The most bizarre cult I have ever come across

Asiaprod

Well here for your Easter enjoyment is a real life bizarre account of a new Pacific cult that hails the second coming of its wealthy US messiah….a US GI. And into the bargain, now believes that its prayers have been answered with the allocation of a 37 million pound grant by the US Government. I really hope no one ever tells them George Bush is the great white spiritual leader.

Followers of a South Pacific cult, who worship a mythical Second World War American serviceman they hope will one day return bearing riches, believe that their prayers have been answered.
For 60 years, the bizarre John Frum movement on Tanna, in the Vanuatu archipelago, has believed that the great wealth or "cargo" that the United States military brought to their island home in wartime will one day miraculously return.
They worship a messiah-like figure, John (or Jon) Frum, thought to be a combination of an ancient spirit and wartime GIs based on Tanna who introduced themselves to locals as "John from America".
Carrying wooden "rifles", and with the letters USA daubed in red paint on their bare chests, they have paraded for decades in home-made GI uniforms beneath a tattered Stars and Stripes in the hope of somehow persuading the US government to bring back the wealth.
Now, as part of its Millennium Challenge fund - which rewards developing nations that have adopted political and economic reforms - the US is to give Vanuatu £37 million in aid, prompting cult followers to believe that their decades of prayer have not been in vain. This has caused a problem for the government of Vanuatu, which must now explain to the cult that the aid is intended for the entire nation, and not just Tanna.
Officials in the capital, Port Vila, are preparing to travel to Tanna to explain to the cult, based in a village at Sulphur Bay at the foot of an active volcano, that the money will be spent on infrastructure projects throughout Vanuatu's 80 islands.
"We're just about to embark on explaining to the John Frum leaders that the money from the Americans is a gift for the whole nation, not just for them," said John Shem, an official at the finance ministry. "It's one of their beliefs that some day John Frum will revisit them and bring a lot of money. It's absurd - a load of rubbish - but they're convinced of it."
Cargo cults emerged during the war in remote islands inundated with military supplies as US forces prepared to drive the Japanese out of the South Pacific. Islanders were mesmerised by the vehicles, weapons, medicines, tinned food and cans of Coca-Cola.
They were baffled when the "cargo" left with the Americans at the end of the war, and they developed cults devoted to enticing back the goods they had briefly enjoyed.
Over the decades most cargo cults have died out, but on Tanna, the John Frum movement lives on. Each year, villagers commemorate John Frum Day on Feb 15, raising the US flag and marching on a parade ground.

robindch

> a real life bizarre account of a new Pacific cult that hails the
> second coming of its wealthy US messiah.

This cargo cult has been around for a while, but a christian, one Prophet Fred (who foresaw the disappearance of a lake), turned up a few years back on the islands, so the place quickly sank into a brief inter-communal war:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3729715.stm

The best quote has to be:

"The John Frum people do not go to church and they do not send their children to school," he said. "They are heathens."

...said a presumably-new convert.

Asiaprod

robindch wrote:

The best quote has to be:...said a presumably-new convert.

That was a cool link robindch, thanks. Any more info on other weird cults like this?

Beruthiel

jeez
I'm ready to start one up myself if I thought I'd get 37 million!

Asiaprod

Beruthiel wrote:

jeez
I'm ready to start one up myself if I thought I'd get 37 million!

Let me know if you do, I will join you and together we can rule the world:)
Though I would be happy just to settle for all that blue water and sunshine.

monkeyfudge

The Dominion of Melchizedek are an interesting one.

They took the idea of setting up a religion to make a quick buck one step further and set up their own country as well.

Asiaprod

monkeyfudge wrote:

The Dominion of Melchizedek are an interesting one.

They took the idea of setting up a religion to make a quick buck one step further and set up their own country as well.

Thanks, I am off to Google them now.

Asiaprod

monkeyfudge wrote:

The Dominion of Melchizedek are an interesting one.

That was an amazing education. Check out their web site
http://www.melchizedek.com/

monkeyfudge

I read an article on them a good few years back. They seemed to have gained a lot more territory since then.

They have all these letters from the UN denying them membership, but those letters themselves make it seem like the UN is recognising them as an actual country.

padjocollins

https://meaningness.com/metablog/upgrade-your-cargo-cult

My favourite cargo cult will always be the Prince Philip Movement of the Kastom people in the very same island of Tanna, Vanuatu.

In common with many social commentators of the 1960's and '70's, they think Phil is rather divine.

branie2

I've heard of them

Hotblack Desiato

The thread rose again, and appeared to many

If there are people who think Phil the Greek is divine, there must be people who think Divine is divine - and sure why not -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpYTkavEt20

(if you're so inclined, you can seek out the clip from the end of "Pink Flamingos" yourself - viewer discretion is advised.)

robindch

Thread resurrection after 13 and a half years - is that a boards record? :eek:

Hotblack Desiato

I'm just disappointed that Asiaprod isn't back posting again