Who do we trust?

In our history, we who write can be pardoned for describing 2023 as the year when scandals were reported and little, or nothing substantive like chastening or face-make-up occurred. Picking through the ensuing controversies, I have opted for the weird one on the “wayward’’ Clerics who had shared the headlines as the year steadily closes. It’s about time. But I avoid raking details because this country is conversant. Privately, we ask “who do we trust’’ ?. The reasons are: we inherited a sublime dictum that in the last resort, the “nation looks up to the Church to save the nation.’’ Its backdrop is when things are hard. We live in harsh time.

The numbers which strayed to get reported, know that they belong to a “special’’ group they voluntarily joined to stand-in for the omnipotent. The history of reverence for them is total culture. It’s got to be confessed that it’s tough to be impeccable as human. That explains in parts [a] the re­spect; [b] the exceptional fury over a Pastor’s indiscretion; and [c] the consequential but unfair sweeping condemnation that there is no good among them —”nhon nyina ara, wonnye’’ or it’s substitute cool­ant “it’s up to them.’’ Hope stands out in all that the latter embeds. The against problem is the Church or at large concerned through their joint councils neither appear to investigate nor publish findings which may exonerate or mellow the despondency.

Emphatically, that it’s not all Pastors, pretty impossible other­wise, is yet neither the exemption nor acceptable, if we quietly think over our spontaneous let down reactions. It spreads fastest than the political; and the follow-on ire when the news breaks about infraction attributed to a Cleric. Its persistence this passing year must be the prompter to round out reminding ourselves and informing them and both that: [i] they rep­resent the bottom finite depth of our hope in a harsh world today; [ii] we inherited that from our fa­thers’ forebears; [iii] their standards made them instantly most revered, [iv] it is up to them restore trust and honour that is concomitant, and [v] it is compelling demand.

It is hurting but they preach the TRUTH more than we always tend to hear. It is frustrating as it is as human too, the year 2023 has been such a historical aberration which dented their CALLING. The press reported incredible truancies that occurred and cannot be overlooked, stock-taking. It is unfortunately known that a gullible public, such as we are, would always ignore proof. How­ever, something I learned, a little boy, was a superlative confidence and the public also, had in then identifiable paucity of profession­als—medical doctors, Sofo [Priest, Minister or Pastor], School

Teachers, lawyers and the native herbal Doctor called ‘’Ninsinyi’’ in Fantse and tows

“Nyagblordela’’, Ewe, a Seer or Clair Voyant. And if they showed you one or taken to hospital, or strayed into court room [No place for Kids], you were overawed by the unanimous and sighs of relief—half of illness gone and or case won ahead. The conduct of that class additionally confirmed that any was a “Calling’’. The phenomenon had become an intrinsic part of culture—code of honour, not most likely today, because the tally of eerie conduct was unthinkable. The claim that times have changed, is untrue because the “word’’ hasn’t though been disseminated differently. Parents had been right to insist to pre-determine a dynasty for their children shall belong among those professions.

Between 20/30 years, the country’s consistent reactions at the office of accountability to the unseemly have had three excuses for stopping short of reported deviations of some in the frater­nity of ‘’men/women of God’ The standard responses from the recognised Councils had been that the offenders “are not our mem­bers’’. The public view had taken its hapless attitude from also that believers are interdicted through the ‘Word’ that don’t rebuking them. Conclusively, this must have been the major influence to be recalcitrant. Therefore, the third holds the enabling complacency playing adjunct for the complaints to tend to drift the arguments both ways: “it’s only a few’’ , one hears all the time from apologists. But that gag had been retrogressively destructive of the sanctity of the “Calling’’; then, the realising some societal high-ups might bivouac or sup with or at some. Politicians are said to be usually cited. It is fatalis­tic because such company ought to be a strong deterrence for mutual honours, unless one is cynical to counter the thing is a smuggle and cannot be sobering wrong-doing, particularly the Pastor’s.

The current scenario of the state of religion has a mesh of practices which latterly begun to raise eye-brows to even revolting. The rele­vance of both the Diffuor and the “Nyagblordela’’or seer were on the decline. The chorus in-country ridiculed them saying “nde mber yi a enyibuei pii aba yi’’— ‘in these days of so much Christianity’. This dates with or shortly after then Head of State Col.

