Religious Intolerance in Nigeria Vis-à-vis Jesus Teachings on Violence: The Way Forward.

Abstract

Previous studies have revealed gruesome accounts of horrors in Nigeria, arising from religious conflicts between Christians and Non-Christians, especially from the 1970s onwards. While the scars of these experiences still remain fresh in the memory of many, the killings of Christians and destruction of Churches by Boko Haram uprising particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria have worsen the ugly situation. Consequently, some Christian leaders are of the view that there are limits to pacifism and therefore glamour for retaliatory actions by the Church, but many are against the opinion because they are of the view that it does not conform to the teachings of Jesus Christ on non-violence. This paper, therefore, examines the phenomenon of inter-religious conflicts in Nigeria from 1970 and the teachings of Jesus on violence, using historical and empirical research methods. The findings of the study revealed that intolerance, religious extremism and bad governance are the major causes of these conflicts but the central theme of Jesus teachings is peace and love towards one another including our enemies. In conclusion, the study recommends continuous dialogue, tolerance, avoidance of inflammatory statements and prayers to God for good governance as way forward.