Archbishop Charles Agyinasare has urged Ghanaians to take responsibility for misinformation they share by retracting false claims, apologising to those harmed and correcting misleading impressions created by their actions.

He said discovering that information one had shared was false should not end with regret but must be followed by concrete steps to undo the damage caused.

“If you discover that something you shared was false, repentance requires action,” the archbishop said.

Preaching on Sunday, October 11, 2026, in a sermon titled “The Venom of Falsehood – When Lies Become Weapons of Destruction,” Archbishop Agyinasare called on the public to stop the spread of falsehood, particularly through unverified messages and misleading content circulated on social media.

He outlined practical steps for correcting misinformation, including deleting false posts where possible, informing people who received the information that it was wrong, apologising to those affected and correcting the impression created.

The preacher stressed that people must be willing to accept responsibility for the consequences of their words and actions rather than allow false information to remain unchallenged.

Half-truths can be misleading

Archbishop Agyinasare also warned against half-truths, explaining that information could contain accurate details and still misrepresent what actually happened when important context was omitted.

He noted that a photograph could be genuine but accompanied by a false caption, while an edited recording could make someone appear to have said something contrary to their intended meaning.

He said that a claim's truthfulness does not automatically make the entire account accurate or fair.

“The question is not merely, ‘Is there something true in this?’ We must also ask, ‘Does this fairly represent what happened?’” he said.

He cautioned against selectively presenting facts to support a particular narrative, noting that such practices could damage reputations, destroy relationships and cause innocent people to suffer.

The archbishop illustrated the dangers of false accusations with the biblical account of Joseph, who was imprisoned after Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him of misconduct.

He said the story demonstrated how a carefully constructed lie could have serious consequences for someone who had done no wrong.

Call to verify before sharing

Archbishop Agyinasare urged social media users and the wider public to verify information and examine its context before forwarding messages or publishing allegations about others.

He encouraged people to ask whether they knew a claim was true, whether they had checked its source and context, and whether sharing it would help address wrongdoing responsibly or merely spread an accusation.

He also cautioned against responding to false accusations with further falsehoods, urging those who had been misrepresented to defend themselves truthfully without exaggerating the wrongdoing of their accusers.

The preacher emphasised that correcting misinformation was an essential part of taking responsibility for one’s actions.

He called on Ghanaians to break the cycle of falsehood by refusing to circulate unverified claims and by correcting information whenever they discovered it was inaccurate.

His message called for greater honesty and accountability in personal interactions, public discourse, and social media use, stressing that the responsibility to uphold the truth extends beyond avoiding lies to correcting the harm falsehoods cause when they spread.