The scandal surrounding Therapist Jay is not just about a man falsely claiming healing powers but about a Church that forgot to ask if his hands were clean.
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Introduction: The Anatomy of a Scandal. In an age where charisma outshines character and healing eclipses holiness, the line between discernment and deception grows faint. The recent scandal surrounding “Therapist Jay” is not just about a man falsely claiming healing powers, it is about a Church that forgot to ask if his hands were clean and if his heart was full of truth. What happens when the sacred becomes sentimental, and the pulpit becomes a platform for pragmatism? This is not merely a moral lapse; it is a theological unraveling.
The recent arrest of Mohammed Babul Ali, popularly known as “Therapist Jay,” has catalysed not only legal proceedings but a far more disturbing theological reckoning within the ecclesiastical landscape of Nagaland. While authorities pursue charges related to fraudulent AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) claims, the more damning revelation is that multiple Christian churches and religious leaders had issued him certificates of recognition, thereby, either wittingly or naively, conferring ecclesial legitimacy upon an unverified healer.
This incident cannot be dismissed as an isolated lapse in administrative oversight. It signals a deeper spiritual and doctrinal crisis: the collapse of biblical discernment and the rise of therapeutic pragmatism within the ecclesial imagination. The church, tasked by Scripture to be “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), has in this case traded fidelity for functionality.
1. From Doctrine to Drama: The Rise of Superficial Christianity
In many Naga congregations today, the centrality of the Word has been eclipsed by emotional spectacle. The pulpit, once a sacred desk for expository teaching, has devolved into a stage for dreams, visions, and unverifiable “prophetic” utterances. In such a climate, anyone who invokes the name of Jesus and claims to heal becomes an instant spiritual authority, often without any rigorous evaluation of their doctrine, character, or even faith identity.
The Apostle John’s command to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) has been largely sidelined. Discernment is dismissed as suspicion, and theological caution is often misconstrued as judgmentalism. This creates fertile ground for pseudo-spiritual performers like 'Therapist Jay', figures who appeal to emotional need but remain theologically unexamined.
Implication: When churches prioritize emotional experiences over biblical testing, they become susceptible to spiritual fraud and manipulation.
2. The Therapeutic Gospel: Christ Replaced by Comfort
Beneath the surface lies a more insidious shift: the redefinition of the gospel itself. Increasingly, churches are abandoning the biblical message of sin, repentance, and reconciliation through Christ in favor of a therapeutic gospel focused on healing, self-esteem, and existential peace. In such a schema, the cross becomes incidental, and Christ is reduced to a mystical therapist.
Within this paradigm, 'Therapist Jay' did not need to affirm core doctrinal truths; he only needed to appear effective. His appeal was not grounded in biblical fidelity but in perceived utility. That he could “bless” people, regardless of theological foundation, was sufficient for many churches to embrace him.
Implication: When the gospel is reduced to therapy, truth becomes secondary to perceived benefit, and error is baptized in the name of emotional well-being.
3. The Collapse of Doctrinal Oversight and Accountability
This crisis also exposes the structural vulnerabilities of many ecclesial institutions in Nagaland. A considerable number of churches, especially among revivalist and independent fellowships, operate without confessions of faith, doctrinal review boards, or theologically trained leadership. Endorsements are frequently based on charisma, popularity, or community pressure, rather than rigorous vetting grounded in scriptural standards.
In such contexts, certifications can be issued more as gestures of politeness or expedience than as reflections of spiritual integrity. The imprimatur of the church, once guarded with soberness and prayer, is now often handed out with little more than sentiment and spectacle.
Implication: Without theological structures for accountability, churches become vulnerable to conferring legitimacy on individuals who may actively subvert their witness.
4. Syncretism and the Specter of Folk Christianity
Nagaland’s Christian identity, though historically rich, is not immune to the undercurrents of cultural syncretism. The residual presence of animism, tribal ritualism, and traditional healing practices often blends seamlessly with Christian vocabulary, creating a doctrinally incoherent hybrid. In such a theological fog, a figure like 'Therapist Jay', mixing Ayurveda, pseudo-science, and religious rhetoric, appears not as a contradiction, but as a culturally palatable spiritual guide.
Tragically, instead of confronting this confusion, many churches accommodate it, conferring Christian endorsement upon individuals who function more as shamanic performers than gospel witnesses.
Implication: Theological relativism and syncretism do not merely weaken the church's identity, they distort the very gospel it proclaims.
5. The Gospel for Sale: Money, Influence, and Popularity
The allure of popularity and financial gain must not be underestimated. Crowds bring tithes. Healers attract offerings. Public figures boost a congregation’s visibility. In such a utilitarian framework, theological concerns are easily subordinated to institutional survival or expansion.
If someone like 'Therapist Jay' can draw numbers, then inconvenient questions about his credentials, doctrine, or salvation are often swept aside. Mammon, in this paradigm, masquerades as ministry success.
Implication: When numerical growth or financial benefit becomes the measure of ministry, the church commodifies grace and sells its birthright for applause.
6. A Failure to Understand the Meaning of ‘Certification’
To their defense, some churches may argue that the certificates given to Mr. Ali were merely honorary acknowledgments, expressions of appreciation rather than doctrinal endorsement. Yet in today’s media-saturated age, even symbolic gestures carry tremendous weight. A certificate from a church, however informal, creates a public impression of spiritual validation.
Such casual recognitions, when misinterpreted or misused, can become tools of deception. Churches must recognize the moral gravity of every public declaration, especially when such declarations grant credibility to individuals functioning in spiritually authoritative roles.
Implication: Even informal endorsements, if issued thoughtlessly, may inadvertently empower false teaching and public misrepresentation.
7. Is He Born Again? And Why That Still Matters
Perhaps the most disturbing theological oversight in this entire episode is the absence of any rigorous inquiry into Mr. Ali’s spiritual identity. Is he a born-again believer? Has he confessed Christ as Lord and Saviour? Is there credible evidence of repentance, regeneration, and sanctification?
According to Scripture, no one is qualified to minister in Christ’s name without first being united to Christ by faith (John 3:3; Romans 10:9–10). And yet, many churches in Nagaland have extended platforms, pulpits, and prayers over individuals whose spiritual status remains, at best, ambiguous and, at worst, antithetical to the gospel.
Even if Mr. Ali professed belief in Christ, profession alone does not validate ministry. Scripture calls for discernment of fruit, sound doctrine, and ecclesial accountability. That such scrutiny was bypassed reflects not grace, but grave negligence.
Implication: When regeneration is no longer a non-negotiable for ministry, the church ceases to be the household of God and becomes a stage for spiritual confusion.
Conclusion: From Scandal to Self-Examination
The arrest of 'Therapist Jay' is a moment of divine disruption, one that must be met not with silence or shame-avoidance but with sober repentance and reform. The true scandal is not merely that a man operated fraudulently, but that the church, tasked with guarding the truth, invited him in and anointed his deception.
This is a kairos moment for the churches in Nagaland. The time has come to rebuild theological foundations, restore pastoral oversight, and recover the centrality of Scripture. Emotionalism must be tethered to truth. Hospitality must not compromise holiness. And the gospel must be reclaimed, not as a product to be marketed, but as a truth to be guarded and proclaimed.
The Apostle Paul’s warning reverberates with fresh relevance:“For the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate forthemselves teachers to suit their own passions… and turn away from the truth” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
That time is not a future threat. It is our present reality. And the call of the church is to respond, not with denial or delay, but with courage, confession, and a return to the truth.
Vikiho Kiba