In an age of viral videos, social media criticism and growing scepticism about organised religion, Christianity is increasingly being challenged in Nigeria’s public square. Recent criticisms by social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), have focused particularly on the Nigerian Church, prayer, miracles and the relationship between Christianity and national development.

Such questions should not frighten Christians. The Christian faith does not become false because some Christians behave badly, nor does the failure of religious institutions invalidate the truth claims of Jesus Christ.

Christianity should be examined intellectually, historically, morally and spiritually, not merely through the misconduct of those who profess it.

The Church must be courageous enough to accept legitimate criticism. Where pastors exploit people, where Christians participate in corruption, where churches manipulate the poor, or where religious language is used to avoid civic responsibility, Christians should repent rather than defend wrongdoing.

Jesus Himself condemned religious hypocrisy with extraordinary severity (Matthew 23:1–36).

But criticism of hypocrisy is not the same thing as disproving Christianity.

The first distinction: Christ is not the same as every Christian

This distinction is fundamental.

A corrupt Christian does not disprove Christ. A fraudulent pastor does not disprove the resurrection. A manipulative church does not disprove the existence of God. A Christian who refuses to work does not invalidate the biblical doctrine of prayer.

Indeed, the Bible itself anticipated the possibility of religious hypocrisy. Jesus warned:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

The New Testament does not present Christians as a community without failures. It presents them as people undergoing transformation.

Paul wrote to Christians in Corinth who were experiencing serious moral, financial and relational problems. Yet he did not conclude that Christianity was false. Instead, he called the Church to holiness, accountability and maturity (1 Corinthians 5–6; 2 Corinthians 8–9).

That is important for contemporary Nigeria.

The existence of bad Christians is not an argument against Christianity; it is evidence that Christians, like everyone else, require redemption and transformation.

Prayer is not an excuse for irresponsibility

One of the most important criticisms attributed to VDM concerns Nigerians praying about insecurity, unemployment, healthcare and other problems that require governmental action. That criticism deserves serious engagement.

Christianity does not teach citizens to pray instead of demanding justice.

 

The Bible actually commands believers to pursue justice:

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression” (Isaiah 1:17).

Micah 6:8 similarly calls humanity to “do justice,” “love kindness” and “walk humbly” with God.

The biblical model is therefore prayer plus responsibility, not prayer instead of responsibility.

Nehemiah prayed, but he also organised people to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1–4). Joseph trusted God, but he also developed an economic strategy that preserved Egypt during famine (Genesis 41). Daniel prayed, but he also demonstrated exceptional administrative competence in government (Daniel 6:3).

Christianity at its best does not produce passive citizens. It produces people who understand that faith must become visible in public responsibility.

James put it bluntly:

“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

Therefore, a Christian who says, “I will only pray and do nothing,” has misunderstood Christianity.

Christianity has never taught that prayer replaces work.

The Apostle Paul instructed Christians:

“If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

That is hardly a theology of laziness.

The biblical vision encompasses prayer, education, enterprise, compassion, justice, leadership and responsible citizenship.

Christianity gave the world a profound theological foundation for human dignity because humanity is created imago Dei, “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27).

That doctrine has enormous implications for public life. If every human being bears God’s image, then the poor cannot be treated as disposable, government cannot become predatory, corruption cannot be normalised, and human beings cannot be reduced to political statistics.

But what about the failures of the Nigerian Church?

Here, critics have a legitimate question.

Nigeria has a vast Christian presence, yet corruption, poverty, insecurity and institutional weakness remain serious problems. Some critics therefore ask: If Christianity is so powerful, why has Christianity not transformed Nigeria completely?

The question deserves an honest answer.

Because Christianity is not a magic formula for nation-building.

A Christian population does not automatically produce a righteous society. Christianity demands conversion of the heart, moral formation, institutional integrity and responsible citizenship.

Israel had prophets and priests, yet repeatedly experienced corruption and injustice. The presence of religious institutions did not automatically produce righteousness.

Jesus Himself warned that religious appearance could conceal moral emptiness.

The appropriate Christian response to Nigeria’s failures is therefore not denial but repentance and reformation.

The Church must become more credible by producing Christians whose faith is visible in their businesses, politics, families, professions, scholarship and treatment of the vulnerable.

The historical question cannot simply be shouted away

Christianity also makes historical claims.

It does not merely say, “Believe because it feels good.”

