"Large Christian population has little impact on development"

Kumasi, Feb. 16, GNA - Ghana's large Christian population is not having the desired impact on society because gospel preachers have adulterated the hard facts and truths of the Bible, which has the transforming power to change the debased and sinful nature of man, Dr Kwaku Twum-Baah, Deputy Government Statistician, has said.

According to him, the word of God as summarised in the Bible had been replaced by cheap flatteries and prosperity messages, which were widely acclaimed and applauded "because it is best suited for a society like ours, which worships wealth, health and happiness". Dr Twum-Baah was speaking on the topic: "God's Unchanging Word in a Changing World", the theme for the celebration of the Bible Week organised by the Bible Society of Ghana and climaxed at the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Kumasi as part of activities to commemorate its 40th anniversary celebration.

He said for a country like Ghana which had 69 per cent of its population professing to be Christians, it was expected that corruption, moral decadence and other vices would be relatively low, but on the contrary these are on the rise because preachers talk about "roses without thorns", "crown without a cross" and a "God who is never angry". Dr Twum-Baah maintained that "the God of this popular brand of religion that only compromises real life-changing biblical values for social acceptance, cannot be the God of the Bible because when we change the message of God we change the God of the message".

Touching on God's unchanging word, he said: "Someone's word does not change unless that person pronounces something that contradicts an earlier one or it is refuted by that individual or his representative." "But as far as we know, God has not inspired any revision of His word because He is not a man to change his mind or what He has caused to be written -A divinely inspired document written with a purpose, all-inclusive and sufficient for our needs", he added.

The Bible Society, which promotes and encourages Bible reading and its application to the lives of individuals, also makes Bibles available in various translations at affordable prices.

country with the opening of the Bible House in Accra in 1965, as a major feature of the commemoration.

The Bible Society has plans to refurbish and remould the old Bible House in Accra to befit its modern status at a cost of seven billion cedis.

The Society has appealed to churches and organisations, which are their traditional partners and the general public for assistance.