Galamsey exposes religious 'hypocrisy' among some christians — Dr Andoh

The Chief Executive Officer of St. Georgina Health Care and Consultancy, Dr. Godfred Andoh, has criticised what he describes as religious hypocrisy among some Ghanaians who profess Christianity but participate in galamsey and other activities that damage the environment.

According to Dr. Andoh, the continued destruction of water bodies and other natural resources through illegal mining raises questions about the extent to which Christian values influence the conduct of some citizens.

Speaking in an interview with Modern Ghana Online, he noted that Christians reportedly constitute about 72 percent of Ghana’s population, yet the country continues to struggle with illegal mining and widespread environmental degradation.

He expressed concern that some people allegedly engaged in galamsey are also active members of churches and regularly attend Sunday services.

“Most of the people doing that even go to church every Sunday but still they do things that they should not do as Christians,” he said.

Dr. Andoh argued that Christianity should go beyond church attendance, saying genuine faith must be demonstrated through the choices and conduct of believers in their daily lives.

He questioned the authenticity of the faith of people who identify as Christians while simultaneously engaging in activities that cause extensive damage to the country’s natural resources.

“Though there is 72 percent of Christians, most of them are not in Christ. They are not truly Christians or born again else they would not be doing that,” he stated.

“They go to church but do worse things.”

‘Responsible Children Protect Their Father’s Property’

Dr. Andoh said Christians who regard themselves as children of God have a responsibility to protect the environment, which he described as part of God’s creation.

“Responsible child takes good care of their father's property and so therefore if we are children of God then we must protect our environment,” he said.

He called on pastors and church leaders to make environmental protection a more prominent part of their preaching and discipleship programmes.

“So pastors must teach members on that,” he added.

To buttress his argument, Dr. Andoh cited Psalm 24:1, which states: “The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,” and John 1:12, which speaks of those who believe in Christ being given the right to become children of God.

He said being identified as a child of God should come with corresponding responsibilities, including taking care of the earth.

“Every responsible child takes good care of his father's properties,” he stressed.

He therefore argued that the destruction of Ghana’s environment through galamsey was fundamentally at odds with the conduct expected of people who profess to be God’s children.

“Destroying the environment truly shows that we are not true children of God or we are irresponsible,” Dr. Andoh stated.

Call for Christ-Centred Teachings
The St. Georgina Health Care and Consultancy CEO further urged churches to place greater emphasis on teachings that promote responsible Christian living rather than messages focused mainly on personal glorification.

“The church must teach Christ-like values that make Christians responsible rather than self-glorifying akwankyerɛ that do not point people to Christ,” he said.

Dr. Andoh said the fight against galamsey should not be regarded solely as the responsibility of government, security agencies and environmental authorities.

He said the church also had an important role to play in shaping the values, conscience and behaviour of citizens, particularly Christians.

He maintained that people who genuinely understand themselves as children of God must demonstrate that identity through responsible conduct, including protecting the environment, preserving water bodies and rejecting activities that destroy Ghana’s natural resources.