A Supreme Court nominee, Justice Samuel Kwame Abidu Asiedu, has supported calls for some aspects of religious practices, especially in the church be regulated.
Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, he said we cannot allow pastors in the name of exorcism abuse church members.
Responding to a question asked by Mahama Ayariga on the issue of accountability on the part of the church and the level of luxury some pastors engage in, he said the orthodox churches usually do not have such problems.
But the ‘one-man churches’ are the ones who run away from accountability.
He stated that there are instances where offerings and tithes are placed in the accounts of pastors who turn out to be the only signatories and that when this occurs, there is no accountability.
He also lamented the rate at which some pastors, in the name of their faith, claim to exorcise spirits from other human beings, and so you see a pregnant lady lying on the floor then the pastor says he is exorcising spirits from the lady and sometimes they would be kicking them in the stomach. We hear stories of pastors bathing ladies by6 the seaside and so forth. I think these are things we need to critically look into them.
We shouldn’t let people have their way and take advantage of the vulnerable in society,” he said.
When asked if the state should regulate some aspects of some of these pastors’ behaviour in the name of religion, he said, “certainly. I completely agree with you. Because you cannot kick a pregnant woman’s stomach in the name of exorcism and injure not only the pregnant woman but also the unborn baby. “I believe we should reconsider that.”
On the issue of galamsey, the nominee opined that he would advocate for nationwide education.
He said people should not use the issue of unemployment as an excuse to engage in illegality.
He said that before the start of the galamsey, there were job opportunities.
He added that his role as a judge is to interpret the law and apply it in the courtroom, and beyond that, 5there is nothing else they can do about it.
By: Rainbowradioonlinr.com/Ghana
