RELIGIOUS ENSLAVEMENT
The Ghanaian Chronicle
http://db.ghanaian-chronicle.com/thestory.asp?id=1768
WHEN KARL Marx described religion as the �opiate of the people�, he was referring to the ability of religion to keep the masses docile, peaceful and law-abiding, even when social conditions are so bad that they should, in normal situations, cause a rebellion.
This innate power of religion to make society orderly must be the reason why politicians insist on freedom of worship. Their work is made that much easier when the people they rule are content to accept their poor living conditions NOW, on earth, believing that after death, they would enjoy in heaven or paradise.
But to approach religion on these purely mundane parameters will be puerile and superficial since it neglects the spiritual aspects of religious belief as well as other positive sides of religion, not to talk about the living testimonies of believers who have experienced truly miraculous events in their lives.
In Ghana, we have over the past three decades, seen an outburst of Christian Charismatic movements which have drastically changed the outlook of a larger segment of the populace.
Social scientists opine that whenever economic conditions become tough, a lot of people seek spiritual crutches to lean onto, especially when age-old safety nets and institutions also break down under pressure from technological and scientific development.
And there is no doubt that the difficult economic conditions this country experienced during the mid 70s and the 80s coincided with the coming of the charismatic movements in Christianity when many worshippers abandoned the conservative churches: Catholic, Methodist, Anglican etc.
Without the calming influence of �born again� Christianity, this country would have probably descended into some form of armed conflict, which would have torn the nation apart.
These religious movements were truly a social opiate that helped to release the pent-up tension of a suffering people. By the time one attended a service at which current popular music, couched in religious lyrics was played and one could rock and roll, shake and move, there would be no more energy left when one got home. As their pastors would say: �you will never be the same again�!
But things seem to have gone too far to the point when it would appear these religious movements are being counter-productive, even subversive.
The Chronicle is by no means trying to bring down religious worship, Christian or otherwise. Rather we believe that an over-reliance on �miracles� is preventing our young nation from developing its true potential, that when people spend too much time praying rather than working, we shall forever remain poor.
God helps those who help themselves is the old adage. When Ghanaians develop a work ethic based on punctuality, honesty, hard work and frugal living, then the good Lord in his infinite mercy, will bless the work of our hands and help us reap the fruit of our toil.
The so-called protestant work ethics, which were prevalent in Western Europe during the years of the Reformation in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, were the foundations on which they built their wealth and prosperity. Of course there were other factors, which underlay this economic growth but hard work, honesty, frugality and religious discipline were the bottom line.
Ghana, the Chronicle has no doubt, has the human and material resources that can lead us out of our poverty.
Only a fool gets thirsty in the midst of water.
And for a country so abundantly endowed, we have no justification for being HIPC. Even though our hands are tied in many ways by an unjust world order, we owe it to ourselves to break the chains of dependency, which are only designed to keep us poor.
Religion must be a weapon in our quest for economic freedom, not a blindfold to keep us from seeing our way forward.
Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now
