Archbishop Charles Agyinasare has criticised what he describes as a growing culture of dishonesty in Ghana, warning that lying has become so common that people increasingly measure cleverness by their ability to evade the truth.
Preaching on Sunday, October 11, the founder of Perez Chapel International said dishonesty had become part of everyday interactions, with some people resorting to lies to avoid embarrassment, please others or gain personal advantage.
In a sermon titled “The Venom of Falsehood – When Lies Become Weapons of Destruction”, Archbishop Agyinasare questioned whether aspects of Ghanaian culture had inadvertently normalised deceit, pointing to the popular folklore character Kweku Ananse as an example.
“Lying has become a pastime, and cleverness is measured by how well we dodge the truth,” he said.
He warned that such attitudes risked making dishonesty appear acceptable, particularly when people viewed deception as a sign of intelligence rather than a failure to uphold the truth.
Archbishop Agyinasare said the problem often begins at home, where parents sometimes tell seemingly harmless lies and encourage their children to do the same.
He cited instances where parents threaten children with the police to frighten them into obedience or instruct them to tell visitors that they are not home when they are, in fact, present.
According to him, such practices can teach children from an early age that lying is an acceptable way to handle uncomfortable situations.
He urged parents to be mindful of the lessons their actions teach their children, stressing that honesty must be demonstrated in everyday life rather than merely demanded from the young.
The archbishop also explained that dishonesty goes beyond making outright false statements. It can take the form of half-truths, exaggerations, flattery, pretence, selective disclosure, doctored photographs and the spread of fake news.
He called on Ghanaians to recognise these different forms of deception, particularly in an era when information can be manipulated and circulated widely through social media.
Drawing lessons from Genesis 39, the biblical account of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, Archbishop Agyinasare warned that false accusations could destroy an innocent person’s reputation, relationships and freedom.
In the account, Joseph was imprisoned after Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of attempting to assault her following his refusal to give in to her advances.
The archbishop said the story illustrated the potentially devastating consequences of falsehood, cautioning that a lie could cause serious harm regardless of how small or convenient it might appear when told.
“One lie, told in one afternoon, cost an innocent man years of his life,” he said, referring to Joseph’s imprisonment.
He further warned that dishonesty could undermine trust within families, churches, friendships and business relationships.
According to him, the damage could persist long after a lie had been exposed, as those who had been deceived might struggle to trust the person responsible, even after an apology.
He also said that repeated dishonesty could affect the conscience of the person who lies, making it easier to continue deceiving others.
Archbishop Agyinasare also recounted examples of allegations and misrepresentations that he said had been circulated against public figures for attention and personal gain.
He cautioned the public against making or sharing accusations without first establishing whether they were accurate.