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23.08.2017 Feature Article

The Ghanaian Orthodox Religious Groups Must Revive The Dreams And Aspirations Of Ghanaians

The Ghanaian Orthodox Religious Groups Must Revive The Dreams And Aspirations Of Ghanaians
23.08.2017 LISTEN

Ecclesiastes 10:19:
Party gives laughter
And wine gives happiness
But money gives everything.
Undoubtedly, the person with a lot of money makes the rules and if you don’t believe me ask the Chinese and their role in Africa.

Please stay with me; you will get it in a minute.

Ghana is broke socially, financially, spiritually and ethically.

Historically, every great society is built upon its institutions. But, regrettably for some reason, almost every Ghanaian institution we can count on has failed and disappointed us miserably.

Because most of our traditional institutions are in bed with our politicians so they have become ineffective and are not in tempo with our aspirations and dreams. Even our judicial system (which supposed to protect our Rights) is nothing to write home about. Can we either count on our microwave education system that much to deliver us from the evils of under-education, mis-education and unemployment?

Tragically, we entered the new millennium much the same way we start every year—much unprepared and lack of financial literacy.

Whether we like it or not, there is a need to put in place some mechanism where a real wealth could be created or generated untainted by an average Ghanaian. And perhaps the orthodox religious bodies are the answers to our financial broken problems; if only they will play their roles meaningfully. I’m talking about the churches and mosques that are scattered across the landscape of Ghana. Perhaps they have answers to our broken financial faucet that is leaking uncontrollably.

Nevertheless, for the religious bodies (esp. the churches) to be more affective in shaping the minds of the youth and the younger generation—to make a living in an old-fashioned or untainted way— the religious groups need to be wealthy and economically well-organized.

Amazingly, the more religious we become the more we get broke and that is sad. On this part of the world ,we go to church simply to get excited and walk away feeling ‘good’ because we have been bombarded with the daily dose of Biblical verses relating to money that have been taken out of context.

On the other hand, the majority of the congregations don’t have health insurance coverage because they can’t afford it .

Oh yes, I know some people with high- octane religious inclination will have problem with my statements. The fact that I have said that will upset some people so much that they will call me shallow, greedy and a lot of unpleasant and unprintable names.

It’s a fact; most established religious groups in Ghana don’t want to talk about money matters. But paradoxically, money defines everything and everybody.

Money determines the clothes your kids wear to school. Money usually decides who your friends will be and how long they stay with you . Money decides whether you or your kids will go to college or not. In fact, money determines whether your kids will pass their national standard examinations or not. It also picks the schools they attend.

Money determines the house you will live in, the neighborhood you live in and the type of kids your kids play with. It determines whether you get a great medical care or a lousy one. Money even determines the size of your funeral, gravestone and the quality of the casket you will be buried in.

It’s fair? Probably not! But life isn’t always fair. I don’t make the rules. I just x-ray and dissect them, try to figure them out and write about them.

Personally, my lack of (untainted) money while growing up has motivated me to read more about its advantages and disadvantages. So I’m fully aware of what money can and can’t do. So please don’t push anything down my throat.

Being poor is a condition ,but being broke is a situation we find ourselves in for doing something wrong or not doing the right things.

Yes, I know there are people who live in societies and countries where there are no opportunities for advancement because all their efforts and resources are invested in just to survive but this is not the case in Ghana. We have abundant natural resources but we don’t have the ‘right tools’ to manage them and that is why we’re broke.

Please don’t start with me!
This is not, “it’s easier for-a- camel -to-go-through the eye- of -a- needle-than-a- rich man- to-enter -into-the-kingdom of-God or money- is- evil- moment, that some Ghanaian churches are busy peddling to their congregations; while their televangelists are always busy asking for money for magic oils, spiritual consultation fees or special water that supposed to cure any disease and solve any imaginable problem.

Before we start let’s make sure we understand one another: I’m not saying money is the answer to everything. But it gives you power, some security and freedom to make choices.

Imagine (just imagine for a moment) that you were watching TV when the Melcom Store’s disaster occurred. You would love to write a fat check to help the victims but you couldn’t because you’re broke. “But I sent my prayers to them”, Yeah right! Prayers alone won’t do much. If you were rich you could have sent a fat check with a lot of zeros behind the number, in addition to your prayers. Do I believe in prayers? Oh, sure! I also believe in action.

So let’s get it straight from the start so that you understand what I am saying here.

This piece is not about the love for money, but it’s about being broke(as in inability to create or control wealth) in every sense of the word as a nation and how we need unconventional, out-of-the –box thinking and approach to fix it. And I used the religious orthodox bodies because they’re the most organized (with most members) institution in our country.

There are over twenty million Ghanaians who attend church or mosque regularly. If just fifty- percent of them elected to support the vision of economic empowerment and contributed Gh1.00 a week, they can get a huge capital for investment and other life enhancing projects in place.

Through preaching and teaching credit Unions could be set up where the congregations can tap into as a source of investment funds.

Churches and mosques could serve as community centers for health services, employment opportunities; leadership and business training, especially for the growing underclass members who feel abandoned and confused about their role in today’s information -obsessed economy.

While we’re at it let’s kick it up a notch; financial literacy must be taught to the congregations. Yes the congregations should understand the basic business terms like: Assets (something that pays you money), expenses (money you spend), liabilities (things that cost you money), Income (money that comes to you).

It’s believed that the wealthy people invest in passive income assets (like, bonds, stock, treasury bills, real estate, etc) while the rest of us invest in liabilities—the latest electronic gadgets, cars, clothes, jewelry, luxurious weddings, parties.etc. To the wealthy, wealth creation is a formula that we also need to learn vigorously if we want to get out of the socioeconomic doldrums.

Probably your feelings have been hurt already as you read what I have said. But is okay! Our situation demands very tough approach. At this point we don’t need people who will put their arms around us and say, “It will be okay, it will be all right, just hang in there, God will provide!” We shouldn’t expect God to do for us what we can do for ourselves.

Well, maybe I went too far. However, If something in this piece rubs you the wrong way or pisses you off, that’s probably a good thing—because it forces you and your congregation to confront your misconceptions about the importance of untainted money, wealth creation and what the religious institutions in the country can do to help us stay away from self-inflicted, self-perpetuated poverty syndrome in which the majority of us have found ourselves.

I’d like to leave you with this by a gentleman called Albert Einstein. He said, “If you could feed your mind as often as you feed your stomach, you will never have to worry about how to feed your stomach or put a roof over your head or put clothes on your back”.

Kwaku Adu-Gyamfi (Voice of reason)
*The author is a social commentator and founder of Youth Empowerment foundation for disadvantaged youth of Asuom.

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