Imkong Walling
Someone winning an award, by virtue, becomes a collective triumph for the group. Some other getting implicated in a disreputable act is automatically a disgrace to the organisation, or social entity, the individual comes from.
A trait tellingly visible in small tribal communities, it may generally be regarded as acceptable herd mentality. However, it takes a disconcerting form when protecting the supposed dignity of the social entity takes precedence over reconciling with the reality.
Anyway, the revelation about one charismatic preacher’s alleged sexual misconduct took a new turn. On October 5, days after the allegation broke, Father’s House Church, of which the absconding accused was a pastor, filed a formal police complaint.
The filing of the complaint was backdropped by seething public vitriol over the perceived indifference of not only the clergy community but also the state authorities to the scandalous disclosure.
The church’s legal step may have dampened anger to some extent. This affair, however, brought to fore a general tendency to pinning hope on divine justice over trial by worldly law, when the issue involves the clergy.
The church laid emphasis on repentance, but fell short of empathy for the unspoken victim(s). It may have subsequently made amends by way of filing a police complaint, but its initial statement failed to account for the trauma of the victims.
Further, the statement by the Asia Harvest Alliance (AHA) chose to tell the media to fact-check information. It must however be remembered that there was neither denial nor confirmation from any quarter. Timely clarification by the AHA about the pastor’s affiliation would have ensured more accurate reporting.
The pastor’s alleged immoral acts were reportedly flagged in 2017. What were they doing that time and the years following? They spoke of accountability and transparency, while keeping the pastor’s alleged misconduct within the confines of the church, even as more allegations surfaced in later years.
It held that the pastor’s alleged immoral acts were “in the area of homosexual tendencies” when the issue is not about sexual orientation.
Words like “love, forgiveness, healing and divine mercy” sound comforting, but in cases of abuse, risk denying justice to the living. It is insensitive to prioritise the spiritual well-being of an accused abuser over addressing the pain and suffering of the victims.
As for the police, it needed a complaint to take cognisance.
The writer is a Principal Correspondent at The Morung Express. Comments can be sent to imkongwalls@gmail.com
