Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo says Christianity is one of the major causes of suicide in Ghana.
Prof. Joseph Osafo disclosed this as the world marks Suicide Prevention Day today, September 10.
He expounded that he and his team interviewed some mental health patients in the country and a large number of them attributed their problems to their faith in God.
Speaking in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', he said ''we interviewed 30 attempted suicide survivors at the hospital and it was very interesting. Look at what we found; we saw that more than 20 of them were angry at God. This is what we call a psychology faith crisis. According to them, they're angry at God because [1] they're getting frustrated asking God to intervene''.
He revealed that their findings showed that the patients were angry with God due to the sermons that their Pastors preached to them.
"Within the remit of African prophetic theology, there's something we call triumphalism. Triumphalism means that, when you go to a lot of churches, especially the prophetic ministries, they give you a picture that God's intervention is so real that no matter the existential crisis confronting a person, when they preach the Word and they give you the prophecy, God will intervene. Now, what happens is that they become frustrated when they don't get the results . . . It is this theology of escaping suffering that creates a problem for them."
He appealed to religious leaders, particularly Prophets, to desist from giving false hope to their congregants saying "you need to articulate the Bible in a way to transform the person's mind" and tell the truth about reality.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Most Christians are afflicted with Magical thinking. They have stopped using the big brain God put in their head and go to the extent of asking God to give them freebies( visa, lotto numbers, money etc.) Pray but keep pushing. If you need healing, God has put it in doctors and herbs, food is in the soil but you need to till it, gold is in the soil but you have to dig. God has given us everything but he only intervenes when necessary. Those who know this (white people) have been blessed and prospered but those who pray the hardest (black people) waiting for magic are wretched and keep suffering.
Hahahahaaa. This is blatant nnonsense coming from a doctor in psychology. The answer you purport to give is the answering the question you were asked. Every research i read on stress and suicide says it is less among christians. This is because christianity gives hope. Please, let your talk reflect your academic status. This is below the belt. if someone is in a mental home, suffering hallucination and bipolar, among others, what accurate data can you get from him or her that you use to talk? Shame on you :-(
Prof, your research needs to be researched upon.