Religious groups must be actively involved in development

Accra, Jan. 18, GNA - The Very Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, Head of the Religious Studies Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, on Thursday said morality and discipline would elude the country if organized religion were not allowed to get actively involved in the developmental process. He said religious organizations were most often accused of engaging in politics when they made suggestions to shape the developmental pattern adding that they should not be deterred since they had a crucial role to play in achieving a qualitative development. He was speaking on: "The Role Morality and Religion Have Played in Shaping Ghana since 1957" at a symposium organized by the Ghana @ 50 Secretariat.

The symposium, which formed part of Ghana's Golden Jubilee celebrations, brought together students from the Great Lamptey Mills Academy; St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary, Achimota Secondary and the St. John's Grammar Secondary Schools, all in Accra, among other dignitaries. Professor Asante said throughout history, religion had been a pillar of development as it promoted morality and guidance to the concept of development the country must adopt.

He said access to pornography, the youth dressing almost naked these days and the harsh policies of the International Monetary Fund and its implications on the lives of the citizens could not be good developmental endeavours.

He noted that religion must go beyond the mere performance of ceremonial functions to the active participation in the development of the country.

The Reverend Father George Gyasi Adjei of the Catholic Church, who presented a paper on behalf of The Most Rev. Peter K Sarpong, Catholic Archbishop of Kumasi, said the gradual disregard and disappearance of religion as a cultural imperative have left the race to materialism, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, political deceit and ethnocentrisms among other things.

He said tax evasion, bribery and corruption and contempt for human dignity had reared their ugly heads in the Ghanaian society in the last 50 years because of the introduction of a false dichotomy between cultural, social life and religion.

"I, therefore, suggest that in this year when we commemorate our freedom, we need not only be thinking of political freedom but also social freedom, cultural freedom, moral freedom and religious freedom." He said the country must take account of what had happened over the past 50 years to destroy the culture through neglect of religion and be resolved to renew her religiosity.

Mr Yusif A. Mohammed, Proprietor of Whitestone International School, who spoke on: "Religion and Morality, The Islamic Perspective", said due to the hostile attitude of the Colonialists towards Muslims in Ghana they lost interest and did not actively participate in politics. He commended Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah for the popularity he gave Muslims when he assumed office at independence.

Rev Professor Joshua Kudadjie, Vice Principal of the Methodist University College, who chaired the function, called on Ghanaians to adopt a holistic approach to life and to adhere to their religious principles to guide them in their social, economic and political endeavours.