A Retrospect Of Ghanaians And Religion As Linked With Karl Marx’s Religious Dictum

Karl Marx’s celebrated dictum, “religion is the opium of the people”, had a quiet genesis. He wrote it in 1843 as a passing remark in the introduction to a book of philosophical criticism he never finished. (https://www.1843magazine.com/intelligence/).
The Oxford dictionary defines “opium” as a reddish-brown heavy-scented addictive drug prepared from the juice of the opium poppy, used illicitly as a narcotic, and occasionally in medicine as an analgesic. In this regard, Karl Marx sought to relate religion to an addiction for some people who rely on it in their bid to forget about their troubled life or anything worrying them.
In Ghana, the two most trending facets of the lives of citizens that are not taken lightly but tightly held unto are politics and religion. It is impossible to try convincing any Ghanaian who is devoted wholeheartedly to either a political party or a religious sect (denomination).

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For the purpose of this write-up, the concentration is thrown at the addiction of religion. There are three main religious groups in Ghana; namely – Christianity, Islam, and African Traditional Religion. Research over the years has shown that Christianity leads to these three religions. Within Christianity, there are the likes of so many denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church, Church of Pentecost, Assemblies of God, Church of Christ, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Anointed Palace Chapel, International God’s Way Church, Prophetic Hill Chapel and so many others of them.

How does religion serve as the addiction of the contemporary Ghanaian Christian? This is a very deep question that can take years of research to complete even just 10% of it. But for the sake of this write-up, a few instances will be cited as backing to the aforementioned topic. Below are some factors which support the fact that religion is the opium of the masses from Christianity stance.
Firstly, the rate at which pastors are seen by some church members as infallible or perfect beings who cannot err. With this in mind, some unscrupulous Ghanaians hide within cassocks with the Holy Bible to commit unpardonable blemishes. Thanks to some recent revelations through the investigative works of the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and the host of “The Seat” – Justice Kweku Anan via Net2TV GH on Mondays and Wednesdays, some pastors who sin in the name of God are being uncovered. With countless evidences against some of them (especially invading of taxes, duping church members and having amorous relationships with female members), they still have some blinded church members defending their embattled pastors on social media, radios and TVs. When this happens, justice is denied the victims of these evil men behind the pulpit. This goes on to affirm Karl Marx’s quote.

Secondly, instances where the counsel of pastors are chosen over that of certified medical practitioners is also another serious issue. Instead of visiting hospitals with diseases such as high fever, HIV/AIDS, etc they rather visit pastors for miraculous healings whilst these pastors have National Health Insurance Scheme cards and visit hospitals when sick. When you watch the TV stations of some of these one-man churches like Lion TV or Sweet TV of Rev. Akwasi Obofour’s Anointed Palace Chapel or OB TV of Bishop Daniel Kojo Obinim (popularly known as Angel Obinim), you just wonder how some Ghanaians use their brains. There are various videos circulating on social media whereby Angel Obinim, for instance, is claiming to be an angel who flies to Heaven on daily basis to meet Jesus Christ and God for healing meetings. Also, in another video, the same man of God was heard claiming to be responsible for the hip and buttocks enlargement of some female church leaders after he appeared in their dreams and touched these parts. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was when he claimed to have made a vertically challenged person (short person) tall physically after he appeared to him spiritually. For the avoidance of doubt, attached is the link to this video;
(https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3217861891612791&id=100001670346970). It is surprising how the church members applauded Angel Obinim in the said video whilst he spewed blatant lies. In this case, the members are addicted to the religious gimmicks of the man of God.

Lastly, the extreme belief that the duty of the church members is to provide money in the form of offertory and tithes for pastors to fend for themselves and their family whilst the givers (church members) wait on God to bring down blessings in the form of money to them. A devoted Ghanaian parent wouldn’t mind using the last penny (money) in the house to support church projects as against paying his or her kids’ school fees. A typical example is when members are asked to donate money towards buying a car for pastors whilst members who need money for surgical operations are offered just prayers without financial assistance. And, no one dares to question the pastors’ decision in church since they are seen as God almighty on earth.