The Northern Christian Association has cautioned Christians against engaging in hostile religious exchanges, stressing that faith cannot be defended through insults or abusive arguments.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna, the association’s chairman, Joseph Hayab, urged believers especially youths and clergy to exercise restraint amid rising religious provocations on social media.
Hayab warned that many online debates, often framed as defending Christianity, contradict biblical teachings and risk deepening divisions among religious groups. He described such confrontations as “vain and unprofitable arguments” that frequently spiral into strife and ungodliness.
“As a Christian leader, I do not teach or encourage anyone to insult the beliefs of another faith simply because some individuals speak against Christianity or Jesus,” he said.
He emphasized that, from a biblical standpoint, God does not require human defense through verbal attacks, noting that such behavior undermines the essence of the Christian message.
“Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is omnipotent and does not need anyone to fight for Him. No one can battle against Him,” Hayab stated.
The cleric further warned against what he described as “misguided religious zeal,” cautioning that emotional reactions to provocation only erode the core values of love, peace, and humility that Christianity promotes.
According to him, scriptural teachings clearly instruct believers to avoid divisive and fruitless arguments, as they are both spiritually harmful and socially destructive.
“It is not a show of strength when Christians resort to abusive language in the name of defending their faith. Such actions only ridicule Christianity and diminish its moral authority,” he added.
Hayab’s remarks come against the backdrop of increasingly heated religious exchanges online, where platforms like Facebook, X, and WhatsApp have become battlegrounds for interfaith tensions. Viral posts and inflammatory content have, in some cases, escalated beyond digital spaces, triggering real-world conflicts.
The association called on Christians to model restraint and uphold the principles of peace, warning that how believers respond to provocation ultimately shapes public perception of the faith.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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