Features
Can Science and Religion converge?
- /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Prayer-and-fasting-cannot-be-substitute-for-hard-work-and-application-of-common-sense.jpg&description=Can Science and Religion converge?', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/u249204778/domains/spectator.com.gh/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Prayer-and-fasting-cannot-be-substitute-for-hard-work-and-application-of-common-sense.jpg&description=Can Science and Religion converge?', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
• Prayer and fasting cannot be substitute for hard work and application of common sense
I am an unrepentant Presbyterian and nothing will change that. If my parents had not got me baptised when I was barely three months old I would have opted to be either a Catholic or Buddhist even if I see myself as an Esoteric Christian today.
I have gone higher in the study of philosophy of religions and the nuances of religious practice, divinity and spirituality. But I do not claim to be an authority on anything.
Growing up, I knew of the orthodox churches mostly because many or all of them ran schools and the school uniforms were distinct for easy identification of the churches. It was a colourful beauty to see all these schools line up during Independence Day parades.
Then arrived the Pentecostals and after them the ones calling themselves the Charismatic. I recollect one Rev. Dr Kuntu Blankson who enchanted crowds at the Jackson Park at Koforidua back in the day with his powerful voice and gesticulations. The late Rev. Bob Hawkson was one of his lieutenants.
Some of my sisters fell for the new deal but I made it clear I was not a ‘religious prostitute’ hopping from one to the other. I do not know what has become of Dr Blankson’s church in today’s scheme of things.
Many of today’s churches started from little open spaces with a few adherents clapping to songs and dancing their sorrows away, then graduating with megaphones and maracas into musical accoutrements and large auditoria. Soon they became mega churches, commanding a lot of wealth and affluence. And with it fanciful titles and ranks. Apostle General, Prophet, General Overseer etc. What freaks them mist is when they are called Papa.
During the COVID-19 pandemic when the world was under virtual lockdown in 2020, some churches, especially the orthodox ones, took it with grace and followed directives.
But, there was a viral video of the founder of Christ Embassy, Dr. Chris Oyakhilome, screaming his frustrations on scientists, describing the virus a hoax by people to foist 5G antennae on humans by locking us out. Or was he simply rueing the absence of his congregation? He was not alone. Many others complained of loss of revenue from tithes etc.
The latest of his videos that I saw made me laugh. Dr. Oyakhilome says that scientists are injecting us with microchips in the guise of vaccines so that they can communicate with our bodies. Microchips in liquid form? How? If this were the case, I guess science has reached its zenith. But the inconsistencies in his theories are not lost in anyone. One moment it was 5G and now liquid microchips.
And I also know communication not to be a one-way traffic so how does my body play its part of this communication game?
Prayer and fasting cannot be substitute for hard work and application of common sense. Faith, science and common sense must have a point of convergence.
A popular pastor in Cameroon who said he could cure COVID patients and went to pray and touch patients in hospital was himself buried from contracting the virus. Foolhardiness, if you asked me.
Why don’t these mega churches pool their financial might together, fund research into cure for tropical ailments? What stops them? After all, the Christ left two commandments: preach the Word and heal the sick.
African scientists and researchers are dying for funds to conduct their research and these churches could help. If they do not want to help, I suggest they keep quiet and allow the scientists to do what their limited resources could allow them.
The founders of these churches are supposed to be leaders. As such the emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing of their members rest on their leadership. As leaders, they must be mindful of the messages they deliver because what you feed one person with can turn another away.
That was why Paul did not write one comment pastoral letter to the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians etc. etc. He wrote the letters different from one another because each had a different level of consciousness from the other. Do our preachers understand this?
The founder of the Light House Chapel, Dr Dag Heward-Mills is seen making jest of people of the Volta Region in a viral video, describing them as practising a little Christianity and a little juju, saying, “Xose vide, bo vide” and topping it with “what a shock!!” And his audience were in hilarious stitches.
