Zetaheal, uniting Christians and Muslims without conflict Hundreds of devotees, men, women and children, in all white and barefoot, kneel, facing east, in the great courtyard of the imposing white church building, as a rooster crows to herald another dawn. Comfort Narh, known to her followers as Prophetess Lehem, presided over the first of the seven prayer sessions prescribed for the day. Members prostrate as the leader approaches, splashing Florida Water and blessing them in the local dialect. Then in chorus they thank him for the blessing. Comfort Narh, was originally a seamstress. He said the Angel spoke directly to him and asked him to unite Christians and Muslims, because the founders of both religions, Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad, share a common ancestor. “Abraham had two sons – Isaac and Ishmael; Muhammad descended from Ishmael and Jesus descended from Isaac, so the two are brothers; Islam and Christianity come from one family,” explained Lehem. “We have to unite the two before the world has peace.” The group sees Muslims and Christians as one family, who must live in peace. Followers also celebrate Ramadan, a Muslim festival. Zetaheal's membership has grown and now has at least 5,000 followers - men and women, artists and craftsmen, teachers and students. Members worship together in a magnificent gleaming white shrine with twin towers in the suburb of Zongo-Junction, a neighborhood inhabited by Christians and Muslims. They construct buildings using produce from their own cooperative plantations. Inside the temple, all worshipers must take off their shoes. Sect members wear white clothes. Those with Muslim backgrounds sat on mats on the floor, and Christians sat on benches or chairs, respectively according to their native tradition or choice. The congregation learns about the teachings of the Bible from a pastor, as well as the teachings of the Koran from an Imam. Daniel Opoku is a spokesperson for Lehem. He spoke of another revelation he said an angel made to Lehem. "And that Christ was born on November 14 and not [December] 25 as most Christians know and Christ also died on [April] 11 and his death was not a blessing because God was angry when Christ was killed and that we need to ask for forgiveness," Opoku said. "Christ was supposed to come to live with us and teach us God's way that we should follow and earn our salvation, death is not a salvation for mankind, but a curse for mankind, which Zetaheal has straightened out." Opoku, an orthodox Christian, joined the mission 22 years ago. All of her children were born in the church. Nana Serwaa, 22, is her eldest daughter, who gives Islamic lessons to children at church. He said, even as a child, he was never confused about the Zetaheal doctrine, saying that he found it unique. He said he read a lot and that helped him to better understand the two religions. “There is a book that I read, The Secret and Revelation of the Antichrist, and you can realize so many things in that book. There are parts that are like women are religion, who is that woman? That's when I knew that, yes, I have that woman here at Zetaheal. Because in the last days it is claimed in the [book of] Revelation that a woman is a religion, so if I have it, I am not confused, I am very happy here, there is no need to be confused, and extensive reading also helps," said Serwaa. Freddie Dankwa said he had unanswered questions that led him to Zetaheal. Why did Christ come to die for us? Why does the prophet only come through the white race and not the black race? Christians, the conflict we have," said Dankwa. "We know we have a soul as we have been told in childhood and an afterlife, as one person says there is one, another says there is no life and so on." He says he now has answers to all kinds of problems and says he knows God better now, than before being told to just believe. Ramatu Lawal, a Muslim, is now one of more than 5,000 members of the sect. He converted 28 years ago. Now he prays seven times a day, according to the teachings of Zetaheal, and says that the confusion between the two religions is due to a misunderstanding, He said that if Muslims and Christians around the world were united, he believed the world would be a better place. He blamed the devil for the conflict between the two religions, and said the world needed to unite against the devil. He said Christians and Muslims would live in harmony if there was an understanding like the one they had at Zetaheal. “I never knew that the Muslim greeting, 'Asalaam alekum' means 'Peace be with you'. I thought it was something pagan until I went to Zetaheal; it's way better than Halo.” The Zetaheal choir sings the praises of Muhammad and Christ, as two equally great prophets sent to earth by the same God – or Allah. His Excellency Dr. J.S.A. Stevens is a theologian, and was previously President of the Ghana Methodist Church. He worships with Zetaheal now and again. Although he is not a member, he says he is comfortable with their principles. “Many of these conflicts between Christians and Muslims are unnecessary, because both religions worship the same creator and Zetaheal is for the glory of God.” Islam and Christianity have operated as two separate religious streams that have flowed parallel throughout the ages. Zetaheal points out that Christians and Muslims can worship together. [source : voanews, sakyi-addo]