Reverend Minister advocates animal sacrifices

Accra, July 18, GNA - The Reverend Nicohlas Wiredu Anochi, head pastor of 'The New Church' in Accra on Friday advocated animal sacrifice and the use of blood in religious rituals. "These practices are sacred act of worship, symbolizing divine truth of the Lord and cleansing and purification for attainment of righteousness. Rev Anochi was speaking during his enstoolment as the chief (Aframsohene) of Forifori in the Afram Plains.

Rev Anochi, however, condemned sacrifices to idols, gods, spirits, stools, lakes and rivers, snakes and stones describing the it as devilish act invoked satanic forces into the world. These were contained in a statement titled, "Chieftaincy and Priesthood Reconciled," made available to the GNA in Accra. Rev Anochi under the stool name, 'Rev Nana Baffuor Wiredu Asare III' also endorsed the pouring of libation of palm wine or water to God.

'Rev. Nana Wiredu Asare III' who is a royal from the Etena Clan of Abetifi-Kwahu said Jacob was the first recorded Bible character to have given a drink offering of wine to the Lord at Bethel, which should serve as an example to modern day Christians. On the correlation between Chieftaincy and Priesthood, 'The New Church,' Pastor said in the Lord, the two are indivisibly united and that the two institutions are comfortably blended and reconciled. He debunked the notion that priesthood and chieftaincy were incompatible, and that no good Christian or Moslem should be enstool or enskined.

The Aframsohene said he would champion the crusade against HIV/AIDS in his traditional area as well as initiate an education fund for brilliant but needy children. He said "to my people I will like to be a source of enlightenment, not only spiritually, but also physically, by making parents aware of their responsibilities to their children's welfare.'' "I will let them know that they have a responsibility to help educate their children, to teach them the moral values that will make them grow to be responsible citizens." Rev Nana Wiredu Asare III said parents in the communities would also be educated to be responsible citizens by paying their taxes, contribute to social security schemes for their old age and to lead morally upright lives.