Nollywood actor Daniel Etim Effiong has addressed criticism from Christians who question his participation in kissing scenes, arguing that the morality of an act depends on the intention and condition of the person performing it.

Speaking on Sound Mind with Tolu Afilaka, the actor pushed back against the double standard he says exists around such criticism, drawing a comparison to the medical profession.

"Would you ask this same question to a gynecologist? Do you know who a gynecologist is? Of course. A gynecologist is a doctor, a medical doctor that saves lives and works with women and looks at the female genitals every day in his life, at work," he said.

Referencing scripture, Daniel explained that actions themselves are not inherently corrupting, citing the biblical teaching that "a good man, out of the good things of his heart, bringeth forth good things."

He added, "It's not what goes into a man that destroys him morally. It is what comes out of him."

He argued that intention and inner disposition, rather than the act itself, determine whether something is right or wrong.

"There's a condition of your heart that qualifies what you do, that puts what you do in perspective, that judges what you do," he said, adding that even something as simple as a glance could carry more moral weight than a kissing scene. "By mere looking at someone, you can do evil. Yes. Much more evil than kissing someone."

He concluded by reiterating that morality is ultimately a matter of the heart, not outward appearance.

"There is a condition of the man's heart that judges what he does, that qualifies what he does, that makes it good or evil. It's not what you see from the outside. It's the condition of his heart," he said.

ID