Of Marriage, HIV-test Certificate, and the Church: What does the Youth Say?

Abstract

Matrimony is a universally cultural relationship between two persons with the aim of committing each other and their relations. In Ghana it is the tradition that parents should initiate the process. With modernity, peers and other bodies have taken over this responsibility. To ensure its members are well protected and safeguard its interest, the church needs to assume this noble but difficult role. It appears the church in Ghana has therefore added to its responsibility by demanding HIV-test certificate before approving marriages. This study sought to find out the extent to which this philosophy has permeated through the Christian domain.  As a case study, 466 students from Cape Coast Polytechnic were sampled. Quantitative methods were applied. Questionnaires with closed-ended questions were administered to the sampled population. The random stratified sampling method was employed. Gender, age, religious denomination and marital status were analyzed in relation to students’ opinions and perceptions regarding the role of the church in marriage and its demand of HIV test certificate from about-to-be-wedded couples.  SPSS version 17 was used to analyze data while tables with frequencies and percentages were also utilized to display same. Cross-tabulations and chi-square were employed in the analysis. The study found that majority of students (63 percent) support the philosophy that churches should demand HIV-test certificate before approving marriages of about-to-be-wedded couples. In spite of this, it is recommended that churches should be cautious in exercising their authority in this regard so that the rights of the minority within flock are not infringed upon.

Key words: Christian, churchian, HIV/AIDS, religious denomination, wedlock