₦airaland Forum

Why Nigeria Is So Important To The U.S.
by Minabere Ibelema (mibelema@bellsouth.net)

Psychologists have long informed us that people who feel that they are important to others tend to be more inspired in life. That’s why parents rarely wonder about the purpose of their lives.

Well, Nigerians may derive a similar psychology from a 103-report released last year by the U.S. Army’s Strategic Studies Institute. Particularly pertinent is that the report has a message for those Nigerians who think that Nigeria will be better off broken up.

“Nigeria can play a productive role in the region and contribute to global economic growth as a large, economically powerful unified state,” the authors assert. “At best, no group of conceivable Nigerian successor states would have the resources to continue these positive roles.”

And at worst? You guessed it.

In explaining the purpose of the report titled, “Nigerian Unity: In the Balance,” Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr., the director of the institute, warns that Nigeria is too important for American policymakers to ignore or misjudge.

“Nigeria is the key country in sub-Saharan Africa for the success of American policy and interests, but is poorly understood by policymakers,” Lovelace writes in the foreword to the report. “Nigeria is an African powerhouse blessed with a large growing economy, huge reserves of oil and natural gas, the largest population in Africa, a rich cultural diversity, and powerful regional influence.”

The document proper was authored by two retired veterans of the U.S. Army and Foreign Service, Gerald McLoughlin and Clarence J. Bouchat. McLoughlin is identified as “a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer with extensive service in sub-Saharan Africa, most notably Cameroon, Mozambique, and Nigeria.”

To be a “foreign service officer” can mean a lot of things, of course, given especially that McLoughlin was educated at the U.S. Army College. The co-author, Clarence J. Bouchat, is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and senior researcher at the institute.

“Nigeria’s continuation as a cohesive functioning state is important to the United States due to the bilateral economic relationship, Nigeria’s influence in the international community, and its pivotal role for U.S. interests in sub-Saharan Africa,” McLoughlin and Bouchat write.

“Nigeria is central to U.S. interests in sub-Saharan Africa and important to U.S interests beyond the African continent. Its value to the United States is best understood in the context of post-Cold War sub-Saharan Africa’s growing strategic importance.”

The document goes on to note that sub-Saharan Africa is the source of many minerals and other resources that are critical to the world’s economy. And with Nigeria as the anchor, the region is also growing in importance as a market for American goods. It is important, therefore, that the U.S. government pursue policies to guarantee Nigeria’s stability, the document warns.

“In this context, U.S. Government agencies have identified specific U.S. economic and related security objectives in Africa as preserving access to natural resources, deterring violent extremist activities (especially those linked to international terrorist organisations), and reducing maritime piracy and African-based international crime,” the report states.

The authors also note the importance of continuing to pursue humanitarian causes, including human rights and improvements in health care in Africa.

“The centrality of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the achievement of these interests is difficult to overstate,” the authors assert.

They particularly note Nigeria’s economic buoyance, diplomatic activism and military muscles as reasons the U.S. has to intensify its interest in and partnership with Nigeria. Among other things, Nigeria is the United States’ fourth largest supplier of crude oil, accounting for 11 per cent of U.S. oil imports. Nigeria’s oil reserves rank tenth in the world, thus making it a long-term supplier. Moreover, Nigeria’s natural gas reserves are largely untapped, despite the establishment in 1989 of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas industry. When gas exploration reaches its peak, it is expected to supplant crude oil as Nigeria’s leading source of export revenue. At that time, Nigeria will be set to become the economic and diplomatic giant that it has long been expected to be, the report states.

Besides its economic value to the United States, Nigeria is also valued for its military and diplomatic roles. “Nigeria is … one of the few credible Sub-Saharan African security partners for the United States,” the report asserts. “Nigeria… remains disposed and able to act regionally and, to some degree, outside the region.”

“It has long been the largest African contributor to United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa and beyond.”

Still, the crux of the report is the Americans’ concern about Nigeria’s stability. The concern stems, of course, from what we know too well: the ethno-religious and regional tensions, insurgencies in the North and South, political immaturity and crass opportunism, and the insidious corruption that impedes economic development. It is a long list, and the report carefully details them.

The report also expresses concerns about managerial competence. “While there are extraordinarily talented individuals within the Nigerian civil service, the government as a whole often lacks the managerial depth to fully manage the political economy,” it states.

“This is most telling in Parliament, which is the only place where all regional and ethnic groups have a chance to be represented, but which often lacks the technical capacity to fully analyse its decisions.”

Still, for those who think that Nigeria is a sinking ship, the report offers some strong contrary indications. Regarding national integration, the report notes that inter-regional trade and co-dependence has unified Nigeria to an extent not readily appreciated. So have inter-regional population migrations, especially to the urban centres.

As to the economy: “Nigeria’s economy is large, reflecting its huge population and centuries of integration into the global economy. The Nigerian economy ranks 32nd in the world in GDP purchasing power parity, with $378 billion in 2010, and a very healthy real growth rate averaging over seven per cent since 2003.”

The report goes on to note that Nigeria’s GDP fell from about $1,500 during the 1970s to below $300 in 1998. That, by the way, was the last full year of military rule. The GDP began a recovery in 1999 and reached $1,470 in 2010, that is almost the same as in the 1970s.

The report concludes that: “Although Nigeria’s fate is primarily in Nigerian hands, it can be positively affected by American actions. Nigeria’s future is in balance and the United States should help tip the scales. By helping Nigerians protect Nigerian interests, it will help protect its own.”

The question, though, is whether Nigerians — especially Nigerian political leaders — are as equally dedicated to Nigeria; if not for the sake of Nigeria, at least for the sake of Nigeria’s importance to the world.

Source: punchng.com

African Children Denounced As "Witches" By Christian Pastors
By KATHARINE HOURELD / huffingtonpost.com /associatedpress.com

(AP) EKET, Nigeria — The nine-year-old boy lay on a bloodstained hospital sheet crawling with ants, staring blindly at the wall. His family pastor had accused him of being a witch, and his father then tried to force acid down his throat as an exorcism. It spilled as he struggled, burning away his face and eyes. The emaciated boy barely had strength left to whisper the name of the church that had denounced him – Mount Zion Lighthouse. A month later, he died.

Nwanaokwo Edet was one of an increasing number of children in Africa accused of witchcraft by pastors and then tortured or killed, often by family members. Pastors were involved in half of 200 cases of "witch children" reviewed by the AP, and 13 churches were named in the case files.

Some of the churches involved are renegade local branches of international franchises. Their parishioners take literally the Biblical exhortation, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

"It is an outrage what they are allowing to take place in the name of Christianity," said Gary Foxcroft, head of nonprofit Stepping Stones Nigeria.

