General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has said he never asked Christians to buy guns for self-protection.
“I never asked Christians to go and buy guns. Samson in the Bible did not fight with guns,’’ the cleric said, yesterday, at the monthly thanksgiving live television programme of the church.
The clarification came against media reports that the cleric said it was now “fire-for-fire’’ for any attack on Christians.
“Don’t buy guns. You don’t want to kill anybody. We just must make sure that unwanted visitors don’t come to our churches, so don’t go and buy guns,’’ he said.
At the July Holy Ghost Service, on July 2, Pastor Adeboye had urged members of the church not to be afraid to attend church programmes because of terrorists attack on a church in Owo, Ondo State.
Terrorists had attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, on June 5, killing more than 40 worshippers and injuring many others.
Adeboye urged Christians to rise to the occasion and call the bluff of the devil.
The GO had charged all Christians especially in Nigeria to defend themselves against attackers in apparent reaction to the high rate of insecurity in the country and incessant attacks on the church.
He specifically said there was nowhere in the bible that God said a child of God can not defend himself, letting faithful know that it was now in the hands of the children of God to defend themselves amidst rising insecurity in Nigeria.
According to him, when God is silent, it simply means it is now the responsibility of his children to act.
“I don’t want to say much because I know some people may want to twist it but I have searched the bible from cover to cover and there is nowhere in the bible where God said a child of God cannot defend himself, If you find the place let me know.”