Archbishop Charles Agyinasare has urged Ghanaians to take responsibility for misinformation they share by deleting false posts, retracting inaccurate claims and apologising to people harmed by their actions.
He said discovering that information shared with others was false should not end with regret. Still, he must be followed by deliberate efforts to correct the misinformation and undo the damage caused.
“If you discover that something you shared was false, repentance requires action,” the archbishop said.
Preaching on Sunday, October 11, in a sermon titled “The Venom of Falsehood – When Lies Become Weapons of Destruction”, Archbishop Agyinasare called on the public to stop spreading falsehood, particularly through unverified messages and misleading content circulated on social media.
He outlined practical steps people should take when they discover they have shared false information, including deleting the post where possible, informing those who received it that the information was wrong, apologising to those affected and correcting the misleading impression created.
The preacher said that people must be willing to accept responsibility for the consequences of their words rather than allow false information to remain unchallenged.
Archbishop Agyinasare also warned against half-truths, explaining that information could contain accurate details but still misrepresent events when important context was omitted.
He noted that a photograph could be genuine but carry a false caption, while an edited recording could make someone appear to have said something different from what they actually meant.
He said the presence of some truthful details did not automatically make an entire account accurate or fair.
“The question is not merely, ‘Is there something true in this?’ We must also ask, ‘Does this fairly represent what happened?’” he said.
He cautioned against selectively presenting facts to support a particular narrative, warning that such practices could damage reputations, destroy relationships and cause innocent people to suffer.
To illustrate the consequences of false accusations, the archbishop referred to the biblical account of Joseph, who was imprisoned after Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of misconduct.
He said the account showed how a false accusation could have devastating consequences for an innocent person, particularly when the allegation was believed without proper scrutiny.
The archbishop urged social media users and the wider public to verify information and examine its context before forwarding messages or publishing allegations against others.
He encouraged people to consider whether they knew a claim was true, whether they had checked its source and context, and whether sharing it would help address wrongdoing responsibly or simply spread an accusation.
He said that the public had a responsibility to exercise caution before sharing information that could affect another person’s reputation, relationships or well-being.
Archbishop Agyinasare also cautioned against responding to false accusations with further falsehoods.
He urged people who had been misrepresented to defend themselves truthfully without exaggerating the actions of their accusers or spreading additional misinformation in an attempt to clear their names.
He said that correcting false information was not merely an option but an essential part of taking responsibility for one’s actions.