Crime rate in the country is on the ascendancy, although new Churches are being established. This negative development is compelling many people to question what impact Christianity is having on the society today.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has on several occasions, spoken against the social evils that have plagued the country.
In their 2006 Communiqué after their Plenary Meeting at Jasikan, the Bishops stated that “One cannot but be dumbfounded about the spate of vice and evil that is going on in this country and all this inspite of the very many Churches and religious groupings that have sprung up and are springing up in every corner of our villages and every classroom and on the streets of our cities.”
The Standard enjoins all religious leaders, especially the so-called miracle performers, to make strenuous efforts to preach about the evils in society.
Some of the evils are armed robbery, stealing and murder; careless driving, over speeding, overloading and senseless overtaking, drunkenness, drug peddling and addiction, homosexuality, sexual harassment, rape; and pornography.
Others are craze for money, bribery and corruption; strikes, under-invoicing and over-invoicing, ghost names on pay vouchers; demand for percentages in awarding contracts, examination malpractices and forged certificates and students selling their beds at exorbitant fees on university campuses.
Unfortunately, the government is always blamed for everything that goes wrong in society, forgetting that without the support of the people, nothing positive can be achieved.
We suggest that instead of sitting on the fence, we should all partner the government, the security agencies and civil societies to correct all wrong-doings in the society. The challenges facing the nation must be fought from all fronts.
In his New Year message to the Nation, President John Agyekum Kufuor, blamed the high crime rate in the country on all sections of the society.
Ghanaians should do a thorough self-examination and be disciplined to minimise all forms of vices in the society.
The Standard agrees with President Kufuor that Ghanaians should “take stock of indisciplined activities of the past year and reform to match with the peace and good governance that we have been enjoying in the country.”
In our view, the youth have important roles to play in redressing the ills in society. It is on record that most of the crimes committed in the country are carried out by the youth whose ages range between 19 and 26. Their abundant energy should rather be used in doing something creative for the nation.
The youth, who are involved in crime must remember that the future belongs to them and without discipline, they would be liabilities rather than assets to the nation.
We also appeal to parents to be bold enough to rebuke their children when they are involved in any wrong-doing. It is only by doing so that we can rid our society of crime.
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