For their part, the families are often extremely poor, and sometimes even relieved to have one less mouth to feed. Poverty, conflict and poor education lay the foundation for accusations, which are then triggered by the death of a relative, the loss of a job or the denunciation of a pastor on the make, said Martin Dawes, a spokesman for the United Nations Children's Fund.

"When communities come under pressure, they look for scapegoats," he said. "It plays into traditional beliefs that someone is responsible for a negative change ... and children are defenseless."
____

The idea of witchcraft is hardly new, but it has taken on new life recently partly because of a rapid growth in evangelical Christianity.
Campaigners against the practice say around 15,000 children have been accused in two of Nigeria's 36 states over the past decade and around 1,000 have been murdered. Dozens more bear scars from acid burns, machete attacks, being set on fire, or crippled from the effects of prolonged beatings. Nigeria is one of the heartlands of abuse, but hardly the only one: the United Nations Children's Fund says tens of thousands of children have been targeted throughout Africa.

Church signs sprout around every twist of the road snaking through the jungle between Uyo, the capital of the southern Akwa Ibom state where Nwanaokwo lay, and Eket, home to many more rejected "witch children." Churches outnumber schools, clinics and banks put together. Many promise to solve parishioner's material worries as well as spiritual ones – eight out of ten Nigerians struggle by on less than $2 a day.

"Poverty must catch fire," insists the Born 2 Rule Crusade on one of Uyo's main streets.

"Where little shots become big shots in a short time," promises the Winner's Chapel down the road.

"Pray your way to riches," advises Embassy of Christ a few blocks away.

It's hard for churches to carve out a congregation with so much competition. So some pastors establish their credentials by accusing children of witchcraft.

Nwanaokwo said he knew the pastor who accused him only as Pastor King. Mount Zion Lighthouse in Nigeria at first confirmed that a Pastor King worked for them, then denied that they knew any such person.

Bishop A.D. Ayakndue, the head of the church in Nigeria, said pastors were encouraged to pray about witchcraft, but not to abuse children.

"We pray over that problem (of witchcraft) very powerfully," he said. "But we can never hurt a child."

The Nigerian church is a branch of a Californian church by the same name. But the California church says it lost touch with its Nigerian offshoots several years ago.

"I had no idea," said church elder Carrie King by phone from Tracy, Calif. "I knew people believed in witchcraft over there but we believe in the power of prayer, not physically harming people."

The Mount Zion Lighthouse – also named by three other families as the accuser of their children – is part of the powerful Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria. The Fellowship's president, Ayo Oritsejafor, said the Fellowship was the fastest-growing religious group in Nigeria, with more than 30 million members.

"We have grown so much in the past few years we cannot keep an eye on everybody," he explained.

But Foxcroft, the head of Stepping Stones, said if the organization was able to collect membership fees, it could also police its members better. He had already written to the organization twice to alert it to the abuse, he said. He suggested the fellowship ask members to sign forms denouncing abuse or hold meetings to educate pastors about the new Child Rights Law in the state of Akwa Ibom, which makes it illegal to denounce children as witches. Similar laws and education were needed in other states, he said.

Sam Itauma of the Children's Rights and Rehabilitation Network said it is the most vulnerable children – the orphaned, sick, disabled or poor – who are most often denounced. In Nwanaokwo's case, his poor father and dead mother made him an easy target.

"Even churches who didn't use to 'find' child witches are being forced into it by the competition," said Itauma. "They are seen as spiritually powerful because they can detect witchcraft and the parents may even pay them money for an exorcism."

That's what Margaret Eyekang did when her 8-year-old daughter Abigail was accused by a "prophet" from the Apostolic Church, because the girl liked to sleep outside on hot nights – interpreted as meaning she might be flying off to join a coven. A series of exorcisms cost Eyekang eight months' wages, or US$270. The payments bankrupted her. Neighbors also attacked her daughter.

"They beat her with sticks and asked me why I was bringing them a witch child," she said. A relative offered Eyekang floor space but Abigail was not welcome and had to sleep in the streets.

Members of two other families said pastors from the Apostolic Church had accused their children of witchcraft, but asked not to be named for fear of retaliation.

The Nigeria Apostolic Church refused repeated requests made by phone, e-mail and in person for comment.
___

At first glance, there's nothing unusual about the laughing, grubby kids playing hopscotch or reading from a tattered Dick and Jane book by the graffiti-scrawled cinderblock house. But this is where children like Abigail end up after being labeled witches by churches and abandoned or tortured by their families.

There's a scar above Jane's shy smile: her mother tried to saw off the top of her skull after a pastor denounced her and repeated exorcisms costing a total of $60 didn't cure her of witchcraft. Mary, 15, is just beginning to think about boys and how they will look at the scar tissue on her face caused when her mother doused her in caustic soda. Twelve-year-old Rachel dreamed of being a banker but instead was chained up by her pastor, starved and beaten with sticks repeatedly; her uncle paid him $60 for the exorcism.

Israel's cousin tried to bury him alive, Nwaekwa's father drove a nail through her head, and sweet-tempered Jerry – all knees, elbows and toothy grin – was beaten by his pastor, starved, made to eat cement and then set on fire by his father as his pastor's wife cheered it on.

The children at the home run by Itauma's organization have been mutilated as casually as the praying mantises they play with. Home officials asked for the children's last names not to be used to protect them from retaliation. The home was founded in 2003 with seven children; it now has 120 to 200 at any given time as children are reconciled with their families and new victims arrive.

Helen Ukpabio is one of the few evangelists publicly linked to the denunciation of child witches. She heads the enormous Liberty Gospel church in Calabar, where Nwanaokwo used to live. Ukpabio makes and distributes popular books and DVDs on witchcraft; in one film, a group of child witches pull out a man's eyeballs. In another book, she advises that 60 percent of the inability to bear children is caused by witchcraft.

In an interview with the AP, Ukpabio is accompanied by her lawyer, church officials and personal film crew.

"Witchcraft is real," Ukpabio insisted, before denouncing the physical abuse of children. Ukpabio says she performs non-abusive exorcisms for free and was not aware of or responsible for any misinterpretation of her materials.

"I don't know about that," she declared.

However, she then acknowledged that she had seen a pastor from the Apostolic Church break a girl's jaw during an exorcism. Ukpabio said she prayed over her that night and cast out the demon. She did not respond to questions on whether she took the girl to hospital or complained about the injury to church authorities.

After activists publicly identified Liberty Gospel as denouncing "child witches," armed police arrived at Itauma's home accompanied by a church lawyer. Three children were injured in the fracas. Itauma asked that other churches identified by children not be named to protect their victims.

"We cannot afford to make enemies of all the churches around here," he said. "But we know the vast majority of them are involved in the abuse even if their headquarters aren't aware."

Just mentioning the name of a church is enough to frighten a group of bubbly children at the home.

