former law student at Legon.

I have seen him rise up to the Presidency of our country. I have rejoiced at

his political success, though I do not subscribe to his political ideology, if

he has any. I regard him as a friend. Our President has been projected by the

media gurus around him as a religious man, a Christian, who surrounds himself

with “prophets,” “pastors” and “ministers” of all kinds, from near and far.

Should we be worried? In a word, Yes.

President Mills made this startling statement- “Christ is the President of

Ghana” when he was addressing the 39th general council meeting of the Church of

Pentecost at Sowutuom in Accra. I am almost certain that in response to this

statement, the Christian crowd must have yelled; “Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!

Amen” And some more Hallelujahs! Therein lies the volatile mix of religion and

politics.

On what authority does the President declare that “Christ is President of

Ghana”? As I see it, the President's own religious fervor, fanaticism or

commitment to Christianity has absolutely no place in the governance of our

county.

He may pray as hard as he wants, he may read our Holy Scripture as much as he

wants, he may consult with his “men of God,” the prophets and pastors and

ministers as much as he wants, but he cannot declare Christ is the president of

our country.

Just so the record is straight, I count myself a Christian. I believe in the

Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Church that have spanned two thousand

years. To the extent that I am able to humbly say so, I bow down to the Holy

name of Jesus Christ. But, I also acknowledge several friends of mine here in

New York that are Jews and are intense believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac

and Jacob and the Prophet Moses and all the prophets. (And pointedly do not

believe in Jesus Christ) I also have several Muslim friends here and in Ghana,

and they believe in the Holy Prophet Mohammad (Blessed be his name).

There are many other expressions of faith – in God – in Ghana and elsewhere

beyond the few I have just mentioned. Plurality of religious views is the norm

in our country. You may add animism and ancestor worship to the complex mix of

the reality of our expressions of faith. Accordingly, on that pluralistic

viewpoint alone, without more, the President's avowed declaration that that

“Christ is the President of Ghana” is a direct and brazen insult on all those

Ghanaians who subscribe to the Muslim faith (and all other faiths), who also

believe deeply in the God of Abraham – and the Holy Prophet Mohammad (Blessed by

his name). This brazen disregard of the religious sentiments of millions of

Ghanaians, including Muslims, who may have voted for this President, turns into

pure arrogance on the President's part when he declares that: “He owes no one

any apologies for the statement.” Actually, the president owes everyone in

Ghana – including Christians – an apology for so severely distorting the message

of Christ for a cheap – very cheap – political acclamation. I can assure you,

that there were good Christian men and woman in that Pentecost Church meeting,

who must have cringed because, they must know what Christ himself said and

taught about this arrogant fascination with political power. Thus, my

contention and submission, is that based upon purely factual recognition of the

varied and multiple expressions of religious views in Ghana, the President's

statement subverts that sovereign expression of faith by Ghanaians who are not

Christians. He betrays his “unholy” biases to the detriment of the collective

cohesiveness of our motherland. We owe it to our county to resist any attempt

by the President (or anyone) to exploit religious sentiments for perceived

political gains. Notwithstanding the arrogant statement that he owes no one an

apology for declaring; “Christ is the President of Ghana,” the President must

apologize to our nation. This is a call to redemption and humility, the

hallmarks of any “good” Christian.

Beyond the urgent need to make every Ghanaian feel the protective shelter of the

Constitution and a sense of belonging to the collective, united, wholesome Ghana

– which this President severely undermines – there are constitutional

requirements placed on the President to ensure that any identifiable group in

Ghana is not discriminated against. In making his rather unwise declaration,

our President has unwittingly (or perhaps wittingly, since he has stated his

'Christ is the President of Ghana” mantra repeatedly) discriminated against all

non Christians, including all those Muslims from all sections of our country who

voted for him as President.

While our constitution does not rigidly construct a wall of separation between

“Church” and “State” (religion and politics) it does direct and advocate

separation of “Church” and “State” in words and in spirit. The Constitution

directs that Ghanaians “shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender,

race, color, ethnic origin and religion or creed...” (See article 17 (2) of the

Constitution of the Republic of Ghana) This is a constitutional mandate. Our

Constitution defines “discrimination” as “to give different treatment to

different persons attributable only or mainly to …. religion or creed.” If a

practicing Muslim is sitting in the crowd of mainly Christians and the President

declares that “Christ is the President of Ghana” he has intentionally demeaned

the sanctity of the religion and faith orientation of the Muslim and any other

non-Christian. Our Constitution envisages plurality of views and thought. That

is the essence of our democracy. Theocracy is a different model altogether.

