CULT OF RATANA

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1927, Page 4

CULT OF RATANA

A CRISIS THREATENING. “The Bishop of Waiapu in his address to his Synod made some important references to the Itatana cult as observed in his diocese,” states the “Church News” (Christchurch). “11l two settlements in tho Taurauga districts the Church people had gone over Itatana wholly, but these two were exceptional cases. “All along the East Coast among the Ngatiporou and in the part of Bay of Plenty ministered to by Canon Paliewa, tho Church people are untouched by Ratana’s influence, and there is little evidence of his influence in the Rotorua district. In other places where the Ratana movement lias affected the Maori, there is a strong body of Church people standing firm, and there is marked evidence that the disaffection of some has been the means of stiffening up and drawing together our Church people.

“Efforts have been made by Ratanists to obtain the use of our churches for their worships, hut the Bishop lias resisted this on the ground that they had been built for worship according to Anglican rites only. This lias had the desired effect, and the Auckland Court case has checked the organised attempt to seize and use the churches. None of the Maori clergy of tho diocese has joined the movement, but a fair number of the licensed lay readers have done so—mostly elderly men. “Atany followers of Itatana. have poured their money into his so-called “hank.”' There are many sad cases where they have parted with every available penny. Tho boast that while the Anglican Church is always asking for money from its members, Ratana and It is followers ask for nothing, is both absurd and untrue. Ratana holds thousands of pounds of the people’s money. I AI a ll y Afaoris, some personally known to me.’ said the Bishop ‘realising the fallacy of their action, are asking for their money back, hut this is, of course, refused. The money is being spent, most of it is already spent.’ The Bishop declares that the movement is weakening and Ratana’s actions are prejudicing his liiann. ‘There is no religion lett in the movement.’ said a thoughtful educated Alaori to the Bishop. ‘There is the form of service, but the talk is of lands and money, and what they can get.’ “On the other hand ,the Botanists, while admitting that a crisis is preparing in. the movement, are confident that they will emerge from it stronger than ever. A Christchurch newspaper correspondent at AVnngaiiui indicates that they admit that the power which established Ratana’s prestige among the Afaoris. his ‘faith-healing,’ is departing from him, but they point out that Hatana anticipated this. Tho question is whether his mana wijl withstand the shock of failure. The liewspnpes correspondent reported that whereas ‘at one timo nearly every denomination claimed to have something in common with Ratana’s teachings, now that the movement has reached to such large dimensions, they can say nothing too had of it.’ It is rather an amusing way of putting it. Tho truth is that Ratana borrowed something from several existing ‘denominations’ to form Ii is ‘creed,’ Amt has departed from tho rule common to Christian churches, namely, that nothing shall lie added to Scriptural teaching. Ratana, for instance, has added inexplicably, tho angels to the "baptismal formula of our Lord. And surely the fact that the ‘denominations’ can say nothing too bad of the movement is ominous. Aleanwhile, the great apostasy of Ratana. is raising for ilsol. a great concrete shrine in his village up the AVanganui. to hold 1090 people.”