"Please stop the pastors who hurt us," said Jerry quietly, touching the scars on his face. "I believe in God and God knows I am not a witch."
___

*Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. Updated 10/23/2014

Some people see it as wrong - others don't - like the gentleman in the following story.

It Is Not A Crime Marrying My Ex-Wife’s Niece

Top Fuji act, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal popularly known as KWAM 1, has said that it is not a crime that he fell in love with his former wife’s niece, Titi.

kwam1The veteran who is promoting his ‘K1 Live Unusual concert”, noted that many characters in the bible married their relations and God did not punish them for the act, adding that there is no need for others to judge him for marrying his former wife’s niece.

“It doesn’t make any meaning to me. Do you read the Bible very well? The Bible contains a lot of things even for generations yet to come to learn something from. The Bible is a book of life. Talking about my personal life doesn’t make any meaning. If you start tracing the lineage of some people, you would even find out that some men may have married their sisters and nothing happened. It is not a big deal. If they didn’t kill them then, why would somebody talk about my marrying my ex-wife’s niece and such jargons? It doesn’t make any meaning. Life is about what suits you. I don’t want to be citing examples but the Bible has taught us so many things,” he said.

KWAM 1 wedded Titi Masha in 2012, many years after separating from her aunt.

Source: vanguardngr.com
_______________________________________________________

What do you think of KWAM 1's decision to marry his ex-wife's niece?

Do you think a person can control who they fall in love with?

Are there some people you just shouldn't marry?

New York (AFP) - A nonprofit group filed a lawsuit Monday against Harvard University, accusing the world-famous Ivy League institution of racial profiling in its admissions policies.

Students for Fair Admissions says Harvard limits the number of Asian Americans it admits while giving preference to other races, according to the Project on Fair Representation (PFR), a legal defense fund supporting the lawsuit.

"The university is engaging in a campaign of invidious discrimination," PFR said in a statement.

"White, African American and Hispanic applicants are given racial preferences over better qualified Asian Americans," it added, accusing Harvard of breaching civil rights laws and undermining the Fourteenth Amendment to the US constitution.

Plaintiff the SFFA alleges that Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill violated the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling on "strict scrutiny" standards which says admissions should be conducted on "race-neutral" grounds to end "race-based affirmative action policies," according to the PFR statement.

The director of PFR vowed further action on race-based admissions policies at other universities in the United States.

"These two lawsuits are the first of what are expected to be several similar challenges to other competitive colleges that continue to unconstitutionally use racial preferences in admission decisions," said Edward Blum.

SFFA said its members include "highly qualified" students that have been rejected from Harvard and Chapel Hill, and their parents.

Source: yahoo.com

shaqhead:
I concur 100% wt ur piece bt I want to ur comment on hw ur piece relates to d case of Miriam who became leprous "for touchin d anointed" Moses...

Actually, Miriam was struck down by leprosy because she and Aaron, Moses' older brother and sister, spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman he married and for questioning Moses' leadership capabilities - not for physically touching Moses.

Here is a commentary for Numbers 12.

The Dissension of Aaron and Miriam
http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/0412.htm

synergycom19:
Am afraid you are not in position to understand/know who is a false prophet/pastor, it's ONLY BY the HOLY SPIRIT THAT YOU CAN DO THAT

I disagree. BS is BS. What do you call a person who preaches one thing yet does another thing?

Actions speak louder than words.

"Some say I'm robbing the cradle, but I say she's robbing the grave!" ―Hubert Farnsworth, Futurama

May-December relationships are nothing new. Some work - some don't - like any other 'traditional' relationship. But such pairings are often questioned, frowned upon, considered 'wrong', 'unnatural' and carry a stigma.

In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of dating/marrying someone who is 10+ years older or younger than you?

victorazy:
Why don't u go out there and quote one of them wrong rather than perch under that said pastor or man of God nudding ur head like Agama lizard only to come to NL "toilet" to castigate them.

The power of the pen has been used to uplift the worthy and topple the unworthy - so it is with the internet - a powerful media tool that is increasingly being used to sway public opinion, regarding specific issues that negatively impact people's lives. Why do you think the high, mighty and corrupt fear journalists?

Over here, some Christians (me included) aren't afraid to question the motives of pastors, especially if it concerns their offerings and tithes. Therefore, wise church leaders make financial records available for its members to review on a regular basis. The last thing they need or want is a disgruntled member to make waves concerning the church's finances...or worse get the feds involved.

justi4jesu:
Is that the memory verse/SERMON in your church today @OP

No, it's a breakdown of the true meaning of phrase "touch not my anointed", using scripture as proof.

cococandy:
in naija,there are plenty married sugar mommies and daddies. In fact being married is a prerequisite to being a sugar anything to anyone

That's risky business over here.

You stand to lose almost everything you worked for, including your family, reputation and sometimes your life.

cococandy:
following

ok

kilokeys:
maybe for sugar mummies ur ideology might hold.

but for sugar daddies..
heheehehe.. its a biriful experience
Boobi in hand is worth more than money in bank.

what do u mean...?

I saw a documentary on a cable show that was interviewing proclaimed sugar daddies and mommies.

A couple said that they knew they weren't the most attractive people in the world and were not averse to paying for companionship.

Some women cited age as a factor in being a sugar mommy, because marriage prospects were slim at 40+.

A couple said they just wanted someone to spoil for awhile.

But in almost all cases, s-x and companionship was the momentum driving these particular sugar daddies/mommies to 'pay to play'.

Most agreed though that they still wish to be married and secretly disliked their sugar daddy/mommy status.

Interesting documentary.

cococandy:

?

Horus:
The US refuse to sell Cobra Helicopters to Nigeria because Boko Haram was created by the CIA

If you let the big bad wolf in, you have nobody to blame but yourself, when your chickens come up missing.

oluwafemi113:
The truth is USA dont trust this present administration and I
think they are trying to save lots of innocent citizens.
USA knows who the real Boko Hara are

You're right.

They're also trying to keep their hands clean.

And I'm pretty sure they know the lowdown on BH.

Money talks...BS walks.

The reward of American citizenship is also a juicy carrot to dangle before the eyes of voluntary turncoat, desperate to leave his/her country...in exchange for vital information, of course.

The U.S. has done many things to warrant hatred both INSIDE and OUTSIDE the country but it's not stupid by a long shot. It learned a valuable lesson from 9/11. Some of those fanatics, responsible for 9/11 were trained as pilots, here in the States.

It's been reported that some members of the Nigerian military are deserting, leaving equipment and weaponry behind for BH to find and use. Now imagine BH getting their hands on a Cobra. The U.S. wants no hand in aiding the consequences that would most likely occur.

Never underestimate madmen.

Never underestimate the U.S.'s first priority...itself.

