3 Former Christians Share What They Found Out That Made Them Dump Christianity
- Since the 15th century, Christianity has become a major religion in Nigeria and is home to denominations with large followings
- While many identify as Christians after embracing the religion, some lost their faith despite years of devotion and commitment
- In this article, Legit.ng has looked at the accounts of three former Christians who shared why they abandoned the religion entirely
After years of devotion and having great faith in the Christian God, some Nigerian believers unexpectedly quit the religion after making certain conclusions and discoveries.
Just like they were vocal in embracing Christianity years ago, they have publicly informed social media users of their decisions to leave the faith, not minding whose ox is gored.
Legit.ng has looked at the viral accounts of three former Nigerian Christians who dumped the religion and their explanations for why they did so.
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Why 3 former Nigerian Christians stopped believing
1. Abraham Daniel, a former pastor
After over a decade of being a member and pastor at the Dr Pastor Enenche-led Dunamis church, Abraham Daniel lost faith in Christianity and informed his friends on Facebook that he was now a humanist.
Abraham, a writer, told Legit.ng in an exclusive interview what he found out that informed his decision to stop being a Christian. His statement in part read:
"Now, in all my transitions, I discovered more questions with no answers - zero use of logic and rational thinking. I saw how members will pray fast, still problems persist; how as a pastor. I was living in a big house, driving cars but surrounded by poor members.
"I tried to help, but how many can I help? They called me daddy, but their children are out of school, hungry, etc. How can a loving God allow his followers to suffer like that?
"I would attend the healing service at the end of the service - more frustration on the faces of those who came. Sometimes, we told them to pray harder, fast more, etc. I couldn't withstand such frustration from the people. If God exists, why must we defend him always before his people?"
The ex-Dunamis' pastor said that he resigned from the church in 2018. He has also faced backlash for his views online. He, however, got some support when a few people set up a GoFundMe for him.
2. Genesis Eririoma, a former pastor
In a Facebook post, a former Nigerian pastor, Genesis Eririoma opened up about why he left Christianity.
According to Genesis, he stopped believing because he claimed to have begun distrusting the gospel.
A part of the reason he gave was as follows:
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"I didn't leave Christianity and religion in its entirety because of offences or frustration. In fact, I left at a time when I was about to start making money from it. I had spent my resources helping others and spreading Jesus Christ until I found out the gospel wasn't true..."
Information on the man's Facebook profile shows he now lives in Abuja. While he did not state when exactly he left Christianity, the man has been sharing his journey through his Africa Enlightenment Centre YouTube channel since 2024.
Ex-pastor shares what he misses about Christianity
When asked if there is anything he misses about his former religion, former pastor Genesis told Legit.ng he missed the genuine impacts he was able to make and the sense of community.In his words:
"Just a day ago, one of my sons in ministry then named Peter reached out to me when he saw the news on your platform Legit.ng.
"We haven't been in contact for years. He was shocked to see that I was no longer a Christian. He softly inquired why and I asked him to reach me on WhatsApp. His comment on my post is attached.
"One of the things I missed in Christianity is the genuine impact I was making within Christianity. It was a platform I was using to help a lot of people discover their gifts, talents, and abilities.
"My genuine prophetic ability helped reposition quite several people including Peter who reached out. Another thing I miss is the sense of community, which I am working with some irreligious people to replicate across the country."
3. Shalom, a pastor's daughter
The daughter of a pastor, Shalom shook the internet after breaking down what she realised that made her leave the faith.
In a now-deleted post, the atheist said she realised the Christian religion was nothing more than a tool meant to take away a person's power.
In her words:
"When I began questioning my beliefs and challenging the programming I had grown up with, it was as difficult and terrifying as you would expect.
"I experienced intense cognitive dissonance, and I had to work really hard to overcome the fear that had been instilled in me. Eventually, I came to see it for what it really is. A tool of control that was designed to make me surrender my power to external forces..."
Why some walk away from Christianity - Apologist weighs in
Keith A. Little, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of America, says leaving the faith is often personal.
“When it comes to walking away from the faith, most often it is a personal matter of such concepts and how they affect individual human beings,” he told Legit.ng.
“Often, it’s a story of hurt by other human beings, a chosen perception of what is believed that God has done to mankind, something that happened to or by particular people that are loved by the individual, something God didn’t stop mankind from doing, or something God didn’t perceivably do for mankind," the Christian apologist added.
Former church minister who dumped Christianity speaks
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a lady who was formerly a church minister had shared why she quit being Christian.
She recounted how a certain pastor influenced her faith when she returned to Nigeria and how she discovered God on a personal level.
Describing how she used to study the Bible for hours at a time, she outlined the two things she still misses about her former religion.
Joseph Omotayo, the HOD of the Human Interest Desk, contributed to this article, giving more details on some of the individuals.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a Christian apologist for this report.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
