ness in Native Communities

Need For Checking Sectarian Bitter ness in Native Communities

Specially written for The Pacific Islands Monthly by Gordon Thomas.

DIFFERENCE of opinion between white people, in regard to sec tarian matters, can usually be argued out more or less logically on lines of doctrine, with the invariable result that both parties retain their original opinions and either end up by sipping a cup of tea together or wishing each other “Good luck, any way,” over the rim of a glass of beer — with the inevitable remark that the more you delve into such matters the more complicated do they become.

Not so, however, with the grandsons of cannibal chiefs, whose religious edu cation has extended possibly (for a decade or so. The finer rudiments of consubstantiation, the Confession of Augsburg, Papal Infallibility, and the Act of Uniformity are tenets of which they are blissfully ignorant.

To the mind of the native, who is comparatively but a new “brand snatched from the burning,” there is only one true Lotu, and that is the particular sect from which he obtained his education. And with the same ardour as he would have upheld his old native customs and rites, so does he defend the sacredness of the parti cular brand of Christianity which has given him a God to worship.

The success of his own Lotu becomes an obsession. To him his savage on slaughts against the inroads of another Lotu are justified as a means to the glorious uplift of his own denomination.

There are no half-way measures in his religious convictions. God, to him, is contained in the doctrine of the Metho dist, Lutheran, or whichever church happened to show him the light of Christianity. All others are false, are interlopers deserving of quick and cer tain annihilation.

Christian ethics, as expounded by the several religious denominations in this Territory of New Guinea, have taken or are taking, the place of the old established native customs and tribal rites—which is exactly what the reli gious denominations ultimately aim to accomplish.

There is, however, the possibility of a danger of this religious ardour getting beyond the control of the responsible leaders of the various denominations if, and when, the ardent native fol lower becomes so intent on the propa gation of his own particular form of Christianity that he concentrates his savage instincts in a feud against other Lotus which, to him, are detrimental to the advancement of his own denom ination.

There have been several instances of this religious ardour getting beyond control. Although it would be unfair to suggest that the denominational leaders have encouraged such a danger —even by a policy of silent acquies ence —still it would ensure a greater degree of safety if a stricter policy of discipline were instituted by these leaders.

A case was reported recently when two Methodist Mission catechists were charged in the Central Court, Rabaul, with destroying the house of a Roman Catholic catechist in a neighbouring village. His Honour, the Chief Judge in giving his judgment, remarked that “Their act was a malicious, un-Christ ian act, committed for the purpose of destroying the property of people of another religion. They destroyed the house out of spite and ill will.”

His Honour went on to say that it was the first case in which an offence “the motive of which was sectarian bitterness.” And it is only as far back that such offences would be severely punished.

It is the first case which has come before His Honour, the Chief Judge but it is by no means the first case that has either occurred or been brought before a court.

A search through the old German court files (if they still happen to be there) would disclose several cases “the motive of which was sectarian bitterness.” And it is only as far back as March, 1929, that the Administrator appointed a committee of inquiry con sisting of a Judge of the Central Court.

“Whereas,” the appointment read, “complaints have been made to me that the activities of missionaries in the District of Kieta, in the Territory of New Guinea have caused unrest amongst the natives of that district etc., etc. . . .” and then went on to appoint a Commission to report on “The policies and activities of the Mis sions functioning in the district . . . in as far as such policies and activities affect the maintenance of peace and good order amongst the residents of the said district.” There have been several instances in Bougainville, other than those referred to in the appoint ment of the Court of Inquiry, of churches being desecrated by adher ents of another denomination.

Perhaps it is as well that these sav age acts of desecration seldom reach the Courts. They would make but poor reading in cold print and are certainly no credit to the methods em ployed by propagators of the Gospel of Him who said, “God is Love.”

But the question is net so much what has been done, as “how much will be done?” And, if there is a likelihood of repeated occurrences, what can the

Administration do in order to carry out Clause 5 of the Terms of Mandate, which reads: “Subject to the provisions of any local law for the maintenance of public order and pub lic morals, the mandatory shall ensure in the territory freedom of conscience and the free exercise of all forms of worship, and shall allow all missionaries, nationals of any State, Member of the League of Nations, to enter into, travel, and reside in the territory for the purposes of prosecuting their call ing.”

It is patent, therefore, that (any breach of “laws for the maintenance of public order and public morals” would be sufficient justification for the Ad ministration to cause the cessation of the activities of any offending denomi nation.

A less rigorous method would be for the adoption in this Territory of the system inaugurated by Sir William MacGregor, in Papua, where every re ligious denomination has its own spe cified area in which to preach the Gospel.

The pioneer Missionary, Chignell, in his “An Outpost in Papua,” writes: “The Anglican Church alone works on this North-east coast of Papua. The Roman Catholic and Protestant missions have their separate spheres in other parts of the coun try, and it is no small part of the joy of a New Guinea missionary’s life that he is not hindered, nor his people perplexed, by any of the confusions and controversies by which the ‘seamless Robe of Christ’ is elsewhere stained and marred.”

It is not yet too late for many of these areas to be defined and for legis lation to be introduced which will obvi ate this overlapping of Christianising the heathen which, with natives in their present state of mentality, is fraught with so many dangers.

The little kiddy dropping his penny in the box (and what a lot those kid dies’ pennies do ) and the wealthy philanthropist deeding £10,000 to foreign missions, are prompted by a desire for the Christianising of the heathen. They do not care a two-penny dump how the heathen are branded, so long as they are branded. The gift is one for Peace and Love —not for religious rivalry and the furtherance of “sectarian bitterness.”

In short: If the responsible white leaders of the five different religious denominations in this Territory are in capable of spreading the Gospel of Love and Peace on Earth, Good-will to All Men, without their native adherents destroying the property and disregard ing the sacredness of other sects, then it is time the Administration stepped in and took action “for the mainten ance of public order and public mor als.”