Controversial Nigerian gospel preacher Pastor Abel Damina, says the statement credited to him that not only Christians will go to heaven was wrongly misinterpreted.
A publication, Punch, had reported Damina, founder of Power City International Worldwide, Uyo, in the South-South region, as chiding Christians who believe only followers of Jesus Christ will make heaven.
“Many of you think God is a Christian. God is not a Christian. When you finish laughing, I repeat, God is not a Christian. You know, many of you think if you are not a Christian, you won’t go to heaven, lie.
“People went to heaven before Christianity started. Christianity started in Antioch in the Book of Acts. That should humble you a bit, and you should start adjusting your theology,” he said in a sermon during the first service of the church on Sunday, July 7.
“And it is unbelievers that gave the name Christianity that you are carrying as a condition to go to heaven – unbelievers who watch the people who were adherents of Brother Paul’s teachings. After teaching for some time, they saw the transformation that had happened to these people. Before then, they were called believers and almajiris. They were disciples of Paul.
“Then the people said instead of calling disciples, the transformation we see in them is that they look like Christ, so let’s call them Christians. But before then, many people went to heaven, including the thief on the cross. So, you don’t have to be a Christian to make heaven,” Damina said.
He was also quoted as saying that God is not a Christian.
He further explained that biblical characters like Abraham, David and Jesus Christ did not use the term “Christianity” but instead unbelievers, stressing that they were merely disciples or believers, not “Christians” in the traditional sense.
“Abraham was not a Christian; Isaac and Jacob were not Christians. Moses was not a Christian, Abel was not a Christian, Isaiah was not a Christian, and David was not a Christian. All the patriarchs were not Christians. Even Jesus was not a Christian,” he said.
Denial
But in a viral video, Damina denied ever saying so, insisting that his statement was misquoted.
According to the clergyman, Punch newspaper deliberately misquoted him, adding that the story insulted his faith and the gospel.
“We never said such,” Damina said during a sermon even as he asked the congregation, “did we ever say such?”
“This is misleading; this is criminal. This is not of God. I just don’t want to get our lawyers to jump on this. This is not of God.
“I never said anybody who doesn’t believe in Jesus anywhere they are will go to heaven. I never said that. What I said is that God is not a Christian.
“I also said not only Christians will go to heaven but anyone who believes that Jesus died, he was buried, and he rose the third day will go to heaven.”
Damina said the newspaper should have called him or clarified before running the story. He also asked his congregation to go to the link in the story and let them know they lied.