Religious leaders have called on Ghanaian youth and faith leaders to appreciate and protect the peace the country continues to enjoy, warning against religious extremism and intolerance.
They stressed that no individual should be forced or coerced into converting to another religion, urging religious leaders to promote tolerance, peaceful coexistence and respect for different faiths.
The call was made during a discussion on Atinka FM’s Simpieso, hosted by Ekow Budu Sam, where Communications Team Member, Muntaka Danladi Sheibanee, and National Communications Team Member, Rev. Prince A. Amponsah, spoke against growing forms of religious extremism.
Mr. Danladi said Ghana was fortunate to have maintained relative peace despite the religious tensions and conflicts experienced in other parts of the world.
According to him, some countries descended into violent conflicts after failing to address religious extremism at its early stages, and Ghana must learn from such experiences.
“Ghana is fortunate to be enjoying the peace we have today because some countries around the world did not even reach this level of extremism before they started fighting each other.”
He therefore urged Ghanaians, particularly the youth, to reject actions and rhetoric that could create religious divisions and threaten the country’s peace.
Rev. Prince A. Amponsah, for his part, said convincing people to embrace a particular religion should not be achieved through force, insults or intimidation.
He explained that conversion was ultimately a matter of faith and divine conviction, stressing that religious teachings must be delivered with humility and respect.
According to him, the decision to accept a religion should be left to individuals and should not be imposed by another person.
He cautioned religious leaders and preachers against using insults during their preaching, saying such conduct could undermine the very values of peace, love and tolerance that religion seeks to promote.
The speakers further urged religious leaders to use their platforms to educate their followers on peaceful coexistence and discourage messages that could inflame religious tensions.
They said protecting Ghana’s peace required collective responsibility, particularly from the youth, religious leaders and other influential voices in society.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com