1. Introduction: A Changing Spiritual Landscape
The Tangkhul Nagas, known traditionally as the Hao, were once guided by a life where every rhythm of nature carried spiritual meaning. Faith was not confined to a church or a book; it was woven into the soil, the forest, the hearth, and the clan.
But with the coming of Christianity, our worldview shifted. Today, many ask: Have we, the Hao Tangkhuls, become unreligious or too liberal toward religion?
2. The Hao World Before Christianity
Before the gospel reached the highlands of Ukhrul, the Hao worldview was sacred and communal.
- Every natural element — the mountains, rivers, trees, and stones — was believed to carry life-force.
- Religious practices were not separate from daily life; they guided farming, hunting, marriage, and festivals.
- The fear and reverence for the unseen kept society disciplined and harmonious.
Religion for the Hao was not about belief in doctrines but living in right relation — to the Creator (Kazing Ngalei kasa Akhava) and to creation itself.
3. The Christian Conversion and Spiritual Shift
When Christianity entered the Tangkhul hills in the early 20th century, it offered education, unity, and moral clarity. It also replaced old rituals with a new form of worship — written scriptures, Sunday services, and structured church life.
While this transformation brought spiritual renewal, it also broke continuity with the indigenous sense of sacredness.
- The ritual link to nature faded.
- The communal rhythm of spirituality was replaced by individual faith.
- The embodied spirituality of song, story, and sacrifice became more intellectual and Westernized.
We did not become unreligious; we became religious in a foreign framework, often forgetting the depth of our ancestral spiritual grammar.
4. Are We Becoming Too Liberal Toward Religion?
In many ways, yes — but it’s a complex yes.
a. The Positive Side of Religious Liberalism
Modern Tangkhul society is open-minded and adaptive.
- We freely combine Christian ethics with Hao cultural values.
- There is growing appreciation of cultural revival — traditional festivals, folk songs, and moral codes being reclaimed as heritage, not heresy.
- Younger people question denominational barriers and seek a faith that is more spiritual than institutional.
This kind of liberalism shows maturity — a search for a balanced faith rooted both in Christ and culture.
b. The Negative Side of Religious Liberalism
Yet, there is another side:
- The fear of the sacred that once guided our lives has weakened.
- Religion has become social — about attendance, not transformation.
- Our young generation, though educated and confident, often shows spiritual indifference — detached from both the Bible and the ancestral moral universe.
We are not faithless, but spiritually shallow. The form of religion remains, but the fire of reverence fades.
5. Rediscovering the Hao Soul in Modern Faith
The challenge before us is not to return to the old religion nor to reject Christianity, but to reconcile the two worlds.
Christianity taught us salvation; Hao spirituality taught us harmony — with nature, clan, and Creator.
If both meet, our faith could again become whole, rooted, and alive.
To be truly Christian and truly Tangkhul is not a contradiction — it is a calling:
to live with reverence, justice, and love for all creation as our ancestors once did, and as Christ himself taught.
6. Conclusion: Becoming Spiritually Rooted Again
We have not become unreligious; we have simply become distracted. Our task now is to reawaken the sacred consciousness that once flowed naturally through the Hao world.
The future of Tangkhul spirituality depends not on choosing between Christianity and Hao-ism, but on remembering the sacred harmony that binds them both.
Hao Tangkhul 
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