Dealing With Upsurge In S-xual Harassment
By EDITORIAL BOARD / punchng.com / First posted 06/22/2014

OUR nation’s poor enforcement of the law is manifesting itself in many ways, especially in the shocking rate of s-xual harassment of women. Although many would want to deny it, s-xual harassment, which could be unwelcome flirtation, and unsolicited requests for s-xual favours that are used to determine the basis for employment or promotion, is growing in the country. It is a social albatross that must be eliminated.

Mostly, s-xual harassment affects the womenfolk, irrespective of their marital status or age. This untoward practice is particularly rife in the public service and schools, though private organisations are not insulated from it. It is a sore point in our tertiary educational institutions. Female students who reject the advances of their lecherous lecturers often pay dearly for it.

It is no less an issue in the civil service, where many women have been unduly made to suffer career stagnation for not giving in to their bosses. Some women have even taken the drastic step of quitting the service after facing severe and persistent demands for s-xual favours in a male-dominated bureaucracy.

Ebele Okeke, Nigeria’s recently-retired first female Head of Service, situates the issue properly. She says, “There is a lot of discrimination, but we don’t vocalise it. S-xual harassment is real. Some women leave (the civil) service out of annoyance or frustration.” It is also said to be widespread in the private sector, especially in smaller, one-man outfits.

The UN Women, an arm of the United Nations, bears out Okeke. “S-xual harassment and other forms of s-xual violence in public spaces are an everyday occurrence for women and girls around the world — in urban and rural areas, in developed and developing countries. Women and girls experience and fear various types of s-xual violence in public spaces, from s-xual harassment to s-xual assault, including r-pe and femicide,” it says.

States like Lagos, which have set out to reduce r-pe and p-edophilia, must go the whole hog and ensure that there is a strong legal backing to deal with the scourge. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Lagos State’s deputy governor, said, “I’m optimistic that, with a life jail term, with no option of fine for offenders, there will be a great reduction in r-pe cases. We must jointly be committed to putting a stop to all forms of s-xual harassment, assault and abuse, particularly against our girl-children.”

S-xual harassment not only frustrates women, it works against the society. Brilliant and hard working women are denied the opportunity of contributing to the growth of the society when they are unjustly prevented from growing in their careers because they would not accede to the s-xual demands of their male bosses.

In our tertiary institutions, many female students have had their intellectual potential stymied because they are either intimidated or harassed by fellow students, who may be secret cult members, or their lecturers. Even female lecturers are not spared by lascivious heads of department who deny them their merited promotions.

In a troubling case, a National Youth Service Corps member, Helen Okpara, alleged in 2010 that a monarch in Osun State r-ped her, with the case going for trial, only for the accused to be freed by the court late last year.

And after being inundated with daily petitions from students and staff over corrupt practices in Nigerian schools, an Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission investigation in 2013 found that “s-xual harassment seems to rank extremely very high among corrupt practices uncovered” in our tertiary institutions. The problem, which some unjustifiably say is caused by female seduction, has yet to subside as nobody is paying serious attention to it.

S-xual violence against women, which is now a global phenomenon, forced American actress and UN special envoy, Angelina Jolie, and British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, to convene a summit in London, England last week to alert the world to the need to end the plague.

The summit reminded governments that they had no excuse not to clamp down on such primordial practices. Jolie said, “We’re here for the nine-year-old girl in Uganda, kidnapped and forced into s-xual slavery. And for the children of r-pe — we want the whole world to hear their stories and understand that this injustice cannot be tolerated, and that sorrow and compassion are not enough.”

Lately, a group of s-xually perverted men cast a pall over the inauguration of Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as Egypt’s new president by molesting several women at the Tahrir Square in the country’s capital, Cairo. The attacks were headlined by the molestation of a 19-year-old girl and her mother, which made the new helmsman to order a strict implementation of the newly-amended law on s-xual harassment.

While women rights advocates were elated with the swiftness Dimonique Strauss-Kahn, a former International Monetary Fund managing director, received his comeuppance for allegedly harassing a hotel employee s-xually in New York, governments around the world ought to do more.

The National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly should tighten the laws on s-xual harassment and violence in Nigeria, while the police and other security agencies should prosecute offenders, no matter how highly placed. The government should fashion a national strategy to combat the escalation.

On their part, women could fight this entrenched social ill by speaking out whenever they are harassed. No woman should keep quiet, whether at the workplace, school or church.

As the South-West Conference of Women Judges in Nigeria advocates, the cultural habits preventing victims from coming out in the open about abuses must be done away with. The organisation said, “It is unfortunate that, because of traditional inhibitions, there is a culture of silence when a girl is s-xually assaulted.” This has to change.

More women groups and NGOs should join forces with the female judges and Jolie to encourage world leaders to give the issue the attention it deserves so as to save women from debauched men.
___________________________

Your thoughts?

nora544:
That shows that we have the right to speak against to so called man of god because they are only God of man. Long writting but nigerians should read it.

Absolutely!

nora544:
That shows that we have the right to speak against to so called man of god because they are only God of man.

Long writting but nigerians should read it.

AGREED!!!

Nigerians or anyone else shouldn't be perceived as stupid.

Smell these fake pastors out.

RAISE YOUR COLLECTIVE VOICES!!!

Down deep you know right from wrong.

Good Christians KNOW what Jesus stood for when He walked the earth.

Listen to your instincts!

sukkot:
you right. however the bible has 31000 plus verses. dont nobody got time for fluffing and icing for something that is that vast. if we have to fluff up all 31000 verses we would be old and blind from reading that many literature text lmao

OK...then...exercise common sense...also known as 'discernment'.

dainformant:
lengthy

worth it...

sukkot:
you didnt need that lengthy piece to explain one verse. when people start writing lenghty stuff for one or two verses its because they dont know it and are throwing in lots of fluff to bulk up the piece. all you needed was 5 lines tops

What's cake without a delicious, fluffy icing?!

valmunich:
The rate at which people tries to understand God these days is becoming annoying

The rate at which so-called Men of God falsify, misconstrue, misunderstand and twist Scripture for their own selfish and self-serving desires is not only annoying but shameful. In fact, it's enough to make Jesus weep for his sheep lost in the wilderness - easy prey for the ravenous wolves of deception - most times through no fault of themselves.

Posted by Dr. Mark H. Stevens, Professor of Theology (NJITS) / abcpreachers.ning.com / blackpreachernetwork.com

What does the Bible mean by “do not touch”?

Again it is well to clearly define what God means when He says “Do not touch….”.

Does touch mean physical injury or verbal opposition?

When God told Saul (His anointed) to “Smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not...” (1 Sam. 15:3) Saul disobeyed and “spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord...” (v.15). Upon which Samuel wasted no time in publicly denouncing Saul’s disobedience, telling him that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft”. (v.23), and that God had rejected him as king. The Lord’s ‘anointed’ was verbally condemned by Samuel for his disobedience.