I.K.Acheampong had brought in a Madame Claire from the US and the nation went to church held on the lawns of the Castle, seat of Government before he was forced to resign 5 July 1978—SMC II.

That was thought had opened the gates for ordinary and societal leaders and then raring politicians [politics were still frozen under a Junta NRC 1972] and as military persons rushed for private consul­tations just as political hopefuls. The consultations are said to be continuing growing big business ; and thus, part of the roots of the proliferation of Prophesies and sorts lie in there. More to note are orthodox religion was being eroded of membership, denied. That doesn’t end there. No real detailed testimony exists that these professionals were of bad behaviour generally in spite of hushed odd alleges, of parity to current. To conclude the profile, I shall refer to the combination of the combination of Pastor-Rituals Performer—sub-judice re: missing persons exhumed allegedly.

I would have thought then that something on toward delinquency might be flashing in silhouettes on the culture and religion levels . But former Leader Flt-Lt Jerry Rawlings’ administration which must have read it well, withdrew the pre-emptive Decree under or­thodoxy-led high octave pressure­protest as anti-Christ with external countries’ support. It was a critical time for the economy just as what accelerated private FM-Radio in this country at another critical moment during the nascent years of this Fourth Republic which is in desperate need of review. It was a faux pas, one of mistakes in the context of the “Broom sticks Revolution’’. I blame Jerry because he had power to ride the first. At the same time, his climb down signifies the clout of religion in this country.

I have so far deliberately steered off citing specific malfeasances to relief being invidious— dis­criminatory. But I also think that the stories are well known and finally the Elders say “obiara ne ba nnye’’—no one’s child is better. [You remember in early Rawlings tenure, elementary school uniform, was mocked nick named ] It seems the rather dangerous devel­opment is the alleged “missing’’ persons, found exhumed and the collusions attributed to Diffuors, con-people and Pastors, allegedly. These complicate the hearsay-fin­gers pointing, innuendoes, alleging rituals for politicians’ electoral ambitions, but sub judice variously including Chief and a Pastor.

That is how the talk-shops get the arguments both ways. We had been stuck in that belief through­out the years from before 1951 our first limited national political­ly-competing elections, just as the vote-buying then and progressed aggressively accused and refuted. It depends on who to believe or trust because you also find some Priestly-Politicians today. Histori­cally, there had been the pre-inde­pendence “FREEDOM’’ Theo­logian-Group led by Methodist S.R.B. Attoh Ahuma and the Rev Kofi Assam to the Young Pioneers Chaplain the Rev J.S.A. Stevens, post-independence to the present. This may not alter the narrative; leads to instead exacerbate both the national political widening chasm and point or indeed doesn’t, to the old CPP categorising the two types—orthodox

as on the Right of political ideologies and unorthodoxy as divisive –one part Leftie and other, fairweather.

Interpretively, the ultimate impacts appear to conflict rela­tionships; and however small, contribute to a fractious country in which going to church is 24-hour daily—or almost. It is more than probable to feel awkward relating to the passed-on final hope in the Church has either run itself out, or surplus– un-needed, un-wanted, but still, nowhere to go or who not to turn to; however, seems a pre­tence cover. That is the RIPPER. Priestly standards are subpar and trust apparently fallen. Yet, con­tradictorily why do the population go more to church today than years gone? The not so simple explanation is that ‘’Dictum’’ for the nation or we to look up to the Church to save the nation was bequeathed to us; but we have made a hash of it, comparable to as many apolitical others testify in our day.

I have in this piece made ref­erences to the super assurances of the mere walk in or by of the selected professionals. The rever­ence for the Word Preachers and Actors were extraordinary because in them and their miens provide a coda of wondrous presence. Among the lines in what they conveyed is that emphatic “He Never Fails’’ when we are down and out. Such has been the pivotal recourse. Finally, our times are harsh and most tempting. And the reason that we constantly recite “and lead us not into temptation’’ is satisfying reminder. There could be shrinking majority who are exemplary. Its just that the Pastor’s talked-about-mis-demea­nours present too many questions than answers—disheartening for a nation in dire stresses. Trusting the LAST SUCCOUR is now so problematic and moot above all, reading/hearing those unfit antics. And I guess that it must be the Church and Christianity which are left counting the cost for straight­ening before the start of the new year.

By Prof Nana Essilfie-Conduah.