Nigerian churches call Christmas bombings 'declaration of war'

CNN ^ | Wed December 28, 2011 | Soni Irabor

[MinorityRepublican]

Medics carry the body of a victim after a bomb blast at St. Theresa Catholic Church inNigeria's capital, Abuja, on December 25.

"Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Nigeria's Christians are losing faith that the government will protect them from attacks by Islamic extremists and will "respond appropriately" to future killings, the country's leading church group warned Wednesday.

In a public message to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Christian Association of Nigeria called the Christmas Day targeting of churches in several cities "a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity." The group also criticized its Muslim counterparts for failing to condemn the Islamic militants blamed for Sunday's attacks, calling their responses "unacceptable."

"The Christian community is fast losing confidence in government's ability to protect our rights to religious liberties and life," its president, Pentecostal pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said in the statement. "The consensus is that the Christian community nationwide would be left with no other option than to respond appropriately if there are any further attacks on our members, churches and properties."

Nigerian official condemns attacks

Jonathan responded with a statement of condolences for the attacks, which the church group said killed more than 50 worshippers, and a call for Nigerians to unite behind the government's efforts to pursue those responsible. Nigerian authorities have blamed Boko Haram, a fundamentalist Islamic movement that mounted similar attacks the previous Christmas.

"The best thing is for all religious leaders, opinion and traditional leaders, youth leaders and women leaders to come together and assist government," Jonathan said. He pledged that his administration "will surely do more," but added, "The terrorists are human beings. They are not spirits."

[sinanju]

“Deacons for Defense”?

I’m getting sick and tired of reading about righteous martyrs.

Time to hit back, Christian Soldiers. It’s clear the government is not going to do squat.

[jimpick]

The problem is that the terrorist have not been made spirits.

[lightman]

It’s time for a new Crusade: Party like it’s 1096.

[bunkerhill7]

Acolyte Ak-47`s

[sinanju]

I was thinking more along 1948 lines...

Didn’t plenty of American joooz smuggle guns to the Palmach and Haganah back in the day? Well?

[Beowulf9]

Bomb ‘em into the stone age! and THEN pray for their souls.

[chessplayer]

“Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) — Nigeria’s Christians are losing faith that the government will protect them from attacks by Islamic extremists and will “respond appropriately” to future killings, the country’s leading church group warned Wednesday.

In a public message to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Christian Association of Nigeria called the Christmas Day targeting of churches in several cities “a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity.”

---

So they are saying these killings aren’t worth responding to. Nice. Declaration of war? It’s like Japan bombing Pearl Harbor and the US saying don’t do it again.

[Stand W]

I’ve read in earlier attrocities that the gummint troops actually helped the filthy Muslims. Arm yourselves, CHristians.

[skinkinthegrass]

!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Sounds like Goodluck is Badluck.

True enough, the terrorists are not spirits. But there is a malevolent Spirit behind them.

[darrellmaurina]

This is what the Second Amendment is for. However, as a former British colony, we cannot expect the same level of civilian knowledge of weapons among Nigerians that we have in America with the protections of the Second Amendment.

I have no idea what laws about firearms exist in Nigeria, or more importantly, how the laws on the books work out in actual practice. However, my understanding is the military is heavily Muslim and from the north of the country but the economic centers of the country and the oil industry are primarily in the Christian south. I hope I'm wrong; perhaps a Freeper can correct me if I've misunderstood.

That picture is not a good one to contemplate if the Christian population of Nigeria has little experience with military matters and little access to firearms, and has to go head-to-head against a predominantly Muslim military.

A declaration of war by the Christian churches is appropriate only when the government has clearly and irrevocably failed. Be careful what you ask for; it could end with the mass slaughter of a mostly unarmed Christian population in areas the Muslims would love to take over.

[rawcatslyentist]

Well, the Poorfit (pigs be inseminating him) did say once upon a time.

P>Sura 9:29-33 “Make war upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God, or in the last day, and who forbid not that which God and His Apostle have forbidden, and who profess not the profession of the truth, until they pay tribute out of hand, and they be humbled.”

[RitaOK]

” Didn’t plenty of American joooz smuggle guns to the Palmach and Haganah back in the day? Well? “ <<<

What an eager little anti-semetic you reveal yourself to be. Are you a Muzzzzzlimmmmm radical yourself, a sympathizer, smuggling smack against the Jews in the present day? Well?

[wjcsux]

It’s time for a new Crusade: Party like it’s 1096.
You beat me to it!

[RitaOK]

YES. It is war. Hillary and Brack are busy pandering however, to the enemies of Christians and of the USA, leaving little time to notice and less time to be seen condemning the persecution of Christians.

[wideawake]

Christian Nigerians fought a losing civil war from 1967-1970 in an attempt to establish the Republic of Biafra.

The circumstance that occasioned that war was a power grab by Muslims.

The knowledge base needed to resist still exists among Christian Nigerians.

[kearnyirish2]

The Biafra secession years ago showed the Christian south could fight; they received little international help, and the Nigerian national government crushed them. I believe it was the Catholic Ibo tribe that tried to secede.

[wideawake]

By the way, the name of this movement - "Boko Haram" tells observers everything they need to know. "Boko" is a Nigerian loanword from English - or more accurately from the English dialect used as a conversational medium among Nigeria's many languages - that means "book learning", "literacy" or "education."

"Haram" is Arabic for "unclean" or "sinful" or "abomination."

Basically, the name of the movement is "Literacy is Evil."

[wideawake]

It was the Igbo, who are predominantly Catholic, that were the main actors in the Biafran War, yes.

The Boko Haram movement carefully coordinated these attacks to target Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal congregations - making sure that each major Christian group was struck.