David who was anointed before God took away Saul’s position refused to touch Saul physically. When David and two other men sneaked into Saul’s camp at night one of the two men asked to strike Saul with a spear as he felt God had delivered Saul into David’s hand. But David refused and said, “Who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” (I Sam 26: 3-11). In verse 15-16 David even rebukes Abner for not guarding Saul and says he deserved to die for not protecting his master.

However this does not stop David from rebuking Saul for pursuing him since he was innocent and had done nothing to harm Saul. Saul then repented of his actions and called himself a fool. He added he would not harm David any more since his (Saul’s) life was precious in David’s eyes. David returned Saul’s possessions and said, “For the Lord delivered you into my hand but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” (v. 17-24).

The story of Saul ends with David kept from the Battle that Saul and Jonathan lost their lives in, instead he fought the Amalakites. An Amalakite messenger came back with torn clothes and dust on his head showing he was in mourning, David inquired of him and he told David he killed Saul. “So David said to him, “How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?” Then David called one of the young men and said, “Go near, and execute him!” And he struck him so that he died. So David said to him, “Your blood is on your own head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, 'I have killed the LORD's anointed.’”(2 Sam 1:13-16).

The Bible makes it clear... to touch the anointed means to bring physical harm and/or death.

“Saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance,’ When they were few in number, indeed very few, and strangers in it. When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people, “He permitted no one to do them wrong; yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, Saying, ‘Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.’” (Ps 105:11-15)

Again we are told that God protected His anointed (Israel) and His prophets from the enemies of Israel who would have done them bodily harm.

Are there any ‘anointed’ persons today?

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Cor. 1:20-22).

“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” (I Jn. 2:27).

These verses are unambiguous ...The entire body of Christ is ‘anointed’, not just certain people in the body, and all Christians have the same anointing… the same Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Too many evangelists today use Bible threats such as “don’t touch God’s anointed” or “You are blaspheming the Holy Spirit” in an effort to silence critics who expose their false gospels and un-Scriptural teachings. They claim the critics are speaking against a ‘Man of God’. This bears a striking resemblance to the situation in 1 Samuel where Saul, whose position was threatened, pursued the man who was innocent. Moreover when David became king he accepted rebuke and correction from Nathan the prophet. He did not say, “don’t touch God’s anointed” to protect himself.

Incidentally ‘blaspheming the Holy Spirit’, if read in context, referred to those that insinuated that Jesus’ miracles were performed by Satan. It has nothing to do with questioning another man’s doctrine, claims of healing etc.

When someone says they are “anointed” or “led by the Spirit” but consistently teach contrary to the Word in its accurate context, you can be assured that they’re not being led by God’s Spirit nor is the truth in them.

Furthermore if you are really anointed, you don’t have to make threats since it is God who protects His anointed, “Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:6-7).

Interestingly Paul, who was questioned, never once hid behind “Touch not God’s anointed” or “do my prophets no harm”. On the contrary he applauded the Bereans and called them “noble” for checking Scripture to see if what they were being taught was truthful. If someone is truly anointed, they would want to encourage people to discern what is true and what is not. They would encourage people to pursue the truth no matter what.

Sadly there seem to be few Bereans in our church today. People are quite willing to tell others not to touch the so-called anointed but never spend the time to open their Bibles and see if there is any validity to the claims of critics. It is so easy in this day and time for the purveyors of false doctrines to quote a verse of Scripture and have their listeners swallow it hook, line and sinker, little realizing that the verse is way out of context and their interpretation of it is far removed from it’s original meaning.

But to find out what is true or false they must look into the matter and hear both sides and test both arguments by Scripture before they make a final judgment. “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15).

Many so called leaders will tell you to not bother with doctrine since all the ‘proof’ you need is in your experience, yet the Bible states “Whosoever transgresses and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, HATH NOT GOD. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9). Emphasis added.

Another common protest thrown at those who take a stand for the truth is that we are not supposed to judge.

However there are innumerable verses in the Bible dealing with false teachings and refuting the errors. Hebrews 5:14 tells us that mature believers, those who are of “full age,” are those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern (judge) both good and evil.” In 2 Timothy 2:17 Paul not only warns of the heresies of two men, he also names them. Jesus Himself said: “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24). “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). “That you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3).

“He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 17:150

What is Spiritual Abuse?
By Brandon Santan, PhD, LPC of healingspiritualabuse.com & Steve Sorenson of baptistdeception.com

Just like physical abuse is the abuse of a person’s physical body by way of hitting, kicking, biting, etc. and emotional abuse is the abuse of a person’s mind/emotions via name calling, derogatory remarks, put downs, etc., spiritual abuse is the abuse of a person’s spirituality. Spiritual abuse is similar to emotional abuse because the emotions are very intertwined to a person’s spirituality. Spiritual abuse, however, goes beyond the emotions and hits hard at the spiritual well-being of the individual. It is the taking advantage of vulnerable and impressionable people looking for spiritual guidance and acceptance.

Since much of our spirituality is involved in churches or religious organizations, the term “Bad Church Experiences” is a more apt description, because it gives a good word picture of how spiritual abuse often occurs. We see spiritual abuse happen when the leaders of a church or religious organization use their power and position to manipulate, control and/or coerce their congregation/followers/members, whether on purpose or with good intentions.

Spiritual abuse is a multi-faceted and complex issue and often occurs in a very subtle manner. As a result, it is often difficult to define spiritual abuse in simplistic form. Sometimes it’s important to define what spiritual abuse is by looking at how it occurs and what the symptoms are.
As spiritual beings we are ever searching for truth to our spirituality. Our spirituality gives us hope as we rely on the teachings of our church to develop our belief system about our lives and the world around us. We also look to spiritual guidance to help us through life, especially during life’s trials and struggles. We often cling to the teachings of a church leader or particular religion because he/she/it offer’s answers to our struggles and questions. When we find spiritual connections we make ourselves very vulnerable to what we are being taught because we trust the church and leaders. After all they are supposed to be living what they are teaching and preaching.

There are spiritual leaders who mean well, but unfortunately perpetuate the abuse that they themselves receive. They think they are sharing the truth for the right reasons, but abuse doesn’t necessarily have to be done on purpose to be abusive. Many well- intentioned church leaders have abused because they think they are doing the right thing. These leaders think that they are proclaiming the truth when in actuality they are simply passing along the abusive teachings that they have been deceived into thinking. As a result they think they are helping when in actuality they are doing harm.

There are also people who blatantly abuse, manipulate and mislead for their own personal self-interests. This is an overt and blatant abuse for outright selfish financial, emotional or physical gain.

Spiritual abuse includes, but is not limited to mind-control, thought reform, coercion, manipulation, deception, legalism, authoritarianism, guilt trips, judgementalism/”Phariseeism”, a holier-than-thou attitude, and a “we are right and everyone else is wrong” attitude.