Thank God Almighty; we are a democracy, not a theocracy.

Furthermore, the Constitution advocates the active promotion of the integration

of the people of Ghana as a necessary legal and political end in itself.

Article 34 (5) provides that: “The state shall actively promote the integration

of the peoples of Ghana and prohibit discrimination and prejudice on the grounds

of place origin, gender or religion creed or other beliefs.” This Directive

cannot be any clearer.

Thus, quite brazenly, and without any regard to his sworn duty to uphold the

Constitution and the laws of the country, this President has, apparently,

repeatedly, subverted this Constitutional imperative, by, at the barest minimum,

putting down other religious beliefs including the great religion of Islam and

Judaism. Shame on him!

When you have a multi-religious community of believers in the same God, but

different ways/creeds to Him, you must disassociate your personal religious

passions from the complex legal, Constitutional and social needs of that

community. This President has failed – sadly and tragically – in this regard.

He must be made to account to parliament: to explain – and apologize to our

nation for this unholy subversion of our Constitutional directive.

There is an inherent danger in mixing politics and religion. One may gain a

short term advantage in some votes, but the long term damage to the needed and

necessary integration of our country would suffer – even with catastrophic

consequences. As I write this, Coptic and Catholic Christians, a minority

Christian group in Egypt are being attacked – even killed – merely for being

Christians in a predominantly Muslim Egypt. Only a couple of weeks ago, there

were killings of Christians in Muslim northern Nigeria following an election in

which a Christian won. In Iraq, Churches were bombed and scores of Christians

were killed – and the culprit in all this mayhem, is the failure of the human

spirit to be tolerant of the religious creed and expressions of others. When

the President of our Country “installs” Christ Jesus as the “President of

Ghana,” he invites, and perhaps ignites, conflagration of the worst proportions.

He should be ashamed of himself. He allows political convenience (perhaps

vote-getting, backed by “Praise the Lord!”) to overcome his duty to be

ruthlessly neutral in the religious arena, and keep his religious views private.

Our president has every right to declare in his private home (not the Castle)

that “Jesus Christ is the President of his House,” but he has absolutely no

business declaring that “Christ is the President of Ghana” knowing full well

that a good many millions of Ghanaians do not subscribe to that religious view.

Furthermore, I hold the considered opinion that Jesus Christ expressly disavowed

and totally rejected the desire and expressed intentions of followers to vest

him with earthly Kingship attributes. First he expressly cautioned us to pay

our taxes and therefore do all our civic duties and obligations: “Render onto

Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and onto God the things that are God's.”

(See Matthew 22:15-22) Simply put, do not confuse the political and civic

responsibilities with your obligations to your maker: Separate religion and

politics. Our President violated this Christian principle with agonizing

arrogance. He says that he owns no one any apologies. Sad, very sad,

fortunately, he can change. And, democratic accountability-elections-are

coming!

In one of the pointedly dramatic events in our Holy Scripture on this issue, at

the trial of Jesus Christ before Pontius Pilatus (a representative of the same

Caesar Christ said we should honor) the Governor of the Roman province of Judea

asked Jesus: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Our Lord's answer was a counter

question to the powerful Governor. “Do you say this on your own or others have

told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and

the Chief Priests handed you over to me...” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does

not belong to this world...” (See John 18.33-36.) Jesus taught humility. He

rejected any pretentions of earthly kingship from Judea, and by extension,

Presidential offers from Ghana and elsewhere. Let us not touch Christ with our

inane human hubris.

Our Muslim brothers and sisters vote, Let the President go and stand before any

of the several Muslim groups and tell them that in his government; “Christ is

the president of Ghana.” The manifest hypocrisy of his politics will be fully

exposed. Mr. President, keep your religion out of our politics, and our

politics out of your religion. It is your sacred duty. And, you owe us all an

apology, for your ill-advised disregard of your duty under the Constitution and

the wiser imperatives and expectations of our diverse and united nation.

I invite all my country men/ women who are Muslim or Christian or Animist or

Jews or Hindus or whatever to vote wisely in the upcoming Presidential

elections; to ensure and demonstrate to the President that we must separate our

political views from our religious creed. Christ is not the President of Ghana.

His “kingdom” is not of this world.

Dennis Adjei-Brenyah Esq

Attorney and Counselor at Law

New York