ICC calls for restoration of Godly heritage in Ghana

Accra, Aug. 27, GNA - The Right Reverend Dr George Slezer Ofori-Atta, Presiding Archbishop of the International Council for Clergy (ICC) at the weekend called for the restoration of the country's Godly heritage in students to arrest the rising moral decadence.

"By omission, our Godly heritage is being lost to our children who are the future leaders of this nation. The schools are simply not teaching the Godly heritage of this nation. "They teach the children to become better citizens of the world without using biblical principles. The children are taught to just believe in themselves without making any reference to God," he stressed.

Archbishop Ofori-Atta made the call in a keynote address at the 20th International Public Ministerial Ordination of the ICC in Accra. He said the free lifestyle of some members of the Clergy and lack of training and ethics had also led a few of them to get into trouble with the law.

"These men of God do not want to be under any authority and to be accountable; hence they live in secrecy and do become susceptible to all kinds of evil schemes of the devil." Archbishop Ofori-Atta said: 93Some of these behaviours are making the government to come out with stringent laws and measures in respect of the clergy, which may stifle and strain Church and State relationship."

He observed that there was a wrong impression created by the society for people to believe that 93all that man need is money and power".

"This is a fallacy. For this ultimate aim cannot be of God, but of Satan using money to serve as God, in order to let us believe that economic values determine one's decision and to let selfish gains or profits determine what one does. "To judge what is right and wrong by how much money is gained or lost and by political affiliation is to be serving the purposes of Satan."

The President of the ICC, which is an affiliate of the Council of Black Clergy, Philadelphia in the US and the Council of World Bishops, slammed the politics of insults, which he said is destroying the fibre of the society.

"The Ghanaian culture abhors this behaviour. Nevertheless, because of political expediency in order to gain and retain political power, some people in responsible positions have resorted to dabbling in this unfortunate, cheap and debasing method of causing disaffection in the minds of a section of the electorate. "We as a council condemn this unfortunate trailing of insults and let us arise as a nation to deal drastically with this social canker." He asked the clergy to call their 85congregants to order while parents should uphold ethical values and inculcate these virtues into their children.

Archbishop Ofori-Atta called on the government to set good examples of good mannerism in all sphere of life. Reverend Dr Simon Bamalong Asore, President of S.B. Asore Centre for Pastoral Excellency and Conflict Resolution, who was the Guest of Honour, called on ministers of the gospel to live by the ordinance of the bible by being physically, morally and spiritually whole. Fifty-nine ministers of the gospel who were ordained at the ceremony were presented with certificates amidst shouts of joy from their friends, relatives and sympathisers. 27 Aug. 11