The church’s role in cleansing Naga society of decadence

[caption id="attachment_112985" align="alignleft" width="550"] Rev Dr Atsi Dolie speaking during the seminar on Clean Election in Kohima town on May 3.[/caption] Our Correspondent Kohima, May 3 (EMN): The Naga society is filled with ‘hatred, discrimination, corruption and injustice, and immorality and sectarian tendencies.’ For this, the church is expected to do what it can to ‘clean up the recurring election mess and evils,’ a leader of the Angami Baptist Church (ABCC) has observed. Executive director of the ABCC Rev Dr Atsi Dolie was speaking on the topic ‘Why the church should be involved in clean election campaign’ during a state-level seminar on clean elections. Rev Dolie said that whether or not there will be success, the CEC has associated with the church and it has been going around in Nagaland for some years now. Not mincing words, he remarked ‘Nagas are now crazy, even bewitched, when Indian election comes.’ The Nagas will always need a system of election to elect their leader which includes election practices of nongovernmental organisations, village councils, students unions, and municipal councils, among others. While berating the attitude of the people ‘where any good efforts or intentions are often misunderstood,’ Dr Dolie maintained that the CEC should be seen as a process of reforming culture toward a better society. Citing evidence that elections ‘brings stark enmity among church members,’ Dr Dolie opined that that elections are a threat to the wellbeing of the church by bringing divisive elements; it has the potential to divide the church, he said. These ‘negative effects,’ he said, were reasons enough for the church’s intervention. However sounding a note of caution, Dr Dolie said that the church should not be motivated by ‘negative rationales for its involvement.’ Rather, it should be by positive impulse, he said. Only then, he said, clarity about why the church should be involved in the Clean Election campaign will come–the meaning and mission of the church’s existence in the world is understood. Also, he pointed out that ‘though in our impoverished society, we do not lack a form of godliness but deny its transformative power,’ there is confusion about one’s spirituality, mistaking ritualism/legalism for spirituality. Therefore, he asserted that ‘in this hazy scenario, the church must proclaim the kingdom of God and promote kingdom lifestyle that is a righteous life and not hypocrisy; peace and not alarm, and joy in the Holy Spirit’s abundance and not a feeling of limited life. Further, he lamented that the Naga society has been ‘deteriorating, decaying and depressing.’ It needs salt and light, Dr Dolie said and outlined the responsibility of Christians to the society by ‘arresting its decays and bringing in light to dispel the darkness.’ Asserting that the church simply must not fail the world it has been called to serve, Dr Dolie said that the ‘distinctiveness of the church is paramount as the church is called to stop the spread of evil which seriously calls the church’s attention to its credibility and integrity.’ He noted concerns about the church conveniently shying away from ‘social challenges’ or ‘thoughtlessly drown in the problems.’ The church must rely on the prompting of the Holy Spirit in areas that require its involvement, he said. Dr Dolie maintained that the means of achieving goals for ‘cleaner elections’ should be ‘clean’ and non-violent at any cost. Asserting that the church in Nagaland had ‘always been a great contributor towards transformation of the society,’ he said ‘our time calls for strong leadership with divine wisdom to bring about more visible positive changes’. The Clean Election Core Committee of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council has resolved to conduct meetings and interactions in the months of June and July with all the 60 members of Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Naga ‘political groups,’ and other denominations of churches; and frontal organisations.