CYE Nigerian Persecution - Breakpoint

Summary4 min read

Breakpoint Episode Summary: "CYE Nigerian Persecution"

Host: John Stonestreet
Date: December 19, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode focuses on the escalating persecution of Christians in Nigeria, highlighting it as one of the most significant and underreported human rights crises of 2025. John Stonestreet discusses recent international responses, governmental actions, disinformation about the root causes, and the global church's necessary response from a Christian worldview perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Recent Government Actions and International Response

US Actions (01:05):
- President Trump designated Nigeria a "country of particular concern" due to religious persecution.
- US Congress was urged to propose solutions, and the State Department reinstated Nigeria on its persecution watch list.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned of "financial penalties, visa bans, and aid cuts" if Nigeria did not meet anti-persecution and counterterrorism standards.

“President Trump even threatened intervention in a post on social media saying, ‘I’m hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians.’”
— John Stonestreet [02:01]

John Stonestreet, himself, joined 32 faith leaders in urging the administration for this special designation to address the crisis.

Unprecedented Severity of Persecution

Worst Year on Record (02:38):
- 2025 marked "the worst year on record for Christian persecution" in Nigeria.
- Over 7,000 Christians killed in the first seven months of 2025—double the number from the previous year and 80% of all faith-related murders globally.

Nature and Drivers of the Violence

Jihadist Groups Involved (03:24):
- Attacks orchestrated by Boko Haram, Islamic State’s West Africa Province, and militant Fulani herdsmen.
- Tactics include beheadings, church bombings, and explicit targeting of Christians.
Mass Displacement (03:54):
- Millions have fled as religious refugees from sub-Saharan Africa.

Misattribution of Root Causes

Misleading Explanations (04:08):
- Nigerian government attributes violence to land disputes.
- Biden administration blames land disputes exacerbated by climate change.
- John Stonestreet refutes both, calling them “ridiculous explanations” that obscure the religious targeting.

“These are ridiculous explanations and ignore the common elements of the conflict, namely that the persecutors are always Muslim and that the victims are always Christian.”
— John Stonestreet [04:23]

Lack of Media Attention (05:00):
- Western media largely ignores the crisis, despite its magnitude.

Other Voices Calling for Attention

UN Speech & Public Figures (05:23):
- President Trump addressed religious liberty at the UN, referencing Christian persecution.
- Dr. Anthony Bradley on X: "Where is the Free Nigeria campaign and why are the Free Palestine protesters also not passionately protesting Muslims in Nigeria?"
- Bill Maher on Real Time questioned the lack of coverage: “There’s so much more of a genocide attempt there than what is going on in Gaza… the corporate media isn’t covering it because the Jews aren’t involved.” [06:09]

Historical and Global Context

Referencing Philip Jenkins’ prediction that the center of Christianity will shift to the global South, especially to nations like Nigeria.

“Philip Jenkins predicted that the center of global Christianity would move from the West to the global South, particularly Africa and Asia. He specifically identified Nigeria as a likely epicenter for the next Christendom…and it’s not coincidental that Nigeria is now at the epicenter of Muslim resistance and violence.”
— John Stonestreet [06:53]

Call to Christian Action

Direct Appeals (07:21):
- Appeal to prayer: Christians must “appeal to heaven on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria.”
- Continued advocacy: Pressure US and international governments to hold Nigerian officials accountable and end impunity for attackers.

"Their excuses and their inaction have enabled militants to operate with basic impunity and for the rest of the world to ignore the atrocities there for far too long.”
— John Stonestreet [08:25]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"[Nigeria] has been the most dangerous nation in the world to be a Christian. And 2025 has been by far the worst year on record."
— John Stonestreet [02:41]
“Open Doors [has] warned of an impending Islamization of the nation.”
— John Stonestreet [03:58]
"We must pray that God would strengthen them, that the gospel would go forward, even impacting the hearts of those who are persecuting believers for their faith in Jesus Christ."
— John Stonestreet [07:29]
“We also have to continue to ask our government leaders to increase the pressure on Nigerian government officials and demand their accountability.”
— John Stonestreet [07:52]

Important Timestamps

[00:00-01:05] – Introduction & setting the stage for Nigerian crisis
[01:06-02:23] – US & international responses; threats of intervention
[02:24-03:53] – Description of persecution’s severity and perpetrators
[03:54-04:40] – Displacement and warnings of nation’s Islamization
[04:41-05:52] – Critique of government/administration explanations and media silence
[05:53-06:53] – Other prominent voices weigh in; global context
[06:54-08:25] – Christian response: prayer, advocacy, historical context

