In what appears to becoming a norm in Christendom for believers to travel to Israel, Jerusalem and Vatican considered holy places for prayer, Chairman of the National Peace Council Most Rev.Prof Emmanuel Asante has stated it is not founded in the bible.

According to him, no part of the bible demands that Christians should travel to these places under the guise of pilgrimage indicating that it is only being done because believer want to abreast themselves with relics about the founder of Christianity which is Jesus Christ.

Unlike the Muslims who have their pilgrimage as one of their pillars of their belief, he said that cannot be said about Christians challenging anyone who has contrary views to make it public in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Book.

‘Muslims pilgrimage is part of their five pillars, but I think it’s even wrong for government to sponsor them, but the people involved pay. There is nothing wrong for government to organize the trip to prevent possible chaos, but I don’t think government pays for their trips,’ he said on Kumasi-based Abusua Fm.

Commenting on plans by government to sponsor Christians on such trips, he described the gesture as waste of resources and needless advising that persons who want to embark on such trips must bear the full expenses of their travels.

‘Every Christian must bear his/her own traveling expenses if he/she wishes to go to Jerusalem. As a former head of a church, I objected to this idea during Prof.Mills’ tenure, and I am adding my voice now to the people who are objecting to this idea by telling government to stop it…Lets allow religious groups to do whatever they want to do, but government should concentrate on its mandate by providing jobs and putting up infrastructural developments with such monies,’ he admonished.