The Etherean Mission has marked the 2025 edition of its annual Planetary Liberation Day with a renewed call for religion to return to its true purpose as a unifying force for world peace.
This year’s commemoration, held under the theme “The Role of Religion for World Peace,” brought together leaders of the Mission, representatives from diverse faiths and participants from across the country to reflect on how religion can foster harmony and coexistence.
Founder of Etherean Mission, Brother Ishmael Nii Nyaako Oblitey Tetteh, reminded participants that the word religion originates from the Latin religare, meaning “to unite.” He lamented that, instead of connecting people, religion has too often become a source of division.
“Religion is the mother of civilization and culture and if it goes wrong, society goes wrong. That is why we must return religion to its true purpose of unity and peace,” he stated.
Brother Ishmael explained that Planetary Liberation Day was first observed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States, following his visit to communities gripped with fear.
According to him, peace should not be mistaken for “the quiet of the graveyard,” but rather “the identification and free expression of one’s innate potential.”
He further called for churches, mosques, temples and other places of worship to serve as centres of peace, helping individuals discover their uniqueness, empowering families and strengthening societies.
Participants at the 2025 celebration deliberated on tackling religious extremism, identifying its root causes and exploring ways religion can promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
A group discussion segment of the event also produced key indicators for assessing the effectiveness of religion as a peace-building tool.
These, Brother Ishmael said, would be refined in collaboration with other faith leaders into a “world peace template” for engagement with relevant authorities.
Reinforcing the message, leader of Etherean Mission, Rev. Josephine Kafui Tetteh cautioned against religious superiority and segregation, warning that such attitudes fuel conflict.
“Religion is beautiful, but today, many people believe theirs is the only true way. When you attack someone’s faith, it triggers conflict. Instead of respecting where everyone comes from, we are doing the opposite,” she observed.
Rev. Tetteh stressed that all religions ultimately point back to one source, urging humanity to embrace cultural diversity as part of a shared journey. “We all came from one God, there are no differences. When we see ourselves as divine emanations of one source, we will not look down on others but celebrate unity in diversity,” she said.
A guest speaker, Dr. Baffour Jan, founder of the Jan Cosmic Foundation in an interview with the media emphasized spirituality as the key to lasting peace. He warned that an overemphasis on material possessions and what he referred to as “false identities” such as nationality, social status and religion continue to fuel division.
“The solution he said lies in activating the spiritual part of the brain to achieve balance between the social and spiritual. Until we shift from false identities, peace will remain elusive,” Dr. Jan said.
Over the past 25 years, Planetary Liberation Day has provided a platform for interfaith dialogue on topics including the role of families in building peaceful societies, How the five senses contribute to conflict, Growing the empowered child and redefining leadership.
Participants at this year’s event reaffirmed their commitment to building a global culture of peace rooted in empowered individuals, strong families and mutual respect among faiths.
Story: Osman Issah Abadoo
