By Jesse Ampah Owusu
Accra, Nov. 15, GNA – The Most Reverend Professor J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, has reiterated the need for Ghana’s religious values and morals to be incorporated into the country’s democratic practices.
He said that this would ensure the country’s democracy was not simply a borrowed system from the West but a true reflection of Ghanaian values.
Rev. Asamoah-Gyadu made these remarks during the 19th Annual “Kronti ne Akwamu” public lecture organized by CDD-Ghana in Accra.
The lecture, part of CDD-Ghana’s annual series on democracy and governance, is aimed at enriching public discourse on democratic reforms and practices. It was on the theme “Religion and Liberal Democracy in the Fourth Republic.”
The Most Rev. Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu noted that many of the country’s challenges were unique to Ghana’s national context, and importing foreign democratic ideals without considering local values may not always be appropriate.
“I don’t believe the Western standards of democracy should be Africa’s standards, especially when it comes to the moral order,” he remarked.
On the contentious issue of LGBTQI rights, Most Rev. Prof. Asamoah-Gyadu expressed concerns over the influence of Western ideas on Ghana’s policy decisions.
He argued that while the West may frame LGBTQI issues as human rights concerns, for Ghana, it was primarily viewed through a religious and moral lens.
“We don’t have to choose the Western mindset over ours,” he asserted, emphasizing that Ghana’s priorities should focus on addressing everyday challenges like economic hardship before engaging in international debates on moral issues.
In contrast, Prof. Jeffrey Haynes, Professor of Politics at London Metropolitan University, cautioned against incorporating religious or moral values too deeply into Ghana’s political system.
He warned that doing so could limit the country’s liberal democracy by making it too aligned with particular religious doctrines and moral standards, rather than universal democratic principles.
“There has been what I would call a growing influence of religion in politics, state and in government, and the potential is there to undermine Ghana’s liberal democracy,” he noted.
Prof. Haynes said there was need for a clear balance between respecting religious values and ensuring that the rights of all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs, are safeguarded within the democratic framework.
“I think there needs to be a clear balance between religious values and its impact on society and on politics and on other forms of values which are highly important and which people adhere to, regardless of its stance against religion and certain perceived moral values,” stated.
GNA