Spritual Abuse has turned Christianity into ‘Churchianity’ where the church and its particular traditions have become more important than or at least equal to, the Scriptures. ‘Denominationalism’ and ‘traditionalism’ find their way into the teachings and become enmeshed so that no one can tell where Christianity ends and the traditions begin.

One of the biggest problems with spiritual abuse is that it is VERY subtle. Think of the abuser as a con artist. Pastors and other spiritual leaders become adept at using Scripture to back up their subtle manipulation and control. Leaders often find ways to control, not only what happens in their churches, but also what happens in your personal life. For example, leaders in a particular denomination of Christianity frequently communicate the need for the congregation to consult with a disciple or leader before a decision is made especially if it is a major decisions, and then expect that person to follow through with what they said as if what they say is directly from God. It’s as if their advice is equal to God’s.

Another very important factor in spiritual abuse is the issue of seclusion or us vs. them mentality. It’s communicated in manipulative ways that a particular church, denomination, religion, etc. has the truth and all others are in error. Maintaining relationships with people who have left a particular church, denomination, religion, etc. is strictly forbidden.

Spiritual abuse often leads people to question their status with God and even their spirituality. Victims become absorbed in the behavior of judging others in the church and watching them to try and find people who might not be living up to the leader’s guidelines on living. In what appears to them to be well-intentioned only perpetuates the abuse, as they become obsessed with man-made rules, standards and traditions that are taught as absolute truth.

Churches that abuse promote these extra-biblical rules and standards in a legalistic fashion and equate them as doctrine or at least as absolutes of the Bible, coming directly from God, with salvation and/or spirituality in jeopardy if they aren’t followed. Trivial matters are brought to attention such as the way one dresses or styles his/her hair, the music one listens to, the clothes one wears, etc. and, what are supposed to be personal preferences and convictions end up being law/commands that will bring judgment from God if not followed.

Spiritual abuse victims are often depressed about their inability to live up to those rules and standards, worried that they aren’t pleasing the Lord and frustrated that they keep “sinning”. Victims often feel that they aren’t good enough and not able to live up to the expectations. The joy of a relationship with God is replaced with a fear of God as the “Cosmic Killjoy”. The unspoken requirement of perfection is unattainable and therefore the victim feels a continued sense of inadequacy. This inadequacy keeps the victim under the power of the church leaders for more teaching and discipline.

Churches that abuse often focus on the penalty for sin. They communicate the Lord as a cosmic dictator or harsh tyrant intensely waiting for you to make a mistake so that he can “chasten” or correct you. Any form of questioning the leadership is considered an act of rebellion and the person is punished for it. This “guilt trip” suppresses the normal God- given intuition that something doesn’t quite feel right about the church. The leaders take advantage of this by preaching a sermon on how the authority of the leaders shouldn’t be questioned and the cycle of abuse continues as the person is reluctant to even consider that their intuition is correct. Thus the person is stuck at the abusive church, ensnared in the web of manipulation and lies. Members are taught that only God is to handle situations in which leadership may have done wrong, leaving the leadership unaccountable.

In summary, spiritually abusive ministries…

1. Have a distorted view of respect. They forget the simple adage that respect is earned, not granted. Abusive leaders demand respect without having earned it by good, honest living.

2. Demand allegiance as proof of the follower’s allegiance to Christ. It’s either his/her way or no way. And if a follower deviates, he is guilty of deviating from Jesus.

3. Use exclusive language. “We’re the only ministry really following Jesus.” “We have all the right theology.” Believe their way of doing things, thinking theologically, or handling ministry and church is the only correct way. Everyone else is wrong, misguided, or stupidly naive.

4. Create a culture of fear and shame. Often there is no grace for someone who fails to live up to the church’s or ministry’s expectation. And if someone steps outside of the often-unspoken rules, leaders shame them into compliance. Can’t admit failure themselves but often searches out failure in others and uses that knowledge to hold others in fear and captivity. They often quote scriptures about not touching God’s anointed, or bringing accusations against an elder. Yet they often confront sin in others, particularly ones who bring up legitimate biblical issues. Or they have their circle of influence take on this task, silencing critics.

5. Often have a charismatic leader at the helm who starts off well, but slips into arrogance, protectionism and pride. Where a leader might start off being personable and interested in others’ issues, he/she eventually withdraws to a small group of “yes people” and isolates from the needs of others. Harbors a cult of personality, meaning if the central figure of the ministry or church left, the entity would collapse, as it was entirely dependent on one person to hold the place together.

6. Cultivate a dependence on one leader or leaders for spiritual information. Personal discipleship isn’t encouraged. Often the Bible gets pushed away to the fringes unless the main leader is teaching it.

7. Demand servant-hood of their followers, but live prestigious, privileged lives. They live aloof from their followers and justify their extravagance as God’s favor and approval on their ministry. Unlike Jesus’ instructions to take the last seat, they often take the first seat at events and court others to grant them privileges.

8. Buffer him/herself from criticism by placing people around themselves whose only allegiance is to the leader. Views those who bring up issues as enemies. Those who were once friends/allies swiftly become enemies once a concern is raised. Sometimes these folks are banished, told to be silent, or shamed into submission.

9. Hold to outward performance but rejects authentic spirituality. Places burdens on followers to act a certain way, dress an acceptable way, and have an acceptable lifestyle.

10. Use exclusivity for allegiance. Followers close to the leader or leaders feel like insiders. Everyone else is on the outside, though they long to be in that inner circle.

So we can also glean from the above that spiritual abuse is also the misuse of a position of power, leadership, or influence. Again this may be overt or covert, but it’s abuse all the same.

Additional Source: "Spiritual Abuse: 10 Ways To Spot It" by Mary Demuth

For the Sugar Daddies and Sugar Mummies of the world...

how does it feel to know that the ONLY reason someone is with you is because of your money?

Don't you deserve more?

Are you so desperate for human companionship that you have to resort to paying someone to be with you?

What does that say about you, as a human being?

Question: "Should Christians judge the teachings of their leaders?"

Answer: YES! As Christians, we are commanded against following teachers blindly but are told rather to “test everything; hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The Apostle Peter warns us in 2 Peter 2:1-3 that there will be false teachers in our day just as there were false teachers in his day. Among their false teachings is a denial of the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to take away sin, which is a common theme among cultists today. Another characteristic of false teachers is the greed which motivates them in everything they do. Paul offers a similar warning to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-31, calling the false teachers “savage wolves” who mercilessly attempt to destroy the faith of the sheep and draw them away from the Shepherd. Paul warned the church continually, pleading with them night and day to be on their guard against such deceivers.

From these passages, we see clearly that we are to distinguish between true and false teachers. How then are we to do that? First, as Paul instructs the Ephesians, we are to “no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). Rather, we are to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” and we do this by “the knowledge of the Son of God” (v. 13). The knowledge of Christ can only be obtained through the Word of God, and it is by that Word that we distinguish between the true and the false.

