Plenty of religious leaders claim to have some form of “divine protection” but not many of them are brave enough to attempt to prove it. One pastor, though, did possess that courage – or stupidity – and he locked himself in a cage of lions to make his point.
A Man of God
The pastor’s identity remains unknown but, according to local media, he wanted to prove that “nothing can happen to a man of God.” A video clip of the incident shows the pastor stroking the lions in their enclosure.
The Story of Daniel
The incident reportedly happened in Nigeria and, at one point in the video, the pastor even put his arm in a lion’s mouth before giving the camera a confident look. It’s likely that he was attempting to recreate the biblical story of Daniel, who survived being thrown into a lion’s den because of God’s protection.
Try It With Wild Lions
Upon hearing about the incident, Ronald Karauri – a 45-year-old Kenyan MP – offered to pay for the pastor to do the same thing with wild lions. He said: “I volunteer to take him to the Maasai Mara please, all expenses paid. We look for the lions and he can go walk with them.”
Comments From Locals
Locals had a lot to say about the pastor’s stunt. “I challenge him to do that at Maasai Mara!” one individual said. “Those are not lions, they are lion cubs. Big difference,” another commented. “He went in just after they were fed,” another claimed. “They should have taken him to the wild lions at the Kenyan park, those lions were given drugs,” another alleged.
A Fool Who Tempts God
News of the incident was shared across the internet and people flocked to comment sections to give their thoughts. For the most part, people thought the entire situation was ridiculous. “Pastor enters cage of lions to prove he is a fool who tempts God,” one commenter wrote.
Not Proper Lions
Some people said that the lions weren’t only cubs, but were tamed too. “Those are tamed cubs. I’d sure like to see him doing that with untamed tigers, bears, or lions,” one individual wrote. “Yeah, those aren’t proper lions. They’re tamed babies,” another echoed.
It Doesn’t Prove Anything
Addressing the pastor directly, one person said: “The only thing you are doing is showing that you have achieved no fear based on your belief that God will protect you. Your lack of fear and adrenaline will ultimately be what keeps them from attacking, that and the fact that they are not hungry. It still doesn’t prove anything. God gives you common sense.”
A Pastor’s Foolishness
Plenty of people called the pastor stupid, foolish, and arrogant among other things. One individual said: “How many snake handlers have died doing basically the same thing? The only thing this proves is that he is foolish.”
Not Comparable to Daniel
Others said that the pastor’s stunt wasn’t comparable to Daniel’s story in the Bible. “Daniel didn’t volunteer to go into the den of lions. He was cast into the den of lions because he continued to pray to God despite the new law encouraged by his enemies,” one person said.
Don’t Tempt God
Echoing the aforementioned commenter, another person wrote: “Daniel did not choose to enter the lion’s den. He was thrown into it. As for this stunt, we are told to not tempt God. ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’”
The Point of Christianity
One person implied that the pastor misunderstood the point of Christianity. They wrote: “Just because Daniel was saved from the lions doesn’t mean God has to save us from lions. The point of Christianity is not to show off our faith but to faithfully serve others and quote the Bible.”
Need vs. Want
The commenter continued: “If they desire a relationship with God, we hold ourselves with the new Christian to God’s standard – not ours. Simple as that. Still, God is not a being of favors! Praying for others or situations should not be done with the mindset that we will be given something in return. God will naturally look out for us and give the believer what they need, not want.”
Endangering Lions’ Lives
One person pointed out that had the lions attacked the pastor, their lives may have been in danger. “The pastor’s action could have put the lives of the lions in danger, as well as his own. So stupid,” they said.
What Deception Looks Like
Another commenter said: “The lions are young and have probably been handled by humans since birth. They are not prone to attack unless they feel threatened in any way. I believe in God with every fiber of my being. However, it’s stunts like these that make people think it’s a ‘horse and pony’ show. These foolish, not well-thought-out stunts don’t draw people to God. However, it makes people see what deception looks like.”
Baby, Well-Fed Lions
Most commenters pointed out the young age of the lions. “This is why nobody takes Christianity seriously anymore. Of course the baby, well-fed lions didn’t attack. They had no reason to! They’re probably very well used to humans too,” another person said.
This Is Absolute Folly
Echoing many of the previously mentioned commenters, one individual wrote: “The pastor’s actions were not wise and could have had dire consequences. Daniel was in the lion’s den involuntarily. This guy intentionally put himself in harm’s way. This is absolute folly, no wisdom in this, and proves nothing to me.”
Playing With Gullible Minds
One person accused the pastor of manipulating people and taking advantage of those with more gullible tendencies. They said: “He is playing with the minds of the gullible. Let him go do it in the wild, or let those lions be starved for three days and he goes and sits with them.”
The Influence on Children
Others discussed the potential negative influence the pastor’s antics could’ve had on young people. “This man is dangerous and should not be leading people, Christian or not. I am sure there were children in the crowd. Not a wise choice. And as someone said, those lions were lion cubs,” one person wrote.
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