End the vilification of religious leaders - Most Rev Asante

Most Reverend Prof Emmanuel Asante, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, has said it is unfair when religious leaders and organisations are vilified for stating their opinions on issues of national concern.

“It is sad that religious leaders have been asked to keep their opinions on issues of national concern. It is sad that religious people are vilified because they dared to sate their opinions”, he said.

Speaking during the climax of a week-long celebration of the Men’s Fellowship of the Accra Ridge Church on Sunday, Most Rev. Asante, called on all stakeholders in December 7th elections to come to a consensus concerning the creation of the 45 additional constituencies and not resort to insults and intimidation.

He said peace could not be achieved on a silver platter and called on all to be tolerant of each other’s opinion whether one agrees with it or not adding that “tolerance is about knowing your position and letting others hold on to their positions. It means I live and so I would let you also live”, he said.

He called for the effective and prompt dispensation of justice since it goes hand in hand with peace and urged Christians to rise up and be counted as peace ambassadors since Christ is the prince of Peace.

Most Rev. Asante called on all to respect the democratic path chosen by the nation as it had come a long way in its quest to achieve it, saying “after years of politically instability oscillating between constitutional democratic rule and military regimes, Ghana finally settled on multi-party democracy”.

Most Rev. Asante, who is also the chairman of the National Peace Council, called for tolerance within political parties as one was bound to encounter individuals with different political views which might run counter to the collective positions of his or her party.

He said politics of attacks and insults presage political violence that disturbed the peace and equilibrium of the nation.

Mr. Joseph Cleland, president of the Accra Ridge Church Men’s fellowship, expressed his appreciation to members of the fellowship for their commitment to the fellowship since it was established in 1986.

“Even though we are not many, we tend to be creative and resourceful and that explains why we have done so well as far as donating to charity is concerned”, he said.