In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus offers some critical advice in discerning who is a false prophet: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruits you will recognize them.” Plainly stated, is the teacher’s life marked by a progressive conformity to the likeness of Christ? Is the teacher bearing the fruits of the Spirit? Just as only good trees produce good fruit, so do only true teachers of Christ display the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), whereas false prophets and teachers display the acts of their sinful natures (Galatians 5:19-21). By these fruits, we recognize true and false teachers.

Second, does the teaching that is being presented conform to the message as proclaimed by the early church and the apostles? As Paul writes to the church in Galatia, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” These are harsh words indeed that Paul has for the false teachers, but eternal condemnation is what they store up for themselves until the day of God’s wrath (Romans 2:5-6).

The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle (1 John 4:1-6) how we are to discern which spirits are from God. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”

It is of utmost importance that Christians are well grounded in the Scriptures so that they are able to discern which teachers speak from God and which are false in their proclamation. Only then can we reject what is false and “hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Source: "Biblical Eldership" by Alexander Strauch

The Christian church is experiencing serious discord and a loss of credibility, as more and more Pastors are being caught up in all manner of scandals, bringing down shame and embarrassment upon their respective congregations.

Amid shameful s-xcapades, well-publicized accusations of domestic abuse by their wives and facing prosecution for all manner of financial crimes, some Pastors refuse to step down from their pulpits, arrogantly holding on to their exalted positions as 'God's Anointed' for dear life.

Other Pastors are only willing to step down, after a scandal becomes public and, the consequences of their actions has all but destroyed the unity of their congregations.

With every breaking news story involving a Pastor and some sort of scandal, more and more congregants are confronted with the issue of integrity in church leadership.

When should a Pastor step down?

Should a church have the authority to remove a Pastor, if s/he refuses to step down?

THE increasing cruelties our society harbours have moved to insistent assaults on children by guardians, who descend on their wards with the most puerile excuses. Gory media images of children dismembered, beaten to death, with shriveled fingers, or reduced to skeletons are becoming common.

In all these instances, the criminals find excuses for abusing the children, perhaps knowing they would get away with their dastardly acts. Why would a society erect such wickedness for its young ones, the most vulnerable, and expect to make progress? Why are these acts continuing? How would these acts, which portray us as primitive be stopped?

The foundation of these perfidies is the social dynamics of a society that seeks solutions to mere economic and social challenges in spiritualists and shrines. Without lifting a finger, most people expect they would find the riches that would catapult them out of their economic woes.

Others want to attain political power or improved social standing through cultic powers. Many of the assaults on children cannot be explained by the presumed anger of the culprits or the frequent excuse of not knowing “what came over me”. Whatever the reasons, our society must stand up firmly against the cruelties that are defining it.

The stories are endless, and the extent of the injuries inflicted on children, sometimes resulting in deaths, paints a picture of utter madness. Men and women are killing the young and getting away with it. Sometimes there are debates whether their excuses for murder should be accepted. We have to enforce the law.

Unfortunately, some churches prescribe these punishments for children who they identify as witches. Some parents have no qualms punishing their children to death in line with prophecies. Some of the dead are children recruited as house helps, or whose parents sent to relations to assist with their upbringing.

We think that these incidents are continuing because law enforcement is weak. Offenders are getting away with murder under spurious explanations. The few cases that make it to court are at the instance of civil society groups, which have the heart, but hardly the war chest for the lengthy legal tangles these matters involve. Society’s insensitivity to the plight of the victims, some of whose minds have been shattered from their tortures, is gradually defining our lives.

These stories no longer shock. Is our society exalting brutality to one of its ethos? Section 34 (1 a) of the Constitution states, “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly, no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment”.

We cannot build a society on cruelty – it is illegal.

Source: www.vanguardngr.com / Editorial
_________________

Your thoughts?

By MICHELLE FAUL / Associated Press

Nigeria's ambassador to the United States has berated Washington for refusing to sell "lethal weapons" to fight his country's Islamic uprising, saying the extremists otherwise would have been defeated long ago.

Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye said the United States is letting down an old ally in its hour of need, and Nigeria's people and government feel abandoned.

"The U.S. government has up till today refused to grant Nigeria's request to purchase lethal equipment that would have brought down the terrorists within a short time," Adefuye told members of the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations Monday night.

"We find it difficult to understand how and why, in spite of the U.S. presence in Nigeria with their sophisticated military technology, Boko Haram should be expanding and becoming more deadly."

Adefuye said that Washington has refused Nigeria's requests to buy heavy weaponry because of allegations the defense forces have violated the human rights of Boko Haram suspects. It was not possible to get an immediate response from U.S. officials but U.S. laws ban sales of lethal weapons to countries whose military are accused of gross human rights abuses.

Adefuye dismissed the allegations as rumors spread by political opponents as Nigeria prepares for presidential elections in February.

An Associated Press investigation found Nigerian troops responsible for the deaths of thousands of detainees since a state of emergency was imposed in May 2013 in three northeastern states.

In the latest such report, community leaders and family members told AP that soldiers raided poor homes in Potiskum, capital of Yobe state, on Nov. 5 and dragged away young men aged from 18 to 30. Soldiers later dumped 18 bullet-ridden bodies at the hospital mortuary, according to hospital records that identified victims including a tailor, a butcher, a student and a cattle trader.

The military has not responded to requests for comment on that incident.

The killings came two days after a suicide bomber killed 30 people in a procession of moderate Muslims.

On Monday, Potiskum was further terrorized when a suicide bomber killed 48 students at an all-boys high school.

The continued violence comes despite the Nigerian military's claim on Oct. 17 that Boko Haram had agreed to an immediate cease-fire. The militants have denied there is any truce and have responded with more and deadlier attacks. The extremists now control a swath of territory in northeastern Nigeria estimated to cover 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles) along the border with Cameroon. The Nigerian military — badly paid, demoralized and riddled with corruption — has not been able to stop the Islamic militants from seizing more towns and cities.

President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday declared his government will defeat Boko Haram.

"We must defeat terror," he said before a crowd at an Abuja stadium, announcing that he will run for re-election in February. "We are equipping the armed forces and deploying special forces this time to engage the terrorists and end this senseless war."

He also promised, again, to "get our daughters free," referring to the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in April whose plight has attracted international outrage.

Boko Haram is better equipped than the military, mainly with arms looted from barracks and abandoned by fleeing troops, say governors in the northeastern states, other politicians and soldiers who have deserted the front.

Nigeria has made at least two failed attempts to buy helicopter gunships and other weapons in South Africa. In September, South African customs officials seized $9.3 million in cash flown in on a private jet by two Nigerians and an Israeli. It was a "legitimate arms deal," said PRNigeria, a public relations firm that promotes the Nigerian government.