Dr Heward-Mills is a leader who, I believe, must understand the sensibilities of his congregants. As a leader, he should have sought out the knowledgeable Ewe in his group to brief him on the genesis of the expression, “Xɔse viaɖe, bo viaɖe.” That would inform how he presents his message. As one who writes a column in one national paper on leadership, I think he has failed this time round with such a divisive comment.
Now, some of these men of God try to outdo one another with prophesies and predictions that boggle the mind. This or that politician will die this year. That celebrity will perish in a car crash on August 3. They never prophesy on anything that edifies. There will be a bumper harvest so government should build silos. No, not that one; they are not interested. Question is what God do we have who only gives doomsday revelations to His supposed servants or anointed?
I know about voluntary clairvoyants who see the past, present and future. But they only speak when it becomes extremely necessary. They rather pray for the positives. Then there are the involuntary clairvoyants who have the tendency to misunderstand what they see or misrepresent them.
There are also those who train into Astral projection to visit the Akashic Record of world events. Whatever is revealed to all these people is supposed to be used for the good of mankind. These could be scientists, researchers who are desirous of finding solutions to current and future problems.
God reveals things to others in dreams as the Bible says. Some are through the stars as was with the three wise men. However, dreams mostly reflect our physical and mental condition. Go to bed on a hungry, empty stomach and tell what dream you had. Then go to bed with a half kilo of fufu or sleep with a bout of malaria. Only a sound mind in a sound body can yield a meaningful dream worth considering.
If some of our prophets are true, they will be the last people to say anything at all. But not only do they talk too much, they are so intolerant of one another that they engage in turf wars on social media. There was news about one who got a bunch of his followers to threaten another with cudgels recently. Another was seen in a video stomping the belly of a pregnant woman in an orgasmic frenzy of deliverance. Yet one in some African country ordered his followers to go chew grass. And they did.
Now, the target is captains of industry and business as adherents who can help swell the churches’ collection bowls.
One founder of a church spotted the many delivery vans of a company at Kaneshie and sent one of his assistants to go invite the CEO because God revealed to him about this business. After listening to the young acolyte, the CEO said in a soft tone, “I have over three hundred staff in my employ.
I pay tax, social security and can you imagine how many benefit if each of them has four or five dependents? How many has your leader employed? What tax does he pay? Go tell him I give to charity but not to churches.” I do not have this CEO’s permission to mention names, else I would have done so.
What has happened to the Christ as the ideal? Churches have become big money making machines, seeking not the kingdom of God but economic kingdom; most of them. There are a few that practise what the Christ commanded though. Very few.
I wonder why their followers do not know that the very miracles they are seeking from these pastors are right inside of them. Godhood is in each and every one of us; never in the churches. Why is it difficult to look for the God within? Until we realise this as a fact, we shall always assume that science and religion are on a collision course.
*Post Script*: In my last article, I stated inadvertently that Obetsebi Lamptey was sent to bring Kwame Nkrumah down to Ghana. It was rather Ako Adjei who took on that assignment. The error is deeply regretted.
By Dr. Akofa K. Segbefia
Writer’s email: akofa45@yahoo.com*
“A woman who abandons her baby in a dustbin at Kasoa Lorry Station is not always a wicked woman. Sometimes, she is a wounded woman whose mind has broken, whose family has rejected her, and whose society has left her with only one terrible option: disappear or be disgraced.”
That is the hard truth Ghana must hear.
In the last 10 days alone, our nation has been confronted with the same painful headline, twice.
Case 1 – Kasoa Main Lorry Station, Central Region: A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a dustbin at the public toilet of the Kasoa Main Station. A woman who went to use the facility discovered the infant and raised an alarm. Commercial drivers and bystanders quickly retrieved the baby and rushed her to the Kasoa Polyclinic for emergency medical care.
Case 2 – Asante Bekwai, Ashanti Region: On Thursday morning, August 20, 2026, a two-week-old neonate was reportedly abandoned by an unknown nursing mother at Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. Residents who came across the child raised the alarm. The baby was admitted to the Bekwai Government Hospital as police commenced investigations.
