3 Things to Know about the Persecution of Nigerian Christians

Did you know that Nigeria is one of the deadliest countries for Christians? With thousands killed in recent years amid ongoing violence and religious tension, television host and comedian Bill Maher notes that what's been happening is considered mass "genocide." If you're unfamiliar with the term, "genocide" refers to the mass extermination of a people group. It was most commonly coined during Hitler's persecution of the Jews or during Joseph Stalin's Russian Revolution. Sadly, genocide is far from being eradicated in today's society; it just goes under wraps more than we'd like to admit.Today, Christian persecution is sweeping the headlines. Experts emphasize that the increasing crisis has not only involved religion, but also politics, poverty, and security. In the mess of news stories and interviews, how can we clarify what's really happening? More importantly, what should we as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ understand beyond the headlines? For months, politicians in Washington have protested that Islamist militants were systematically targeting Christians in Nigeria.According to the BBC, recent threats have been the last straw. President Trump hasn't just issued a threat to the Nigerian government if they continue to allow the "killing of Christians," but that he pledged to "do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about" and "go into that now-disgraced country guns-a-blazing." Scripturally, we know that more violence is never the solution to violence (Matthew 26:52). However, these recent affairs call for justice and action.Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Nabil KamaraHere are three things to know about the recent persecution of Nigerian Christians: