Uwa Agbonlahor, Come Learn About Christian Terrorism By Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman

I came across a Facebook post by Victor Daniel where he wrote, “One the most eye-opening things I’ve learned in recent years is to stop judging Islam by the actions of northern Nigerian Muslims.”

While Victor is getting enlightened on the fact that “Islamic terrorism” is a socio-cultural affair coupled with media propaganda, he also needs to understand that Bandits, Boko Haram, and their likes do not reflect the thought process of the Hausa-Fulani populace

One Uwa Agbonlahor, not satisfied with Victor’s post, wrote,

“You are being too generous. You can’t replace Islam with Christian or Buddhism or Judaism in that your second paragraph and it will still be correct. No. It’s preposterous to say Christian doctrines for example have led people to commit heinous acts, irrespective of the geography of social political status of the people.”

Uwa, I will not mention how Christians have justified the murder of Palestinians using the Bible. Still, did you know that on November 18, 1978, Jim Jones led 918 Christians to commit mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana? Are you aware that Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019, used the Crusades to justify his action, wherein the Crusades were justified in the name of Jesus?

I will also not mention how the murder of the infants of Amalek is justified using the Bible, because you might argue it was in the pre-Christian era; still,  I will go ahead to educate you on the history you are unaware of. Did you know that:

• Jan Hus (1415), a Czech priest and reformer who criticized the Catholic Church, was burned at the stake at the Council of Constance.

• William Tyndale (1536), who translated the Bible into the English Language, was executed and burned for heresy.

• Girolamo Savonarola (1498), an Italian Dominican friar who preached against corruption in the church, was executed and burned in Florence.

• Joan of Arc (1431), a devout Christian who claimed divine visions and led the French in battle, was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake in Rouen.

• Protestants and Catholics (16th century), during the Reformation, both sides burned opponents — e.g., under Queen Mary I of England, hundreds of Protestants were burned; elsewhere, Protestants also executed Catholics accused of heresy.

Uwa, it is flabbergasting that an “enlightened” Christian like yourself is ignorant about Christian history or perhaps, you only care about the Romantic side. History shows that Christian doctrines have at times been interpreted, weaponized, or invoked to justify violence. A few examples:

• The Crusades (11th–13th centuries): Papal decrees and Christian doctrine were used to justify wars to “reclaim the Holy Land.”

• The Inquisition (12th–19th centuries): Church authorities used religious doctrine to prosecute, torture, and execute those labeled heretics.

• Witch trials in Europe and America (15th–17th centuries): Christian interpretations of scripture were invoked to persecute accused witches.

• Colonialism and slavery: Some missionaries and colonizers cited the Bible to justify conquest, enslavement, and forced conversion.

• Modern extremist groups: Even in recent times, some fringe Christian groups have committed acts of violence while claiming doctrinal justification (e.g., attacks on abortion clinics in the U.S. carried out by individuals citing religious duty).

 

In this article on Christian terrorism, I have highlighted the actions of Christian terrorist groups like LRA, KKK, AOG, NLFT, The Phineas Priesthood, etc.

Read here

Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman