Following the widespread condemnation of the founder of the International God’s Way Church, Bishop Daniel Obinim’s public flogging of two of his members for alleged fornication, he has described some Ghanaians as hypocrites for judging him for his actions.
“The Bible in Proverbs says if you love your child, you discipline them. That is why I beat the children, because of their immorality… For some of you, if it were your child, you would have beaten them more than I did,” Bishop Obinim said, breaking his silence on the incident.
A video showing Obinim whipping a teenage boy, believed to be 16, and a girl, 14, for the alleged fornication and subsequent abortion in front of his congregation, went viral on social media Thursday Morning.
The police have since said they will look into the matter as it may constitute a breach of the rights of the teenagers.
But the Bishop justified his actions quoting Proverbs 13 versus 24 saying, whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.
“If it were your child, would you sit there for them to spoil? The kids are by my side, should I throw them out for this or what? Do not speak about things you don’t understand,” he retorted to the criticism.
“What would majority of Ghanaians have done in this case? If it had been your child, who had done something so immoral, would you have left them to go astray – a 14 year old girl and 16 year old boy,” he added.
Listen to Bishop Obinim below
Police to investigate
The Police Service has said it will look into the video which shows Bishop Obinim, flogging the two teenagers.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Ghana Police Service Superintendent Cephas Arthur, stated that although he hadn’t seen the video, the police had taken notice of the complaints from members of the public.
He told Citi News that such an action, if proven, would constitute an abuse of the teenagers’ rights and that its Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) would take the matter up.
Watch Obinim flogs “Fornicators” in church
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