Cargo Cult

Of Missionaries and Cargo Cult

Letter to the Editor AS a missionary of the Sepik District of 15 years’ standing, I would like to reply briefly to “New Guineaite,” who wrote about cargo cult, Yali, and other related subjects in the July issue of “PIM.”

Cargo cult, under various names, has existed for years—and still exists—right up the Ramu and Sepik rivers and as far as Wewak and Kariru, and probably further. Any experienced patrol-officer can tell New Guineaite this. There were also, between 1935 and the outbreak of the war, scientific studies made of the subject in these districts.

Early this year, I interviewed a planter of this area, a patrol-officer, and a missionary. All agreed that there had been a great revival of the cult recently and that around Bogia it had almost amounted to a rebellion. The planter had himself come upon a mysterious night session of the adherents and for several days afterwards his boys refused to work.

As far as Madang is concerned, Colonel Woodman could have given New Guinea ite some useful information about the cult.

With regard to Yali. I myself inter viewed this native, near Bogia, early this

year. From what he told me I gathered that his purpose was to mould native opinion into believmg that it was only tnrough hard, sustained work that wealth could be achieved; and that easy acquisi tion through cargo-cult was a myth.

New Gumeaite says that missionaries did nothing for the country during the war. The fact is that no other section of the New Guinea community paid a higher price in lives sacrificed than did the missionary body. I will not give de tails of material help given fleeing Euro peans by missionaries who stayed at their posts, nor of the war service of missionaries of all denominations. These things are known by those who matter; and are believed by the unbiased.

New Guineaite takes us to task for getting free labour from the natives be fore the war. It is the custom all over the world for non-commercial enterprises, such as church bodies, to arrange collec tions and erect schools and churches by voluntary contributions of the adherents.

Why should New Guinea be an exception?

New Guineaite does not believe in education for the natives. But if there had been no mission education of natives in New Guinea, who would have read and interpreted the propaganda pamph lets dropped in millions to the natives in enemy-held territory during the war? In this way the natives were encouraged to carry on without help from Europeans.

I know of one catechist, at least, who was beheaded by the Japs for picking up, and reading to his village, a pamphlet dropped by our forces.

In conclusion, I should like to quote from Sir Hubert Murray. In one of his writings, Sir Hubert says that after the inevitable disappearance of old native customs and beliefs, the native is like a rudderless ship unless the missionary is there to help him.

“It seems to me,” continues Sir Hubert, “that many people, in their objection to theological dogma, allow themselves to under-rate the enormous moral and social force of Christianity, and consequently underestimate the effect of Christian missions among native races; and I am glad to see that Dr. Rivers, in the collection of essays to which I have so often referred, gives expression to the view which most British administrators have always held. ‘Experience,’ he says, ‘has amply shown that Christianity is capable of giving the people an interest in life which can take the place of that due to their indigenous religion.’”

I am. etc.,

Missionary.

Wewak, NG, 26/8/47.