People's Edit
Politically religious or religiously political?
Opinion | People's Edit | G.L. Khing | 22-Feb-2023
Human beings are political and religious by nature. The combination of both enables the smooth functioning of the State. The sharp contrast between the two brings chaos, fear and violence. As the trumpet of election blows, there emerges a contrasting sound of politics and religion.
There are people who make use of religion for their political gain, while others use politics to gain the support of different religious groups. Meanwhile, the birth of fanatics and fools boosts the two sides. Election campaigns will clearly show politically religious persons walking across the State. They may appear in various forms to get voters into their fold. Such people are treated as gods and goddesses in the name of politics. A State like Nagaland should not become a hunting ground for political players. In politics, everything can be covered with exciting speeches and manifestoes. Empty promises are treated as more important than actual day-to-day living. Despite all these dramas, some people still rush behind the tail with open gasping mouths. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
There is no wrong with the use of religion in politics and vice versa. However, the motives should not be deceiving. One should not intrude on religion with political motives. No person should venture out to buy Christian values for politics. Politics is not the end of everything. What we are today and will be tomorrow is more important than the present big political show. Nagas are Christians not by politics. Hence, we should avoid politicizing religious matters. Religion too should not view politics with the eye of religion at all times. This can be well termed as religiously political or politically religious. This is the present confusion that is partially forced upon the minds and hearts of the Christians in Nagaland. This is injurious to both politics and religion.
The Churches in Nagaland are not far from politics. They know how to skip the internal pending issues and substitute them with issues of religious persecution outside the State. Yes, we must support the cause, but not at the expense of forgetting what lies beneath the nose. Nagaland too has a history of religious persecution which are yet to be treated and healed. We remain in a state of denial and easily grasp the happenings of the other world. Therefore, we produce more fake preachers than doers. They appear to disappear when faced with real-life situations. There are churches which play hide and seek both in politics and religion. They hide under the guise of the big bang theory. The condemnation poured forth by various church bodies with regard to the recent happenings is true and just. However, we must also rectify our own faults.
In Nagaland, most associations (religious or civil) are searching for a place to perch. They wanted to depict themselves as important. In this process, they confuse politics and religion even more. Politics and religion do not exist in themselves. They exist in and through men and women. Therefore, the power to keep politics and religion clean/dirty depends on the people. What you do to each other is equally important as numerous prayers, fasting and sacrifices. Christianity is not a hollow religion. It works better with faith and good works. Politics can disguise itself in different forms to tempt and cheat people for no good. However, we must at all times stand firm on Christian principles and values. Politicians should avoid the interplay of politics and religion to deceive people. Religion should also be the beacon of light without deception. Politics and religions are good in themselves. We can differentiate religion and politics by not mixing the two for our own advantage.
(The Author is a Priest in the Diocese of Kohima, and can be reached on glkhing1982@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal)
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