Let me be clear from the start: Newborn abandonment is wrong. It is dangerous. It is criminal. And it can kill. This article does not excuse it. But if we only arrest and shame, we will never stop it. We must treat the root, not just punish the fruit.
What exactly is newborn abandonment? – The two definitions
The Legal Definition: Under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), Section 96, and the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), abandonment of a child under 12 years is a criminal offence. It is classified as exposure and abandonment, punishable as a misdemeanor or felony. The law sees the mother as a perpetrator.
The Psychological definition: In clinical textbooks, newborn abandonment is defined as the intentional, permanent relinquishment of all parental rights, care, and responsibilities over an infant within the first 28 days of life without making formal, legal arrangements for care.
To understand this crisis properly, we must not confuse it with child abandonment. Newborn abandonment happens within 0-28 days of life, often driven by acute panic, denial of pregnancy, or postpartum psychosis where the attachment bond never formed. Child abandonment, on the other hand, involves toddlers to teenagers where a bond existed but collapsed over time due to chronic poverty, family breakdown, or parental burnout. One is an acute crisis of the first month; the other is a chronic breakdown over years. Both are harmful, but they need different interventions.
Psychologically, newborn abandonment is the ultimate rupture of the primary attachment bond. Think of a 19-year-old university student who secretly gives birth alone in her hostel room, wraps the crying baby in a polythene bag, and drops it at a refuse dump at midnight. That is not just a crime scene; it is a scene of extreme panic and psychological dissociation.
Why would a mother carry a baby for 9 months and then abandon it?
This is the question every Ghanaian asks. If you wanted to abandon it, why not abort? The answer is deeply psychological:
1. The psychodynamics of denial of pregnancy: This is a profound defense mechanism, not a lie. The mother’s subconscious mind completely rejects the reality of the pregnancy. She does not gain weight normally, feels no kicks, does not seek antenatal care, and genuinely convinces herself she is not pregnant until sudden, shocking labour pains take her by surprise in a toilet or bedroom.
2. Fantasy of a dissolving problem: This is called cognitive avoidance. She believes “my boyfriend will come back,” “my mother will forgive me,” or “something miraculous will happen before birth.” So she waits, paralyzed, until the baby is here.
3. Barriers to safe abortion: Deep religious guilt, moral anxiety, fear of dying from a back-alley abortion, lack of money for a safe procedure, and family laws force her to carry to term even when she feels incapable.
4. The shock of reality and acute panic: Upon delivery, the physical presence and crying of the newborn shatters all denial. Confronted with immediate exposure, shame, and reality, her brain enters a trauma response — “fight, flight, or freeze.” For many, it becomes “flight” — physically escape the threat of exposure to survive socially. That is why babies are left in places where others will find them -lorry stations, churches, hospitals.
Source:
Counselor Prince Offei, CPAC’s founder, is a leading Mental Health Professional, Marriage Counsellor, Author, ADR Expert/Arbitrator, and Spectator Newspaper Columnist. He writes on relationships, marriage, parenting, special needs support, and their connection to mental health. For therapy, counselling, or enquiries, contact Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Accra on 0559850604 / 0551428486.
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
Features
Environmental stewardship is an act of worship: The Islamic response to climate change, environmental degradation (Part 4)
The environmental consequences of illegal mining have reached alarming levels in Ghana. Several major rivers, including the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim and Tano, have experienced significant pollution from illegal mining activities, increasing the cost and complexity of water treatment while threatening the availability of potable water for millions of citizens (Water Resources Commission, 2024; Ghana Water Limited, 2024). These developments underscore the urgent need for stronger environmental governance and collective action.
Islam equally emphasises accountability in governance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that every leader is responsible for those under his or her authority (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7138; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1829). This principle extends to public officials entrusted with environmental regulation, traditional authorities responsible for communal lands, mining companies, local assemblies, and community leaders. Environmental protection cannot succeed
where accountability is absent.