In October, South Africa froze $5.7 million wired to the account of a South African arms dealer by Nigeria, saying the dealer no longer had a license to export weapons. Nigeria's Senate Defense Committee is investigating.

Local press in Nigeria have quoted security officials saying the country recently took delivery of some attack helicopters from China, but those reports have not been verified.

———

Associated Press writer Chika Oduah contributed to this report from Abuja

"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." (1 Timothy 6:11)

"There are just two places in the New Testament where a person is called a "man of God" (both of which are in Paul's letters to Timothy), and they reveal the attributes which warrant us to call someone a man (or woman) of God.

The first occurrence, found in our text, tells us that such a person should, first of all, not be one who loves money and the material things money can buy, for "the love of money is the root of all evil" (see previous verse, 1 Timothy 6:10). Instead, his pursuit should be after personal righteousness and godliness, as well as stronger faith, more genuine love for others, more patience, and true meekness.

Speaking of meekness (not weakness), Moses was called "the man of God" in the very first use of this phrase in the whole Bible, and we are told that "the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). Yet he was able to lead two million Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and then through 40 years in the Sinai desert.

The second New Testament reference to the "man of God" is in reference to his use of the Scriptures. He will recognize that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God. . . . That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Thus the essential characteristics of a true man of God will be a great desire for personal righteousness and godliness, faith and love, patience and strong meekness, accompanied by the avoidance of any taint of greed or covetousness. In terms of his Christian beliefs, he will have an unshakable confidence in the verbal inerrant truth and authority of the Holy Scriptures." - Henry Morris, Ph.D

The discovery of a scrap of papyrus that claimed Jesus had a wife caused a holy row of words in the Vatican over its authenticity - but U.S scientists say it is ancient.

Ancient Papyrus That Suggested Jesus Was Married IS An Ancient Document And Not A Modern Forgery, According To Forensic Tests
By Ted Thornhill and Sarah Griffiths / www.dailymail.co.uk

Experts from U.S universities used carbon dating to prove the fragment is ancient and was written between the fourth and eighth centuries.The fragment is written in ancient Coptic and reads 'Jesus said to them, "My wife"' which if true could shake up the Church's views on celibacy.The Vatican dismissed the 8cm by 4cm piece of papyrus as a fake when it was unveiled in 2012 and some experts remain in agreement

The scrap of papyrus claiming Jesus had a wife, which was dismissed by the Vatican as a modern forgery, has been authenticated as a genuine ancient document. Scientists from several prestigious U.S universities have said it was written between the fourth and eight centuries. The fragment of papyrus is written in ancient Coptic and reads: 'Jesus said to them, "My wife"' and '…she will be able to be my disciple…'

Historians and religious leaders have been clamouring to both prove and deny the artefact's credibility after it was shown to the world around 18 months ago by Harvard professor Karen King. Some experts have claimed that if the papyrus is true, it could be used to prove that Jesus was married instead of celibate, which could undermine one of the Church's main teachings.

The papyrus’ back side, or verso, is so badly damaged that only a few key words - 'my mother' and 'three'- were decipherable, but on the front side, or recto, Professor King gleaned seven fragmentary lines:

*not [to] me. My mother gave to me li[fe]...
*the disciples said to Jesus
*deny. Mary is worthy of it
*Jesus said to them, My wife
*she will be able to be my disciple
*Let wicked people swell up
*As for me, I dwell with her in order to

A furious Vatican newspaper dismissed the find as a fake in an editorial by its editor, Giovanni Maria Vian who wrote a stinging piece entitled 'At any rate, a fake,' which questioned the document's authenticity.

The new study, published in the Harvard Theological Review, revealed the results of the latest carbon dating tests to be carried out on the document, which was found to date to eighth century Egypt, around 400 years later than Professor King originally thought, The Boston Globe reported. Additional tests showed that the ink’s chemical composition is consistent with other inks used by the ancient Egyptians, while microscopic imaging found no suspicious ink pooling that critics of the papyrus said was evidence of the ink being applied in more recent times. At the time the papyrus was originally revealed, the Vatican was joined by a British scholar in calling the ancient papyrus a 'fake'.

New Testament expert Professor Francis Watson of Durham University said that the fragment is a collage of texts from the Gospel of Thomas, copied and reassembled out of order in bad ancient Coptic. But Professor King said: ‘I’m basically hoping that we can move past the issue of forgery to questions about the significance of this fragment for the history of Christianity, for thinking about questions like, “Why does Jesus being married, or not, even matter?” Why is it that people had such an incredible reaction to this?’

The papyrus, which is roughly the size of a business card, appears to have been written much later than the gospels of the New Testament, which are considered to be the earliest and therefore the most reliable sources of information about the life of Christ. Professor King thinks that the text was copied from an earlier document, perhaps written in Greek, and thinks it is important in showing how Christianity spread through the Mediterranean.

The papyrus has now been examined by electrical engineering, chemistry and biology experts from Columbia University, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who have declared that the parchment is indeed several hundred years old, according to The New York Times. The scientists emphasised that while they have authenticated its age, their examination of the papyrus does not prove that Jesus was married. Professor King said in 2012 that her 8cm by 4cm find 'does not provide evidence that the historical Jesus was married,’ but she did say it caused people to question Jesus' marital status.

Professor King originally interpreted the document as a debate about celibacy. ‘Now when I come back and read the fragment, it seems the major issue being talked about was that Jesus was affirming that wives and mothers can be his disciples,’ she said in an interview earlier this week. One interpretation of the papyrus is that if it is talking about the wife of Jesus, the document could cast doubt on a centuries old official representation of Mary Magdalene as a repentant LovePeddler and overturns the Christian ideal of sexual abstinence. At the time the papyrus was announced, Professor King told Smithsonian Magazine that the fragment casts doubt 'on the whole Catholic claim of a celibate priesthood based on Jesus’ celibacy.'

She said: 'What this shows is that there were early Christians for whom ... sexual union in marriage could be an imitation of God’s creativity and it could be spiritually proper and appropriate.' Professor King speculated that the so-called 'Gospel of Jesus’ Wife' may have been thrown out 'because the ideas it contained flowed so strongly against the ascetic currents of the tides in which Christian practices and understandings of marriage and sexual intercourse were surging.' This representation of Jesus as a man with earthly passions and needs has not survived in the doctrines of the established churches, which emphasise celibacy and asceticism as a spiritual ideal.

The document was originally carbon dated by the University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory to between 200 and 400 years before the birth of Jesus, while a second test by Harvard produced an average date of 741AD. Experts at Columbia University tested the ‘ancient’ ink using a technique called micro-Raman spectroscopy to examine its chemical composition before comparing it to other similar documents in its collection.

DOES Jesus being married, or not, even matter?
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Below is the fragment of controversial papyrus.