A generation ago I asked a kaumātua why our tūpuna had almost universally embraced Christ and turned away from ngā Atua Māori in all but form, and if, in his opinion, that had been a good thing?
Māori Marsden was a graduate of the Ngāpuhi wananga as well as of St Johns Theological College, and he knew his stuff, both in terms of Christianity and ngā Atua Māori. His answer to both questions was long, interconnected and somewhat complex, so I apologise to his whānau in advance for any injustice they may perceive I do in this summary of it.
He said the reasons our tūpuna became Christians included the parallels between the Old Testament Jehovah, the New Testament Jesus Christ, and the Polynesian Io; the kinship they felt with the house of Israel; the clearer separation they found in Christianity between ‘good’ and ‘evil’; the similarities between the Christian and Māori stories of the Creation; the clearly defined concepts of the Fall, Incarnation, Atonement and Resurrection; and the written word of the Bible. These were all seen as upholding and enhancing the underlying principles of Mana and Tapu so important to tikanga Māori. So Christianity was embraced and accepted by our tūpuna and by himself as a natural spiritual progression for our hapū to make. But he also said that the form of Christianity brought to these islands by Pākehā was ‘broken-legged’ (divided between warring factions of Europeans). And while liberating us on one level, it had also added to our division which was then seized on by the Crown in its drive to rule us. In short, Christianity was definitely a tool of colonisation.
Being an inveterate questioner I then asked him if personal conviction, as opposed to political considerations, had had any part in the conversion of our tūpuna to Christianity? His answer was instant and his look intent, ‘They were people of deep spirituality and intelligence. Make of that what you will, but never doubt that they were excited by the new religion and were fired to make the leap of faith.’
Today Christianity is being increasingly abandoned by the Pākehā and Māori alike. Even amongt those who still hold to its outward forms, many have become ‘Godless Christians’ who treat its theology like a menu from which to pick and choose, and its head, not as God, but as the maitre’d who delivers the menu.
Disillusioned by the wide gap between Pākehā professions of faith in Christian principles and their lack of principles when dealing with us, many Māori have turned to other faiths. Others seek to reinstate ngā Atua Māori as our primary religion. And some have given up on God totally to embrace materialism wholly. Invariably the result is a far cry from the ‘deep spirituality and intelligence’ of our tūpuna and their ‘fired leap of faith’ as described by Māori Marsden.
For materialists, no God or a maitre’d God may be fine. But for anyone seeking liberation, that will not do at all. In fact, if we don’t address God with deep intelligence, spirituality and faith, will we even be fit for the liberation for which we are striving?
Next week I’ll continue exploring this vexed issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment