You cannot fight for God, CAN warns against religious hostility

The Northern Christian Association has warned Christians against engaging in hostile religious exchanges, declaring that believers cannot defend God through insults or abusive arguments. The Chairman of the association, Joseph Hayab, gave the admonition in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna, urging Christians, particularly youths and clergy, to exercise restraint in the face of growing religious provocations on social media. Hayab cautioned that many of the ongoing online debates, often presented as a defence of the faith, were contrary to biblical teachings and risked deepening divisions among religious groups. He described such engagements as “vain and unprofitable arguments,” warning that they frequently degenerate into strife and ungodliness. “The Bible warns Christians against engaging in vain arguments. From a biblical angle, vain arguments include reckless, unprofitable and provocative debates. “Believers in Christ are, therefore, instructed to avoid vain arguments because they generate strife, ungodliness, and ruin both the speakers and the listeners,” he said. The cleric, who cited biblical passages including Titus 3:9 and 2 Timothy 2:23, stressed that Christians must not respond to provocation with hostility, even when their faith is ridiculed or misunderstood. “As a Christian leader, I do not teach, encourage or instruct church members or any Christian at all to insult the divinity of another faith just because some disgruntled persons say or write awful things about Jesus or Christianity. “An honest study of the Bible will help you understand that as an ardent follower of Christ, you cannot ‘fight for God, ‘” he added. Hayab maintained that God, being omnipotent, does not require human defence through verbal attacks, adding that such actions only diminish the essence of Christianity. “Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ can ‘fight’ those who fight Him. From a Christian biblical viewpoint, no one can battle against the Lord because He is an omnipotent warrior who never loses,” he said. He warned against copying what he described as “misguided religious zeal,” noting that reacting emotionally to provocation undermines the message of love and peace central to Christianity. The NCA chairman further explained that scriptural warnings against vain arguments were intended to prevent believers from engaging in divisive and unproductive conversations. “Such debates are unprofitable, worthless, and causes of ungodliness. Therefore, the biblical instruction is to avoid, shun, or have nothing to do with them,” he said. He added that using abusive language in the name of defending the faith not only misrepresents Christianity but also weakens its moral authority. “It is not a show of strength when any Christian uses abusive words with others, thinking that they are defending the faith. Rather, such an act derides the Christian faith, makes a mockery of Christ’s spiritual authority and dims the bright light the Christian gospel brings to the world,” Hayab said. In recent years, social media has added a new and volatile dimension to religious discourse in Nigeria, with platforms such as Facebook, X and WhatsApp becoming arenas for heated exchanges between members of different faiths. Inflammatory posts, videos and comments targeting religious figures and beliefs have repeatedly gone viral, sparking outrage and, in some cases, physical confrontations.