The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, has decried the increasing levels of litigation in churches, saying it contravened the spirit of the Holy Bible and the work of Christ. He said there was the need for Christians to show tolerance and compromise and resolve their disputes internally using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms instead of resorting to the courts. Mr Ghartey was speaking during a courtesy call on him by a five-member delegation from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), in Accra. He said the Church had a responsibility to preach and dissuade its members from breaking the law since the courts were choked. He added that Christians and other religious groups needed to co-exist peacefully in the interest of national development. He suggested to the leadership of the CAC to organise fora and invite his office to come and explain certain pertinent issues relating to the laws of the country, giving the Domestic Violence Bill as an example. Mr Ghartey, who is also the Member of Parliament for Esikado, expressed his appreciation for the visit and called for closer collaboration between religious groups in the country and the government to promote development. The Head of the Legal Department of the CAC, Rev. Amponsah Frimpong, said the church shared with the government the quest to deepen democracy and guarantee fundamental human rights and freedoms of the citizens. He said the church was committed to working with the government in that direction without being partisan. Rev. Frimpong said that the unbridled litigation by members of the church was unnecessary, adding that they had withdrawn all cases from the courts for settlement internally. "It is our hope that after that anybody who takes a case to court would not be morally justified in doing so," he said. He also stressed the need for Ghanaians to work with the government towards achieving sustainable peace and social cohesion and commended the government for creating an enabling environment for all religious groups in the country to practise their religions without any hindrance. The Executive Secretary of the CAC, Mr Emmanuel Osei Donkor, said the purpose of the visit was to consult with the minister on how to effectively contribute to the development of the nation. Source: Daily Graphic