Its central claim is that Jesus of Nazareth lived, was crucified under Roman authority, was buried and rose from the dead.

Paul understood the seriousness of this claim:

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14).

Christianity therefore places the resurrection at the centre of its intellectual foundation.

Paul goes even further:

“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17).

That is an extraordinary statement. Christianity essentially says: Investigate the claim.

The earliest Christian proclamation did not begin with “Jesus was a nice teacher.” It proclaimed that Jesus died and rose again (Acts 2:22–32; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8).

This is why Christianity has survived centuries of philosophical attack, political opposition, persecution and internal controversy.

The Church has survived worse than social media criticism

History should give Christians perspective.

Christianity has survived the Roman Empire. It survived periods of persecution. It survived political manipulation. It survived intellectual revolutions. It survived the Enlightenment’s assault on traditional religious belief. It survived Marxist regimes that attempted to suppress religious faith.

And Christianity continues to exist across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

In Nigeria, the reality is particularly striking. Open Doors currently estimates Nigeria’s Christian population at approximately 107.3 million, representing about 45.7 per cent of the population, while ranking Nigeria seventh on its 2026 World Watch List.

More soberingly, Open Doors reports that 3,490 Nigerian Christians were killed for faith-related reasons during its 2026 reporting period, forming the overwhelming majority of its recorded global Christian deaths.

Whatever one’s position on every aspect of persecution statistics, one fact is difficult to dismiss: millions of Christians continue to confess Christ despite enormous personal costs.

That is not the behaviour of a faith sustained merely by convenience.

Christianity must not be defended with insults

There is another danger.

Christians must not respond to VDM or any critic with hatred, curses or threats.

That would contradict the very Christ we claim to defend.

Jesus commanded:

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Peter instructed Christians to give reasons for their hope:

“Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

Notice the biblical method: reason, humility, holiness and love.

The Christian answer to ridicule should therefore not be another form of ridicule.

The strongest defence of Christianity is not merely a louder microphone. It is a transformed life, a credible Church, rigorous scholarship, compassionate service and faithful proclamation of Jesus Christ.

The Church should listen, but it must not surrender the Gospel

There are criticisms the Nigerian Church should welcome.

If churches exploit the poor, reform them.

If pastors manipulate people, expose the practice.

If Christians participate in corruption, confront them.

If believers use prayer as an excuse for laziness, correct them.

If Christian leaders become politically compromised, hold them accountable.

But after all legitimate criticism has been made, one question remains:

Does the failure of Christians prove that Christ is false?

No.

The Christian faith stands or falls ultimately on the truth of its central claims concerning God, Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection—not on the perfection of every person who claims His name.

Jesus never promised that everyone who carried His name would be faithful.

He promised that His Church would endure:

“I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

The final word belongs to Christ

VeryDarkMan may succeed in making Nigerians question certain practices within Christianity. That questioning can even be useful if it drives the Church towards greater integrity.

But no social media personality can determine the destiny of Christianity.

The Church has endured emperors, dictators, philosophers, sceptics, persecutors, scandals and internal failures. It will also survive the age of viral videos.

Our task as Christians is not to worship the institution of the Church. Our task is to follow Jesus Christ.

The answer to a broken Christianity is not the abandonment of Christ but a return to Christ.

A return to the Christ who washed feet.

A return to the Christ who defended the vulnerable.

A return to the Christ who confronted religious hypocrisy.

A return to the Christ who commanded His followers to love their enemies.

A return to the Christ who died on the cross.

And above all, a return to the Christ whom Christians confess rose from the grave.

Therefore, let the questions come.

Let the critics speak.

Let the Church examine itself.

Let hypocrites be exposed.

Let false teachers be confronted.

Let Christians repent where they have failed.

But let the Gospel continue to be proclaimed.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

The personality may trend for a day.

The controversy may dominate social media for a week.

The video may go viral for a month.

But Christ is not a social media trend.

The Gospel is bigger than Nigeria.

It is bigger than the Church’s scandals.

It is bigger than VDM.

It is bigger than its critics.

And it belongs ultimately not to a pastor, denomination, celebrity or political movement, but to Jesus Christ.

The faith will stand, not because Christians are perfect, but because Christ is faithful.

And to Christ alone be the glory.

Cliff Stanley
Writes from Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS)
Cliffstanley3@gmail.com
07032826319