The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has urged prophets and religious leaders across the country to use their influence to speak against corruption, nepotism, intolerance and poor governance, rather than issuing politically charged prophecies.
In a statement issued in Accra and signed by its General Secretary, Rev. Dr Cyril Fayose, the Council stressed that religious leaders have a crucial role to play in shaping a morally upright and ethically responsible society.
“Prophets and religious leaders owe a duty—to God, to the nation and to their own consciences—to help build a strong society anchored in moral and ethical values,” the statement said.
The Council also cautioned religious leaders against using pulpits, traditional media or social media platforms to circulate prophecies that may be false or misleading and capable of creating fear or panic among the public.
It referenced the recent national primary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect its presidential candidate, where several prophets publicly predicted the outcome. While some correctly predicted the re-election of former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, others made different forecasts.
According to the Council, such conflicting prophecies raise important theological questions.
“How can the same God reveal different outcomes of the same event to different prophets?” the statement asked.
The Council warned that if political prophecies are not carefully scrutinised, they could create the impression that God is inconsistent.
“In extreme cases, conflicting prophecies may portray God as confused or indecisive—one who declares a matter and then later reverses course,” the statement noted.
The Council further questioned whether prophetic messages should focus solely on election outcomes.
“Is God concerned only about who wins elections in Ghana? Is He not equally concerned about governance, socio-economic justice and the well-being of His people?” it asked, pointing to national challenges such as the No Bed Syndrome in hospitals, which has contributed to preventable deaths.
The Christian Council of Ghana emphasised that genuine prophecy must align with scripture, promote the common good and boldly condemn wrongdoing in society.
While reaffirming the constitutional right to freedom of religion, the Council stressed that such freedoms must be exercised responsibly.
“Religious liberty must be balanced with civic responsibility to ensure that the exercise of faith does not generate fear, panic or social unrest,” the statement added, noting that Ghanaian law does not permit religion to be used as a tool for fear-mongering or incitement.
The Council cited Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), particularly Section 208, which criminalises the publication of false statements or rumours that could cause fear, alarm or disturb public peace.
As Christians observe Lent and Muslims mark Ramadan, the Council called on both communities to use the sacred season to reflect on ways to promote socio-economic justice and national development.
It noted that such reflection would contribute more meaningfully to national progress than the misuse of religious platforms to spread misleading messages that do little to address the country’s challenges.