By Fabian Lyngdoh
It is amusing that some section of the elite population question the passive attitude of the Christian Churches and other religions with regard to the present humdrum in society, in Shillong. It is also amusing that the same people conceive of certain ideas of right and wrong according to their own viewpoints and expect the Church and the whole world to concur and support them. More amusing is the fact that some priests and religious whose very office is based on the grounds of belief in the existence of spiritual reality trying to preach materialism and scientific attitude of the 21st century. An appeal to the 21st century wisdom is the regular resort of those who believe they are the right thinking persons. I had pointed out in a previous article that when a certain person appeals to all the right thinking people it simply means that he appeals to all those who think like him, not that there is any established way of right thinking. Who on earth can certify that such and such is the truth that the Church should support it? Who on earth can certify that the opinion of a certain group is perfect and free from partisan spirit and that the Church should stand by it?
What is religion? According to Max Weber who drew philosophical resource from Nietzsche’s “God is dead”, religion is nothing but the mystifying processes of the overwhelming power of the society. Weber was of the opinion that the society itself was the god or goddess of which, human individuals cannot escape. According to him, religion is only one of the functional agencies of the society. Max Weber was indeed correct that religion is in fact the spiritual aspect of a particular community. Religion and society are then inseparable aspects of human existence in every community. Religion in Israel during the time of Saul and David was part of human polity and inseparable. Religion during that time was the spiritual support of a certain political community, called Raid or Hima or kingdom. Its purpose was to defend, protect and guide and even to sanction the sensual and sexual adventures of the rulers to whatever limit possible as long as he protects the kingdom or a certain human civilization.
But religion as a world mission, transcending all territorial and cultural barriers as Christianity, is different from the concept of the ancient and indigenous people and the concept of the kings and rajas. Religion as a world concern as Christianity is today, is not for the interest of this nation or that nation. All quarrelling parties of the society are its own children. It cannot side with this group or that group in any particular society because even the most sinful of all criminals is its own child. Evils in the world from the beginning of the world till today are part of the general scheme of God. Christ indeed said that before the end of time not the peace of paradise but the worst will happen, worst than what any living human being can think of, because the closest relative of any person man or woman may become the traitor.
The Church, or in other words, all religions, are eternal not temporal. The role of the Christian Church is to go to all nations and baptise the people in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach everything that Christ has taught His disciples with LOVE, and if necessary to die a martyr for that cause. Another world mission is to go to the whole world and convert all to Islam and if necessary to use the sword, and to pursue the infidels to the ends of the earth. These are two contrary world missions: one with love and sacrifice, and the other with the sword. Think what the Armageddon would be. Traditional Hinduism is a maze of popular spirits worship, philosophy and tantric magic to serve the temporal need of human beings. It is fortunate that Shri Ramakrishna and his followers most prominently Swami Vivekananda and others reconstituted Hinduism into a world mission of love and sacrifice. Through the theology of Advaita which means the oneness of the whole world and its manifestations and the Atman (soul) with Brahman the ultimate Being, the Vedantins could absorb even Jesus Christ and Buddha into their faith and worship. Like the Christians, the followers of Vedanta led by Ramakrishna think that the world should be brought to God through love and sacrifice and not by the sword. So let us think again how the Armageddon would be like. I am not insinuating anything, but religious dogmas and the present trends in the world point out to a certain future. With a certain prophetic insight I can see what kind of final clash the Armageddon would be.
The role of the Christian Churches is to civilize the world through love and sacrifice, and to prepare the world for the Armageddon. That is being done every day in spite of the faults and failure of the priests and pastors in their personal vanity. Christian spirit is imbuing the world affairs and the political and economic agenda of the world. The presence of the Pope merely by pronouncing his opinion in his pastoral letter is enough to control or moderate the influencing power of atheists on world polity. A priest or pastor who lives a luxurious life with all the gadgets of the world while ignoring the poverty around him is committing his own sin of “vanity.” The Church as a whole is not responsible whether he goes to heaven or to hell, and the society should not judge the Church by the worldliness of that priest or pastor, because he will get his reward in the world by the course of action he pursues. The Church’s responsibility is to challenge the mighty works of Satan and not to meddle with the quarrels of human beings.
Albert Thyrniang (ST. October, 31 2013) questioned the prophetic role of the Church because it does not involve itself in the everyday quarrel of human beings. Doesn’t he know that the Church is actively shouldering the prophetic role and challenging the snares of Satan? Apostle Paul hinted that the Church’s responsibility is not that of the general morality of the world which any religion can do but it is a fight with the powers of hell. Only those pretentious people who think that the belief in the existence of Satan, Taro or Thlen is outmoded would push the Church to worldly affairs if it has to exist at all, because they believe that science has proved that there are no such things as God or Devil. Let those priests, religious or pastors who do not believe in the existence of spiritual reality resign from their posts rather than act as academic or scientific experts. The Church does not need them. The Church is not lacking in headmasters or principals or managers or scholars but it is lacking in religious leaders who ardently believe in God and His commandments to challenge the powers of satanic forces. The only answer to those who question the prophetic role of the Church on the ground of the worldliness of some Church leaders is what George Shining Lyngkhoi (ST. October, 29, 2013) said “obey what they tell you but do not do what they do, for they do not do what they preach,” and what Pastor Lyndan Syiem (ST November, 1st 2013) said, “complain to Caesar on what is the responsibility of Caesar and complain to God (Church) on what is the responsibility of the Church. The Church is not bound to concur with the ideas of some people on matters of right and wrong among the opinions held by human beings. Lastly, as Christians let us as laity or consecrated leaders not forget that Christ wanted to make the world as close to heaven but He did not ever say that this world is heaven or that heaven is only in this world. The Church’s responsibility is not to make this world a heaven but only to help create a heaven-like situation as far as possible so that souls can be prepared to enter eternal heaven.
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