Hypocrisy is alive and well in the unofficial Christian state of Crook Islands, writes Ruta Mave.

Will Christmas be cancelled for all those religions who remain non-registered with the Cook Islands Religious Advisory Council (RAC) this year?

Minister Mac Mokoroa took advantage of a free trip to Utah with his wife to attend a symposium organised by one of the chosen four religions legally allowed to preside in the Cook Islands. If he got a free trip to Saudia Arabia or UAE or Middle East, would he allow the DIY homemade mosque remain to serve the many Muslim faith workers we have invited into our country to work and live?

Mokoroa justifies his actions by quoting a 1975 law whilst not revealing the other three denominations with applications pending. Just how long does it take RAC to recognise a religion? There has been many operating for years in Rarotonga with buildings, and congregations who have seemingly operated quite openly under the radar, fleecing our people of money for how long now? With no licence to operate in the name of God, how can they be operating if they do not have a permit to preach? Will the god squad be coming for them this Sunday shutting them down and kicking them out?  

Have the RAC pack (committee members) been totally blind to the existence of several religions in Rarotonga? Have they been receiving hush money from them to allow them to operate? Why don’t RAC pack or the Minister tell us who are the other three denomination now on hold? We as a people have a right to know which religions and why, have been allowed to operate illegally up until now.

Should Assembly of God stop assembling? Will Jehovah witness their last rites? Celebration cease celebrating? Should we Wave good bye to the Wave church and give up hope on the New Hope church? Shall we tear down the FADC and the Assent of Christ, shall we paint over all the I AM signs? Should we ban all fake displays of Xmas Santa’s, reindeer and snow and focus only on the birth of Christ with barn stable nativity scenes and a bright star?

For the past 60 years, Government through RAC allowed only four churches on Santa’s good list; CICC – Cook Island Christian Church, founded by the London Missionary Society LMS formed in England in 1795. It was founded to spread Christianity in non-European countries. It was mainly supported by the congregational church there were Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and various Protestants involved. It now forms part of the Council for World Mission.

Roman Catholics, well they have had a lot of bad publicity in recent times but still they remain the leading religion in the world. Seventh Day Adventist believe God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh which is Saturday. The Romans chose Sunday.

Latter day Saints or Mormons believe in JC but that the holy trinity is three separate entities.

The weird and whacky part of all this religious persecution is; Jesus grew up as a Jew, read from Hebrew texts, is from Nazareth, Jerusalem, which is in the middle east, where the three wise men rode in to Bethlehem on camels. So how did Jesus get blonde hair and blue eyes?

All this discourse about Muslims when if anyone reads up on will find; Muslims recognise Jesus as the son of Mary, he was a prophet and is also considered the Messiah or anointed one. They call him Isa which means ‘salvation of God’. Muslims also believe he performed miracles such as healing lepers and raising the dead. Muslims talk of Jesus’ birth as miraculous and they believe Jesus will return to earth before the day of judgment.

Muslims hold Jesus in high regard as one of God’s greatest messengers but they do not believe he was the son of God and neither do the Jews. 

Funnily enough Christians and Jews are believed to worship the same God that Muslims worship. They just have different names.

While the God squad is calling out the Muslims, you might want to check in with the Prime Minister who is shaking hands and welcoming in Saudia Arabia money on one side, China on the other, Korea on another and India too. Cook Islanders, has your government sold you out for seven pieces of silver?

How well will the government’s well of pity-pleading be filled, if we deny the very spiritual sanctity of those holding the purse strings?

If we are wanting to be known as a Christian state then let’s practice some basic Christian values 101. Let’s play nice with one another. If you are going to kick out one for non-compliance then kick out all of them. Anything less is racism and hypocrisy in action.