Morung Express News
Longmisa | May 26
The 31st Triennial Conference of the Ao Theological Association (ATA) began today at Longmisa Baptist Church on the theme ‘Integrity in public life.’ The theme was elucidated by the Editor of Tir Yimyim, K Temjen Jamir on Friday, who said that integrity is required not only in public life or government but in the church as well.
While exhorting the Ao theologians gathered, Jamir pointed to the sad scenario of present Naga society by citing incidents that he has personally observed, where a parent was asking a minister for some money for constructing the cemetery of a deceased son and another parent asking a minister for some money for their children’s admission.
Terming such incidents of people asking for money from the ministers as a ‘shameful’, yet Jamir observed that “while looking from another angle, such shameful incidents happen because of lack of integrity on the part of the government or politicians” and their inability to provide proper healthcare and proper government schools and colleges.
He maintained that if the government, public leaders or officials could provide proper healthcare or proper government educational institutions, then ‘those parents’ would not have to beg for money to construct a cemetery for a deceased son since proper healthcare could have cured him; or those parents would not have to beg for money for children’s admission, since the government educational institutions would provide free education.
In this connection, he said that the theme ‘integrity in public life’ is very apt, looking at the present Naga context where corruption is quite rampant. However, he asserted that integrity is also needed in the church. He pointed to the beautiful church buildings but not so beautiful houses of the public near the churches; and said that while the ‘church’ is very rich, church members are not rich. Who knows, some of the churches might be asking the government for funds for construction of their churches etc, he said.
In this connection, Jamir claimed that while churches outside Nagaland do not accept funds from unknown sources, churches in Nagaland find it very hard to deny such funds. Therefore, he called for integrity in the church so that a positive change can be brought in society. He lamented that there are many maladies in the Naga society today which cannot be solved by force but through discussion in such conferences and through the blessings of God. He said that only Christians can bring a positive change through their belief in truth and nonviolence.
Jamir meanwhile expressed hope that the participating theologians would deliberate on the theme of the conference and go back to their respective churches and propagate the importance of living a life of integrity without any compromise on corruption. Around 700 Ao theologians are participating in the three day conference which will conclude on Sunday, May 28. On the first night, a minute silence was observed in remembrance of the departed ATA members while the Longmisa Baptist Church youth department presented the opening act.
