Our family is all in a state of shock, following the bomb in a Nigerian church yesterday. We’ve discovered that it was in fact the church in Jos where we used to go, where Hub was on the team of pastors. The church was built next to the house we lived in for a while, and the bomb went off in what used to be our garden where the children played.
It appears that, just before 8am yesterday, a car rammed into the church and exploded, killing one of the bombers and wounding the other. Three adults and a child were killed in the church.
Boko Haram have claimed responsibility. This militant Muslim group is responsible for bombings and killings all over Nigeria, in a bid to establish an extreme form of Muslim government in the north of the country. Jos is on the line between the Muslim north and the Christian south. They also bombed a church in the capital city of Abuja on Christmas Day last year and killed hundreds.
Their spokesman said there was no reason why they singled out this particular church: they attacked it simply because it was a church, and the attacks would continue.
Sadly, some of the church youths then went on the rampage, briefly, in reprisal and killed some Muslims and torched Muslim shops. Violence begets violence.
The head of the church has called for calm and condemned the retaliation, and as usual the Head of State, Goodluck Jonathan, has done the same.
I feel so sorry for the vast majority of people in Nigeria who only want to live peacefully. When, and how, will it all end?
Godschool's Blog 
That’s awful, I can imagine how shocked you must feel.
To attack just because its a church is terrible.
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I realise that many Christians must be living in constant fear, Indigo. Trouble is, the young men especially get enraged and then want to take revenge, so the violence just gets worse. Awful! Thanks for your comment.
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Militant Islam cannot be Islam at all, if we are to believe it is a peaceful and gentle religion. But then we remember Northern Ireland and the abuse of Christianity there.
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Exactly, Hutt. The extremes in our religions are not faith at all, but human beings’ attempts to take control by violence using faith as an excuse.
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Must be an awful shock. It is so terrible the way these extremists do not value human life or faith in God. One wonders what they think they are achieving by killing Christians….why they see them as such a threat or something? I cannot imagine how you must feel – must feel very close to home. You must feel utterly stunned 😦
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The behaviour of extremists in any religion brings faith into disrepute. It is all so disheartening and I can’t imagine what it’s like for the Nigerian Christian family, always living in fear and having to think about security all the time. Boko Haram are merciless.
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Always a shock to hear of events in places you know
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It brings it close to home and gives a bigger perspective, thanks, Silver.
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Goodness knows when and how this will all end. It doesn’t bode well Gilly. I am so sorry to hear this and can only imagine how distressing this must be.x
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Thank you, Janet. This kind of merciless and indiscriminate killing brings out both the best and the worst of humanity and in people of faith too.
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Oh Dear! You are all in my thoughts…and prayers…Hugs! :)x
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Thank you, Bushka. Rather shaken.
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