The preconception of Christianizing imposes the Christian model of development in other religions (S. Taylor. 1997) produces what it means to be non-Christian. Commonly, any non-Christian is inevitably projected as anti-Christ or anti-Christian. In the history of Christianity and Judaism, Jews are the anti-Christ because they are primarily known for the crucifixion of Christ. This theory elucidates that anyone who stands against Christ is anti-Christ. If such is the definition of anti-Christ then who are the anti-Christ among the Nagas?
To deny Christ and to assume to worship Him (Barrington. 1898) yet carries the identity of Christ follower is to plunge into darkness and call darkness in hypocrisy. A Hindu/ism, Bhudist/ism, Muslm/Islam or any other religion out of Christ/ianity is not Anti-Christ/ian. The ethic of Christ/ianityprimarily aims to build or develop character, for Christians or follower of Christ to learn or to teach how to live righteously (Ibid). However, the reality of Christians in the Naga society remains against Christ and His teaching in everyday life. The Christians Statehas failed to prove the meaning of anti-Christ/ian which often accuses people from other faiths. The Gospel of Matthew 19:18 says “do not steal, do not murder, do not bear false witness.” Paul first letter to the Corinthians 6:10 says “no thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God”.
The feeling of every Naga Christian is Christ follower and carries Christ identity in the form of a Christian. However, the act of every Naga Christian remains against Christ and His teaching, which inevitably no different from the theory of anti-Christ/ian. Politically and religiously, many thieves, murderers, false witnesses, verbal and non-verbal abusers are produced, who will have less possibility to inherit the kingdom of God. If this is the case, many Naga Christians are anti-Christ/ians than people of any other world religions who in reality do not stand against Christ though they defer from Christianity. Therefore, anti-Christ/ian is not just non-Christians, it is not only the beast of Revelation 13 (Nelson. 2000), but alsoChristians who live against the will of Christ than a non-Christian who does nothing against Christ but faithfully follows his/her own religion.
Friedrich Nietzche provides a challenge that Christianity is a destroyer of sound life, developed concept of evil, brought death to higher type of men; moreover, it is the religion of pity (Nietzche. 1895). Nietzche has true knowledge in this case about Christianity which is diluted by Christians in paradox to true Christianity. In the context of the Nagas, Christianity is as innocent as it has been but Christians have devalued and killed it in everyday act. The act that devalues Christianity itself is anti-Christ/ian. Without realizing self-anti-Christ characters, many Christian leaders and lay Christians condemn and accuse any new religious movement and religious leadership as cult and its adherents as cult worshippers. Anti-Christ/ian emerges or exists among the Naga Christians and not out of them.
The ramifications of anti-Christ/ian within the Nagas are the dead of society in politics, religion and culture. The entire Naga Christians faced the menace of anti-Christ/ian characters of the Christians. For Nietzche God is dead because we killed Him (Nietzche. 1882), similarly, noteworthy that, Christianity and Christ are dead and have declined in the Naga society because Nagas have killed them. Anti-Christ/ian is in the Naga Christians, not somewhere far away.
If anti-Christ/ian should vanish in Nagaland, it needs a beginning within the Naga Christians. It is recommendable that Naga Christians and church leaders may revive Christians/nity and Christ through self-introspection and revive the hearts of Christlik to a larger Naga Christians. Without which, the Church itself remains the center of anti-Christ/ians.
Lemwang Chuhwanglim
Researcher & Activist lemswang@gmail.com
