00:00The amongst, the pastors, the reverence, we should listen to them.
00:10Don't take what they say for granted.
00:14If they say act, act.
00:21Ghana is officially a secular state, but faith runs deep.
00:26Should prophecies be taken seriously? Welcome to the flip side.
00:32A recent helicopter crash in Ghana that claimed eight lives, including two cabinet ministers,
00:37has plunged the nation into mourning and sparked a heated debate about religious prophecy.
00:43In the aftermath, several religious figures claim they had foreseen the tragedy but were dismissed.
00:49Now, the government is considering a formal review process for prophecies seem to be of national interest.
00:57Some citizens back the idea of monitoring prophecies, but with caution.
01:02I think it is in the right direction, but I would like it more if they have a matrix of knowing which prophecies are lies and which ones are truth.
01:12It's a very good step because it regulates the, whatever, like, I can just stand up and say anything about this person here.
01:22It regulates that, so I think that it's a very good initiative.
01:26Ghana's 1992 constitution begins with the words,
01:29In the name of the almighty God.
01:32Moreover, nearly 70% of the population identifies as Christian.
01:36There is no denying that religion plays a crucial role in Ghanaian society.
01:42However, the constitution also clearly states that no religion shall be established as a state religion.
01:48Critics say involving prophecy in policy is risky.
01:53In my opinion, we have to learn to keep religion where it belongs, in the private sphere and not in the public sphere.
01:58Following the tragic helicopter crash, the government has proposed that
02:02prophecies with national implications be submitted to the presidency for review.
02:08What impact could such a move have?
02:10This open flirtations with, we are inviting pastors and people to send all kinds of prophecies.
02:17And then the next minute, we decide that we're going to discontinue public policy programs,
02:22or we're going to create them, particularly because somebody has divinated and said that
02:27this is what has been revealed to me through prophecy.
02:29Or the president will cancel an attendance somewhere because some religious person have told them that
02:37this is how you are going to die.
02:39It is paranoia at the highest and extreme levels.
02:42Across Africa, there's a very thin line between faith and governance.
02:47So where should the boundary lie between religious prophecy and state affairs?
02:52There cannot be a line between God and human beings, right?
02:59In the days of old, we had the kings and we had the prophets.
03:03They worked hand in hand.
03:04You understand me?
03:05If you remember the days when there was going to be famine, it took somebody to dream, and
03:11it took somebody to interpret the dream.
03:13It took somebody to prophesy about rain and for the king to believe that there would be rain.
03:18So they are always together.
03:20Yet, religion can be misused with devastating consequences.
03:26In 2023, Kenyan preacher Paul McKenzie was convicted of leading hundreds of followers to starve themselves to death.
03:34In South Africa, a pastor once instructed his congregation to eat grass to reach heaven.
03:40These are chilling examples of religious extremism.
03:44It is useful for people to have their private faith.
03:47But we have to be careful when policy is led by religious thinking.
03:51It has not worked in many societies in Europe.
03:53It hasn't worked in many societies in Africa.
03:55And we have to be very careful when people lead us down those doors.
03:58And that's the flip side.
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