At the same time, addressing galamsey requires more than law enforcement. Sustainable solutions must tackle the underlying socio-economic realities that drive individuals into illegal mining. Many young people are motivated by unemployment, poverty, and limited economic opportunities. Islamic principles of social justice therefore call for the creation of alternative livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, vocational training, responsible small-scale mining under strict environmental standards, entrepreneurship, and skills development. Environmental protection and economic empowerment should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary goals that promote human dignity and national development.
Faith communities also have an indispensable role to play. Mosques, churches, schools, traditional councils, and civil society organisations possess significant influence in shaping public attitudes and behaviours. Imams, in particular, should consistently remind congregations that wealth acquired through actions that destroy communities and Allah’s creation cannot be regarded as a blessing. Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Water conservation, waste management and sustainable development: Practical expressions of Islamic stewardship
Religious education should cultivate environmental ethics alongside spiritual devotion, reinforcing the understanding that protecting rivers, forests, and farmlands is an expression of gratitude to Allah and a fulfilment of the trust of Khalifah.
Ultimately, the struggle against galamsey is more than a campaign to protect natural resources; it is a struggle to uphold justice, preserve human dignity, and honour the trust that Allah has placed upon humanity. Lasting solutions will require strong governance, responsible citizenship, sustainable economic opportunities, and renewed moral leadership. Only when these elements
work together can Ghana safeguard its natural heritage for present and future generations.
Islam is not merely a religion that condemns environmental destruction; it also provides practical guidance for preserving and sustaining the natural world. Through its teachings on moderation, cleanliness, conservation, and responsible consumption, Islam cultivates an environmental ethic that remains remarkably relevant to contemporary challenges such as water scarcity, pollution, waste management, and climate change. These teachings encourage Muslims to become
responsible custodians of Allah’s creation in both private and public life.
Water conservation: A sacred responsibility
Water occupies a unique position in Islam as the source of life and an essential element of worship. Allah says, “And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Qur’an 21:30, Sahih International). This verse reminds believers that water is not merely an economic resource but a divine blessing upon which all living creatures depend. The importance of water is further reflected in Islamic acts of worship. Muslims perform ablution (wudu) before the five daily prayers and ritual bathing (ghusl) under prescribed circumstances.
Yet, despite its central role in purification, Islam strongly discourages wastefulness. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised one of his companions not to waste water while performing ablution, even when using water from a flowing river (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 425). This timeless guidance establishes the principle that abundance does not justify extravagance.
Conservation remains a religious obligation regardless of the apparent availability of natural resources.
This Prophetic teaching carries profound implications for contemporary Ghana. Illegal mining has severely polluted many rivers, increasing the cost of water treatment and limiting access to safe drinking water for numerous communities. Climate change has also intensified seasonal variability in rainfall, placing additional pressure on freshwater resources (IPCC, 2023). Against this
backdrop, conserving water is no longer simply an environmental preference—it is a moral imperative grounded in Islamic teaching.
Water conservation should therefore become a shared responsibility among households, educational institutions, industries, and places of worship. Simple practices such as repairing leaking pipes, harvesting rainwater, protecting riverbanks, avoiding contamination of water bodies, and promoting efficient irrigation contribute to safeguarding one of Allah’s greatest blessings. Every effort to preserve water is an investment in public health, food security, and the
wellbeing of future generations.
Unfortunately, indiscriminate disposal of refuse remains a significant challenge in many communities. Plastic waste clogs drainage systems, contributes to flooding during the rainy season, pollutes rivers and beaches, and threatens marine ecosystems. Open burning of waste further degrades air quality and poses serious health risks, particularly for children and the elderly (UNEP,2024).
The author is Chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governnace Expert.
SKIP THE QUEUE, TAP THE NEWS
You can now read the Ghanaian Times and The Spectator newspapers from the comfort of your device via TimesNewsPlus.
Join our WhatsApp Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
