CT's recent dispatch from Nigeria on how Christian leaders are debating responses to increased violence from Muslim extremists is proving to be unfortunately timely.
Today's reported killing of up to 20 Christian mourners shows that tensions are mounting in the wake of deadly church bombings on Christmas Day, followed soon after by the bombing of an Islamic school.
In the aftermath, the Christian Association in Nigeria (CAN) called the bombings "a declaration of war on Christians and Nigeria as an entity," adding that Christians are losing faith in the government's ability to protect them. The youth wing of CAN warned it would retaliate against any further attacks, though older leaders are emphasizing the difference between self-defense and revenge.
Christian president Goodluck Jonathan called for Christian and Muslim leaders "to work together, because terrorism is like a cancer to the body – it starts from somewhere and spread to all the organs of the body." ...
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