3.0. Kirat Christian Rais belief
Traditionally the Kirat Rais people are animist in their religious belief and follow their verbal tradition, culture and customs. Though at present Kirat Rais religious belief is somehow synchrotized with modern Hinduism and other world religious belief yet the Kirat Rais follow their traditional religion in one way or other. The Kirat Christian Rais believe in God. This is something far more than believing that God exists, and that he is the kind of Person described in the Bible and in Christian teaching. It means personal trust, self-committal, and deep confidence in the One who is our Father in heaven (Ps.73: 25, John 14:8).[1]
3.1. History of advent of Christianity into Kirat Rais
The town of Darjeeling has thousands of people belonging to different creeds and races. In 1814 there were not more than one hundred inhabitants with around twenty mud huts, When the east India Company, first came into contact with Kirat Rais. Later in the arrival of Scottish missionaries the town saw the construction of schools and welfare centers for the British. Above all the Governor General William Bentick who was then in charge of East India company wanted to save all those poor souls suppressed by the age-old tyranny, with the spread of Christianity. It is recorded that the Scottish Missionary Rev. William MacFarlane arrived in the hill region from Gaya town in the year 1870.[2] As a result of his hard work during the year 1874-75 two new believers were baptized viz. Padri Gangaprashad Pradhan and Sukhman Limbu.[3] The other missionaries during those days were Rev. James Anderson (arrived, 1886), Rev. Archibald Turnbull, and Rev. James Brodie, Rev. H.C. Duncan, and missionaries of Finland.[4]
The people of Darjeeling are mixed community-representing unity in diversity. We must note that by the time first missionary of Scotland Mr. Macfarlane arrived in Darjeeling the population had grown rapidly. The missionaries, foreign as well as native who worked to propagate the Gospel had main aim of spreading the good news to the illiterate masses. Hence, the Gospel was preached not to one particular tribe or groups of people rather to the available masses. As a result the Gospel reached to different communities and people groups. As a result a very few Kirat Rais were won for Christ. The total percentages of Kirat Christian Rais are approximately 1% at present.
3.2. Kirat Christian Rais belief of Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Kirat Christian Rais’ basic belief is the belief in the Trinity, one God in three persons, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father Eternal Creator and Ruler of the universe, is revealed by the Son and by the Spirit; the Son, “the man Christ Jesus,” the historical Jesus of Nazareth, is the Teacher and Savior, the exalted Lord of the Church, the Son of God who became man, who died, who rose again, and now sits at God’s right hand; the Spirit is the experienced Power of God, the revealer of God, the inspirer of the prophets “ the Lord and the Life-Giver” who “proceeds” from the Father and the Son and who brings life and light to the world.[5] During the Old Testament time God the Father manifested Himself through various means (Gen. 1:26a, Exo.3: 6, Josh. 10:42) likewise in the time of Jesus the Son, He manifested His existence and power through various means of healing, driving demons, raising dead from the death (Matt. 8:2-4, 14-15, 9:2-7, 24-26, 27-31, 12: 10-13, Mark 1:40-42, 2: 312, Lk. 5:12-13, 7: 11-15, 8:22-25, 9:12-17, John 2: 1-11, 4:46-54). After His crucification and death, according to the account of the Acts of the Apostles chapter two, at the time of Pentecostal and even at present, the Holy Spirit the third entity, is revealing His existence through various means not only to the believers but also to the entire world (II Cor. 13:14, Matt. 28:19).
[1] Frederick C. Grant, Basic Christian Beliefs, (New York: Board of Missions of The Methodist Church, 1960), 97.
[2] An article “Uttkrist Bakhte” by Panu Sanghang, in “Bhihaneko Tara” March/April 2006 edited by Rev. D.K Khaling, Darjeeling, 3.
[3] Ibid. (Ganga Prasad Pradhan became pioneer Nepali Bible Translator, Pioneer in Gorkha News Papers, a socialist and an educator, a pastor with genuine concern for the people of Nepal, whereas Sukhman Limbu became a voice and light in darkness to the people of Kalimpong and an ardent catechist).
[4] Dr. Kamal Andrew Rai (Ex Moderator EHCC, Darjeeling), In His Step, in 125 years celebration souvenir magazine of Emmanuel Church Jorbunglow. 2004, 3.
[5] Frederick C. Grant, Op.Cit, 51.
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