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Presbyterian
Church promotes interfaith dialogue
Accra, Dec. 15, GNA – The Presbyterian Church of Ghana on
Monday inaugurated a project that aims at promoting
understanding among people of different religious background
to ensure that people live in
peace with one another.
The project dubbed: “Presbyterian Interfaith Research and
Resource Centre” will have as it primary activity the task
of researching to know what peoplenof other religious faith
think of Christianity and
how to promote peaceful dialogue among such groups of people
in society.
The project which is the first of its kind in Ghana and
perhaps West Africa also aims at finding intelligent ways of
witnessing about Christ to people of other religious faith.
The Rt. Reverend Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso, Moderator of the
Presbyterian Church of Ghana pointed out that the country
had a rich experience and advantage of people co-existing
particularly between Christians and Moslems.
The inauguration brought together people from the Moslem
community, traditionalists as well as some chiefs from the
local community.
Rt. Rev. Dr. Frimpong-Manso said the project would enable
Christians effectively relate with people of other faith and
explained that the centre is intended to be Christian in
nature, ecumenical and interfaith in outlook.
He pledged the Church’s full support for the project,
calling on members to support the centre financially and
further urged other people of different religious faith who
want to promote peaceful co-existence to also invest in the
project.
“The Centre will help all Ghanaians and religious groups to
continue co-existing in peace,” he added.
Rev. Professor Elom Dovlo, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Arts
at the University of Ghana who spoke on the topic:
“Contemporary Challenges to Christian Witness in a Pluralist
Society,” agreed that Ghana was a pluralist country in terms
of religion, ethnic groups, politics etc but said there
could also be common areas of mutual understanding.
He said dialogue among different religious groups should
promote better understanding of each others faith urging the
centre to research into how people of other faith were
transforming and what others thought of Christianity.
He further urged the centre to use the media for effective
witnessing.
Rev. Dr Solomon Sule Saah, Director of the Centre said it
was unproductive for people to hold unto stereotypes of
people of people of other religious faith.
Using himself as an example, he said he had a Moslem
background, his mother still being a Moslem yet he is able
to dialogue with his family members who are Moslems and had
successfully dispelled the fear of people of other faith.
Rev. Dr Saah said for him, the key words were living in
peace and unity no matter the religious faith and expressed
confidence that the centre could deliver on its mission.
GNA
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