By Evans Tawiah

For some reasons, many people end up not belonging to any religion. The reasons ranging from not believing there is a God, some thinking they are being lead down by God, others even think every religion is associated with one form of corruption to the other, so staying free from religious attachment is the best. Obviously, religion, from time immemorial seems not to be free from various forms of corruption but the reality behind the above school of thought is that, people mostly misunderstand some concepts in those religions which is as a result of misinterpretation by the leaders of the various religions.

Africans and for that matter, Ghanaians have lived with gods who are impatient and have no mercy so the ancient people though primitive, were on top of issues when it comes to corruption and all kinds of evil practices. but how is the story today in Africa or Ghana where Christianity is the dominant religion? Day in day out, you see Christianity increasing as people leaving the African traditional god who they claim cannot give them salvation this is a perfect reason in the real Christian context but once again, is Christianity growing because of salvation? Why did Mr.kwaku mensah a typical pagan refuse to swear by Antoa-nyamaa but rather would like to swear by god when he was asked which god? because Antoa-Nyamaa is also a god, this is what he had to say: “nanaum, I am not the one who took the money but I can not swear by Antoa-Nyamaa but I swear by the Christian God!” When a delegation lead by the Ahenkoa searched his room, it was turn out that, the said money was in his room. Logically, the deduction one can make is that the thief knew he will die if he goes on to swear by the African god who is known to be unmerciful and instance-justice oriented. Interestingly, the above traditional court proceedings show that, the Christian concept of mercy is wrongly and totally misunderstood by most Africans and Ghanaians in particular. Furthermore, this misconception about the merciful nature of the Christian God sends a serious message to all the stakeholders in the religion: the pastors, the fathers, bishops, the Cardinals, and ultimately, the pope that they must come out and do a reproaching of the Christian concept of mercy to all Christians. Bob Marley once said, “until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior, is finally and permanently discredited, and abandoned, everywhere is war”. Like Bob Marley, my suggestion is, until the defenders of the Christian faith stop using encomiums means of soul winning, Christianity will be the home of immortal sinners. There is perfectly nothing wrong with people becoming Christians in their numbers, after-all, that was what Jesus Christ said “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit,” teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20). Asudze da me do a Methodist hymn which means, I have responsibility then pastors and all men of God, for Christianity as a religion to fight corruption, you have the responsibility of preaching the world as painful as it may be at any point in time so that anyone who want to engage in any form of corrupt practices will stop using Christianity as their shelter. Finally, to all of us, who fear the ancestral gold but takes the almighty God for granted because of his mercies, the message is that he is the only God who can kill your body and your soul. The writer is a student journalist at the Ghana institute of journalism Contact :faudpe@yahoo.com tel:+2337785986.