Standhope Varah
Sometimes ago, some village boys daunted one pastor Mingthing saying, “Does Bible really object bedding with beautiful women, wine, cigarettes or drugs?” Pat came the pastor’s simple reply, “Come on, do as you like but don’t let people know what you do and above all, never let God know.”
The boys knew that this old man’s answer to their queries was stupid and nonsense. As such they argued, “But don’t you say that God is all-knowing?”
The old man replied, “Then don’t do them”
I support Mr GG Kamei’s writing: prohibition on tobacco which appeared in local dailies. One may claim the right to smoke as an individual right. But one is never free from the crime of corrupting the air which, as a matter of, is No I amongst the basics. Air is no less important than sunlight or water.
If 5 million people die worldwide because of tobacco or tobacco related cases every year, that is more than the total population of Nagas. Naga Bible men, professed Christians constantly harangue against alcohol and its affects in the family circle, in the community.
Many Naga organizations are against alcohol. They have broken many bottles. Any sign of success? I don’t say I support drinking. To drink or not to drink is a matter individuals’ choice. That freedom of choice is honored even by heaven department. Many precious young ones have gone down to their four square grounds in the wrong time because of wrong choice. Heroine (NO.4.) and other drugs or controlled substances when consumed excessively, always result to instant death. A little delay may be granted for buzzards or smokers but all go to’ the same destination. There is no road diversion to circumvent the four square.
If smoking is a world class threat far worse than drinking then all smokers are criminals when they force these passive baby smokers inhale the same amount of nicotine. This is serious.
“…… You are not your own, you are bought Wit a price.”
“You are the temple of the Lord”, not the box of carcinogen. Really?
If you are subject to death, it is useless to explain how not to die. How to live. That is the issue at stake. To live long or short depends much on your habits if you accept the truth that we are just the total sum of what you choose in terms of our food.
If you have the idea of personal Saviour, to disobey your lower passions’ diktat and self is possible. All great changes made manifest in many a great men begins here. Being able to say ‘no’ must be reinforced by the idea of -’how can I ever escape His observation!’
The idea of creator-creation, the test, the fall, the great flood, the promised Saviour, His birth, His promise of return or the plan of redemption reached Naga people more than one hundred years ago. However, what we call social evils are on the ups. They continue today seemingly unstoppable despite concerted efforts to ban or eradicate all these evils. In fact, all these menaces which did not exist before the advent of Christianity are with us today. Let Bible men explain. Breaking hundreds and thousands of liquor bottles or burning down truck loads of ganja have never so far helped towards realizing ‘a clean Nagalim dreams.’
Japan and US, among many, have giant smokers. These giant smokers have contributed much towards thinning down the ozone layer. If the catastrophe following the Hurricane Katrina and Rita is a matter of climate change, these stubborn Americans have now been sufficiently told to be more sober when world forum discusses the issue of climate change. There must be individual climate change too. Change can happen only when individual decides. That is the way to avoid catastrophe.
I respect every individual’s rights to do anything as he or she pleases; right to drink, to smoke or whatever. But that does not sanction anyone the right to pollute air which is every body’s property. Does it?
