The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has supported the directive by the Police Administration to religious leaders to desist from communicating prophetic messages that could harm others and disturb the public peace.
The Ghana Police Service, in a statement on Monday, December 27, asked religious group leaders to be measured in their prophetic utterances that may injure the rights of others and public interest as the year draws to a close.
The statement, signed by Supt. Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director of Public Affairs, said it was a crime for a person to publish or reproduce a statement, rumour, or report, which was likely to disturb the public peace without evidence.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Reverend Emmanuel T. Barrigah, the General Secretary of GPCC, said the call by the Police Administration was in order.
“Prophecies in themselves are expected to edify and glorify God and where there is the need to also rebuke those who might have fallen foul of the law of God, we should not hesitate to do so,” he said.
“Where prophecies become a threat or become a prediction of death and harm, there is a question mark on those kinds of prophecies.”
Rev. Barrigah said he could not fathom why end-of-year prophecies were mostly centered on negative issues and not positive ones that would propel national unity and prosperity.
“We must stop those doomsday and death prophecies. Why is it that we can only predict harm and death and not positive things?” he asked.
Rev. Barrigah urged the Christian community to be careful and measured in their celebration of the New Year, bearing in mind the presence of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19.
He said the GPCC had issued a circular to its members, encouraging them to, as much as possible, hold outdoor services to usher in the New Year.
“We have also asked them to ensure that all the preventive protocols, including hand-washing, hand sanitizing, and wearing of nose masks, are strictly observed in addition to sanitizing all the things we use at the church,” he said.
The Police had warned that it was a crime for a person, by means of electronic communications service, to knowingly send communication that is false or misleading and likely to endanger the safety of others.
“A person found guilty under these laws could be liable to a term of imprisonment of up to five years,” the police said.
Source: GNA
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A very good move. I am waiting for the day one of these strange prophets would prophecy about their own down fall of doom. It always about others and not them. Through out scripture, prophets did not broadcast things concerning individuals.......rather if God had or has a message for the larger society, He would so inform the society through open prophecy. There are examples of how prophets of old would pass on information from God to the affected individuals privately. Let's deal with these charlatans the hard way.
It is not simple false prophecies but a means to rob their church members and put fear on prominent citizens. They are similar to armed robbers as armed robbers put same fear of death on their victims to give away forcibly their hard won property to the robbers. Fear is a key here, and to me, those pastors are like armed robbers and the law should deal with them, period.
The least said the better. The leaders have lost it.
Well that's how it starts! Very soon they will be telling you what to/not to preach and prophesy. I wonder what would have happened to Prophets like Jeremiah in our time. Let us recognize that false prophecies are part of the end time and Christians should be aware. Our leaders should handle false prophecies and not leave it to the state because they are not good at it. Very soon they will turn against both good(coming from God) and bad. Thanks