Popular pastor Abel Damina has sparked conversation by explaining why God is not a Christian and urging his congregation to stop believing that only those who follow Jesus Christ will go to heaven.
Damina, the senior pastor of Abel Damina Ministries International, shared these thoughts during a sermon on Monday.
He criticized the notion held by some Christians that Christianity is the only path to paradise. He further mentioned that even Jesus was not a Christian.
According to Damina, biblical figures like Abraham, David, and Jesus Christ did not identify as “Christians.” Instead, they were simply believers or disciples.
“Many of you think God is a Christian. God is not a Christian. Many of you think if you are not a Christian, you won’t go to heaven; that’s not true. People went to heaven before Christianity started. Christianity began in Antioch in the Book of Acts. That should humble you a bit, and you should start adjusting your theology.
“It was unbelievers who gave the name ‘Christian’ to those who followed Brother Paul’s teachings. After seeing the transformation in these people, they said they looked like Christ and called them Christians. But before that, many people went to heaven, including the thief on the cross. So, you don’t have to be a Christian to make it to heaven,” Damina explained.
He cited Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Abel, Isaiah, David, and even Jesus as examples of holy people who were not Christians during their lifetimes.
Damina is known for his controversial views on various topics, often prompting other pastors to respond. Recently, The PUNCH reported that he faced criticism for his comments on dealing with porn addiction.
He advised those struggling with porn addiction not to fight it directly but to keep watching while immersing themselves in the word of God.
“Don’t struggle to stop watching porn. Just keep watching it while spending more time hearing the word of God. If you watch porn for one hour, spend three to four hours hearing the word of God. Over time, your appetite for porn will decrease, and your desire for the word of God will grow. Eventually, you’ll find porn repulsive.
“Don’t try to stop. Keep watching but spend more time studying God’s word, and before you know it, your desire for porn will be gone,” the pastor stated.
This advice was met with strong opposition, especially from conservative Christians on social media who felt that Damina was encouraging sinful behavior.
Prominent pastor Gideon Odoma of the Fortress Ministry countered Damina’s advice, calling pornography a perversion.
“Christians have trivialized sexual sin. The things God calls iniquities, we must never call ‘flexing,'” Odoma said.
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