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26.11.2003 General News

Anglican Church Opposed to Any Form of Unnatural Carnal Behaviour

26.11.2003 LISTEN
By Chronicle

The Anglican Church in Ghana says it is vehemently opposed to any form of unnatural, carnal behaviour, including homosexuality, lesbianism and same sex marriage.

Reacting formally to the recent consecration of a gay bishop in the United States, the Joint Anglican Diocesan Council (JADC) said: "We see these as going against the word of God".

"We pray the holy spirit to guide the Anglican Communion to come out with a solution to these unacceptable acts and behaviour," the bishops said in a communiqué signed by the bishop of Accra who is also Archbishop-elect of the Province of West Africa, The Most Rev. Justice O. Akrofi.

The JADC, comprising the eight dioceses of Accra, Cape Coast, Ho, Koforidua, Kumasi, Sekondi, Sunyani and Tamale issued the communiqué at the end of a meeting in Kumasi. The meeting was on the theme: "Mission 2010" based on the scripture: "Without vision my people perish."

The church maintained its policy on AIDS, stressing that education on total abstinence, the youth as targets of the window of hope, delayed sexuality and faithfulness of all spouses must be fully supported.

The communiqué therefore advised people to think twice in the use of the condom since it can leak. 'You do not have any business to go and acquire AIDS,' it said.

The bishops re-affirmed their support for the Vice President's call for greater discipline and advised that people eschew all acts of lawlessness, bribery, immorality, cheating and negligence.

They called on all Ghanaians to seek peace and pursue it. All should support the effort of the government in bringing lasting peace in Dagbon and other areas of Ghana prone to chieftaincy and ethnic disputes.

"We encourage all to strive to make Ghana a haven for all, even for the displaced persons from the sub region. As we approach the election year we need peace and tolerance more than ever before".

Dilating on education, the communiqué said that the church would continue to be good partners with government in its provision for quality and moral education, adding that an endowment fund is to be set up to assist brilliant but needy students in the second cycle and tertiary institutions.

Also it said the church is putting up appropriate structures to set up a tertiary institution with technical bias for the development of the nation. It therefore expressed support for the government's desire to hand over the administration and management of schools founded by the church to its missionary founders.

"The Anglican Church will accept the challenge with open hands and will positively respond to the handing over," it said.

The communiqué said the council appreciates the pragmatic measures being taken by the government to resuscitate the economy with the ultimate aim of stabilizing the cedi. It commended the government for raising the price of cocoa but said farmers in non-cocoa areas should also be encouraged.

"We must industrialize agriculture, add value to our products and export. The President's Special Initiative should be expanded to cover more areas," it said.

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