Summary

John Stonestreet makes a compelling case that the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is not only one of 2025’s most severe crises but also one of its most ignored. He details the nature and magnitude of the violence, critiques misleading narratives about its causes, highlights notable voices demanding more attention, and exhorts listeners to pray, advocate, and keep pressure on leaders for real accountability. Stonestreet situates the issue within broader Christian history, predicting the continued shift of Christianity’s epicenter and calling for urgent action to support persecuted believers.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:01]
A
Welcome to breakpoint, a daily look at an ever changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stonestreet. One of the top Christian WorldView Stories of 2025 is the ongoing worsening situation for Christians in the nation of Nigeria. Now, at the end of October, President Trump designated Nigeria a country of particular concern. He also called on members of Congress to offer recommendations about combating the persecution there. Also, the State Department put Nigeria back on its persecution watch list. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened Nigerian officials with financial penalties, visa bans and aid cuts if steps were not taken to curb anti Christian violence and meet US Counterterrorism standards there. And all of this, which happened at the end of what was the worst year on record for Christian persecution in Nigeria, came as an answer to prayers and an answer to actions that were taken. For example, I joined 32 faith leaders earlier this year in a letter to the president which called for that special designation. President Trump even threatened intervention in a post on social media saying, quote, I'm hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians. End quote. Well, the question now is whether or not the Nigerian government will indeed take meaningful steps to rein in the radical Islamic groups that are responding responsible for the increasing violence there since 2014. According to Open Doors USA, Nigeria has been the most dangerous nation in the world to be a Christian. And 2025 has been by far the worst year on record. Over 7,000 Nigerian Christians were killed in just the first seven months of 2025, a number twice that which was reported by open doors for 2024 and one which accounts for a staggering 80% of of faith related murders around the world. The violence in Nigeria is driven by jihadists from radical Islamic groups. Boko Haram, the Islamic State, West Africa Province, and especially since 2009, militant Fulani herdsmen Christians have been explicitly targeted with violence including beheadings and church bombings. Millions have fled sub Saharan Africa as religious refugees. The violence has let Open Doors to warn of an impending Islamization of the nation. The Nigerian government blames the violence on land disputes between herdsmen and farmers. And the Biden administration blamed the land disputes on climate change. These are ridiculous explanations and ignore the common elements of the conflict, namely that the persecutors are always Muslim and that the victims are always Christian. And Western media has also largely ignored what is one of the most significant human rights crises of our day. But other voices have become louder and more clear. In a speech before the UN General assembly on September 23, President Trump said to world leaders, let us protect religious liberty, including for the most persecuted religion on the planet today, Christianity. Dr. Anthony Bradley asked in an X post earlier this year, where is the Free Nigeria campaign and why are the Free Palestine protesters also not passionately protesting Muslims in Nigeria? Even avowed atheist and liberal Bill Maher recently questioned the lack of global interest about Nigeria on his show Real Time, saying, quote, there's so much more of a genocide attempt there than what is going on in Gaza. They're literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country and the corporate media isn't covering it because the Jews aren't involved. That's why 14 years ago in his book the Next Christendom, Philip Jenkins predicted that the center of global Christianity would move from the west to the global south, particularly Africa and Asia. He specifically identified Nigeria as a likely epicenter for the next Christendom due to the size of its Christian population. It's not coincidental that Nigeria is now at the epicenter of Muslim resistance and violence. Christians around the world have to continue to appeal to heaven on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria. We must pray that God would strengthen them, that the gospel would go forward, even impacting the hearts of those who are persecuted, persecuting believers for their faith in Jesus Christ. We also have to continue to ask our government leaders to increase the pressure on Nigerian government officials and demand their accountability. Their excuses and their inaction have enabled militants to operate with basic impunity and for the rest of the world to ignore the atrocities there for far too long. Each and every day, breakpoint brings clarity to stories like these, stories that matter, while cultivating confidence in what is true. If breakpoint has helped you and your family make sense of this cultural moment as a Christian, please make a year end gift to keep it on the air right now. Thanks to a generous $500,000 challenge, every single gift before the end of the year will have double the impact you can Give by visiting colsoncenter.org December that's colsoncenter.org December for a version of this commentary that you can download and share with others, go to breakpoint.org.