Faith leaders in Ghana have been warned by police not to make traditional New Year prophecies that can cause fear, anxiety, or death.
According to the police, the right to freedom of worship must not infringe on the rights of others. According to critics, the order violates the constitutional right to religious freedom and is thus illegal. Millions of Christians gather in churches to hear their pastors make New Year’s proclamations. The messages frequently range from optimistic forecasts to dire warnings.
The police order was issued last year after the public was bombarded with predictions of death and disaster, according to local news site My Joy Online.
The police praised religious groups for their “cooperation” and for “adopting legally acceptable means of communicating prophecies” in a statement.
However, Ghanaian lawyer Sammy Darko called the police order “illegal.”
“It is not even open to debate or interpretation by Ghana’s highest court. There is no law in Ghana that gives the police administration the authority to regulate prophecies in the country “He wrote something.
A year ago today, I wrote on this matter. It was later published. What happened to the only case that went to Court? Was the Pastor who prophesied in the Shatta Wale incident jailed or he was set free? The pastor won that case! https://t.co/Fn9KlohdQy
— TheSammy Darko (@Sammy_Darko) December 27, 2022
The police department declared December 27th to be Prophecy Communication Compliance Day.
“This day is being set aside to remind all of us to practice our faith within the confines of the law in order to ensure a safe, secure environment free of anxiety generated by predictions of impending harm, danger, or death,” according to the statement.
