The Chief Executive Officer of St. Georgina Health Care and Consultancy, Dr. Godfred Andoh, has taken a swipe at what he describes as growing religious hypocrisy in Ghana, questioning how a nation with about 72 percent Christians continues to grapple with galamsey and the wanton destruction of the environment.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with media, Dr. Andoh expressed worry that many individuals who actively engage in illegal mining and other environmentally destructive activities are regular churchgoers.
According to him, the current state of Ghana’s polluted water bodies and degraded lands raises serious questions about whether Christian values are truly reflecting in the daily lives of citizens.
“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 lamented.
Dr. Andoh stressed that Christianity should not be reduced to Sunday church attendance, but must be evident in the character, decisions and conduct of believers.
He questioned the authenticity of the faith of those who profess to be Christians yet participate in activities that destroy the nation’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. They go to church but do worse things,” he stated.
Responsible Children Protect Their Father’s Property
Drawing a biblical analogy, Dr. Andoh said Christians who identify themselves as children of God have a moral and spiritual obligation to protect the earth, which he described as God’s property.
“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 be intentional about incorporating environmental stewardship into their sermons, teachings and discipleship programmes.
“So pastors must teach members on that,” he urged.
Quoting Psalm 24:1, which says “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof,” and John 1:12, which speaks about believers being given the right to become children of God, Dr. Andoh argued that being a child of God comes with responsibility and accountability.
“Every responsible child takes good care of his father’s properties. Destroying the environment truly shows that we are not true children of God or we are irresponsible,” he emphasized.
Call For Christ-Centred Teachings
The health consultant further challenged the church to shift focus from prosperity and self-glorifying messages, locally termed as “akwankyerɛ”, to Christ-centred teachings that mould responsible citizens.
“The church must teach Christ-like values that make Christians responsible rather than self-glorifying akwankyerɛ that do not point people to Christ,” he stated.
Dr. Andoh’s comments add a strong moral and religious perspective to the ongoing national debate on illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, insisting that the fight must not be left to government, security agencies and environmental bodies alone.
He maintained that if Christians truly understand their identity as children of God, it must reflect in responsible living, including the protection of water bodies, forest reserves and the general environment for future generations.
