Current Economic Crises In Ghana Does Not Make Room For Unproductive Projects-Rev. Dr. Bansah

Heightened conversation on whether the time is right for a state-owned National Cathedral at the time that Ghanaians anticipate enhanced social welfaree and when average citizens cant wait comfortably afford their daily bread, healthcare expenses and housing in both rural and urban cities of the country increasingly a problem and when the nation has not recovered from its financial woes.

It is in light of the above that the Executive Director of, the Center for Religion and PublicLife(CRPL-Ghana) and Lecturer in Church and Society and Human Values  University of Cape of Coast,Rev. Dr.  Confidence Worlanyo Bansah jumped to the defense of the Executive Director for Center for Democratic Development, Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, contended that it is not just fair at this time to pride a cathedral over the welfare of the citizenry.

"The idea is not good for the country at this crucial moment of economic predicament and labour agitations to be advancing any kind of "Christian nationalism" at the cost of the surging infant and maternal mortality and loss of human lives through poor road network and infrastructure with poor water, sanitation and hygiene, poor drainage system and poor water management with devastating environmental impact", Professor Prempeh said.

"...or what would be more important to the Lord Jesus Christ in this circumstance or setting of our national life than the restoration of life?", he queried.

Rev. Dr. Confidence Canon Worlanyo Bansah's response was contained in a carefully crafted article entitled " Rejoinder-Two cities and Christian citizenship",to an article written by one Charles Prempeh trying to misconstrue comments made by the CDD-Ghana Executive Director(Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh).

The CRPL-Ghana boss lamented saying, "Sadly, since the author failed to acknowledge or recognize what his favourite theologian, Augustine of Hippo theorized, I take it upon myself to remind him that Saint Augustine confesses that " The truth is like a lion. You don't have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself".

So, therefore, whether Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh and those that the author called possessed intellectual amateur economics were right or wrong in their pronouncements or predictions on the Cathedral project, the harsh social and economic realities will test the times".

Referring to Charles Prempeh's article, he said Professor Kwasi Prempeh's contributions to a roundtable discussion organized by the Citizens' Coalition on Thursday, December 15, 2022, which encounter saw Prof. Prempeh call for the suspension of the Cathedral project.

"Because of this, the author in haste, as though all were frigates in a hurry to make some conquest and concluded his verdict on Prof. Prempeh that he is an "antichrist".

Consequently, Charles Prempeh noted,"With both faith and critical mind, I see Professor Prempeh coming from the perspective of the "Goat" theologian and church leader, Pope John Paul II. John Paul II insists that the congruence between faith and reason provides a ground for a synthesis that could balance and sustain productive and mutual interaction between Church and State".

He concluded saying, "Let us emphasize the point that we are NOT in any way against the importance and relevance of the role of religion in national development. We truly do acknowledge and accept the value of religion in society, and in nation building. Only that we caution against religious correctness, Orthodoxy and fundamentalism as a national political phenomenon in public discourse. We want a beautiful way of balancing religious rhetoric and public rubric", the rejoinder stated.

" In any case, Professor Kwasi Prempeh maintains his portion against the building of a national Cathedral as a public project at any and all times", Rev. Dr. Bansah maintained.