By
Dr. Charles Addo
Lecturer, Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre
Article 21 Clause (1) subsection (c) of the 1992 Ghana Constitution reads: ?All persons shall have the right to freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such practice? and Article 12 Clause (2) of the 1992 Ghana constitution reads: ?Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion [emphasis added], creed or gender shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this
Chapter but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest [emphasis added.]
While the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, it makes such guarantees of freedom contingent on and subjected to the respect for the rights and freedoms of others for the public interest. Not long ago, a so-called ?man of God? and self-acclaimed Bishop Obinim was seen in a video stepping repeatedly on the belly of a pregnant woman purposely in a prayer of deliverance in the name of ?Jesus? (See link below):
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/artikel.php?ID=337845
Someone has even suggested that such practice is tantamount to the practice of sorcery (see link below):
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=337277
Unfortunately, there are always those members of society who are gullible, vulnerable, and preyed upon by people who claim to have extraordinary spiritual powers. The question is, as in the case of Obinim, is this pregnant woman?s rights not been subjected to disrespect in the name of another person?s religious freedom, as stipulated by the Constitution? Doesn?t the State has a moral obligation to intervene to save certain individuals who clearly cannot make informed decisions for themselves when someone is taking unfair advantage of their gullibility and vulnerability?
In the very least, doesn?t the state has some obligation under Article 15 clause (2) subsection (b) to guarantee the dignity of all persons to be inviolable and ensure that ?any other condition that detracts or is likely to detract from his [her] dignity and worth as a human being? is protected? What about the rights of the unborn child? Or he or she is not a human being and a citizen of Ghana yet, so the constitution makes no provision for that?
The intent of religion has been misconstrued by ill-trained and so-called ?men of God? and is now becoming a real problem in Ghana. It has clearly been misunderstood by some, and is being utilized to the benefit of some members of society such as, wealth maximization; and to the detriment of others such as, the vulnerable, gullible, and ignorant members of society (See link below for my detailed discussion of the topic):
http://www.spyghana.com/re-religion-praynomics-ghanaian-macroeconomy/
The earlier the government intervened, as mandated by the same constitution that guarantees freedom of religion, when the exercise of it by one member of society clearly shows lack of respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, the better it will be for the public good. Obviously, tramping on the belly of a weak, pregnant, helpless, gullible, and intellectually vulnerable member of society will sooner or later begin to undermine the very moral tenets of religion, and that surely affects the ?public interest.?
When certain actions in the name of freedom of religion by so-called ?men of God? affect the rights of certain gullible members of society who lack the intellectual tools to decipher the codes of religion, but government is inattentive, the result is often the undermining of the very religious tenets that government, together with good laws, so much need to strengthen and ensure respect for State laws, as noted by Machiavelli in his precepts for the Prince (Vergani, 1997.) This is because, religion forms the moral building blocks of any society, and when certain false practitioners and self-branded ?men of God? abuse religion for their parochial interests, then comes the ridicule of all that the people have held sacred and that could, in a real sense, endanger the ?public interest? as enshrined in the constitution.
Why can?t we begin by following the example of Kenya, as suggested in the article in the link below by placing immediate freeze on the formation of new churches, and then follow it up with a governmental regulatory agency that will be charged with monitoring the myriad of churches nowadays that cross the red line? This will, in no way, imply the government is clamping down on religious freedom and therefore working against the Constitution. Rather, the government will be safeguarding public interest as enshrined in the same constitution. ?A stitch in time saves nine,? the adage goes.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/artikel.php?ID=337508
REFERENCE
Vergani, L. (Eds.). (1997). The Prince. Lincoln, NE: Cliffs Notes, Inc., p. 57
