Talatona - The director of the National Institute for Religious Affairs (INAR), Adilson de Almeida, pointed to issues such as false prophecies and sexual abuse of minors by pastors as causes that affect the social peace of Angolans, in the exercise of religious freedom.
According to the official, who was speaking at the 3rd edition of the Forum on “The Problem of the Religious Phenomenon and Its Implications in the Undermining of Ethics and Values”, actions such as naked prayers, strange rituals of Christianity, witchcraft practices done by people pretending to be pastors, also affect social life.
Adilson de Almeida regretted the fact that some churches are functioning as hospitals, neglecting the importance of conventional medicine.
He said that there is some incorrect interpretation between what a Christian church is and traditional African religions, giving the example of Islam, adding that the forum aims to address the complex relationship between religious phenomena, ethics and values in society, challenging the proliferation of sects and religious practices that lead to a decline in the ethics and values of religiosity.
The event aims to facilitate the creation of a joint strategy between religious denominations, the state and the government to control and mitigate religious phenomena in Angola.
During the Forum, which is being held in partnership between the Ministry of Culture and INAR, the promotion of values and ethics in the exercise of religion, the relationship between the state and the religious institutions in the consolidation of values and ethics and prosperity in religious discourse will be addressed.
The meeting will be attended by 150 participants, including legal representatives, spiritual leaders from various religious denominations, lecturers from academia, religion, sociologists, lawyers, anthropologists, philosophers and theologians, among others.
GIZ/MAG/MRA/jmc
