In view of the spate of killings and incessant insecurity and kidnapping in Nigeria, Bishop Uzoma Emmanuel,the prelate of Christ victorious Alive Revival mission owerri was worried on the way Christians and many people were being slaughtered like animals , it was based on this premise that constrained him to state categorically that time has come when Christians in Nigeria should take guns and defend themselves.The Bishop expressed the view shortly after the monthly meeting of the Association of Christia Theological Professors,ACTP in owerri recently.The prelate said that Bible never condemned Christians from using weapons to defend themselves rather God frowned at using the gun without justifiable reason.He maintained that Christians can no longer fold their arms and allow infidels to waste their precious lives without protecting themselves.
The cleric gentleman who is a professor in church history and a biblical scholar buttressed his argument as he cited the words of Jesus in Luke 22.36,”And let the one who has no sword sell his Cloak and buy one”Matt 10.34,”I did not come to bring peace on the Earth,I did not come bring peace but a sword”. Even John the Baptist allowed the soldiers that came for baptism,he never condemned the guns he preached to them the good news of the kingdom, the weapons are there for protection because of the insecurity and volatility of our environment.Yes, Apostle Peter had sword with him not only him, Jesus never stopped it ,he Saw the need due to the nature of their time for protection and defense from wild animals, similar things are going on in Nigeria,a situation where animals are valued and protected more than human beings.He added that Christian Association of Nigeria,CAN must look inward and make a principal statement hence life is sacred and no single individual has right to take the life of another.The cleric went further to aver that even Jesus used cane to force some people out of the temple, who were exchanging money at the temple,was it not weapon?, the bishop querried.Such guns if acquired should be registered properly .
The bishop further opined that there different views of Christians going to war, such as, activism, the selectivism and pacifism.According him, Jesus was a pacifist but not a full one,as he pointed out many places in the Bible both old and new Bible where the Israelites went to the battlefield.
“Owning a gun to defend oneself is not bad”,he suggested .
