RATANA'S MISSION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17223, 13 August 1921, Page 9

RATANA'S MISSION.

to THB EDITOR Of "THB PRMB." Sir, —Your most regular correspondent must, even with commiseration, excuse me when on the delicate subject of his special hobby. I prefer just now to know nothing and deny nothing. What I do deny is that there is any parallel between Ratana's great work and spiritualism, since they are directly opposed. _ There is something mystic about spiritualism, and the occupation of teaching one's grandmother to suck eggs would be profitable compared to that of teaching the Maori anything concerning mysticism. Briefly, for instance, Maori mythology dates bacK to the periods of "nothingness," from whence to the "beginning' 1 it has a lapse of eighteen divisions ,of time. At the "Beginning" Heaven (Rangi). the father, and Earth 'Papa), the mother, were united in one bulk with no light between them, their children multiplying and being embraced in the mother's bosom. Family differences arose (over the greater and lesser; until one son, Tane Mahuta, in his mighty strength burst asunder the parents so that ever since they have t>een apart, to the regret of each, testified by the tears of the fathers falling as evening dew, while the mother's tears ascended as evening mists from the hilltops Some of the family accompanied the father, the others remaining with the mother. The whole "of the family, including both parents, were Maori gods, and the greatest of the high priests or tohungas traced their ancestry back to them. (Mr Trolove claims wo are all graded spirits). Innumerable geds have since been added to the list; in fact, of the making of gods there was no end. As to fairies, why, these were known in New Zealand from the time it was • fished out of the sea by Maui —the very name "Pakeha" was applied to the first European because of tne similarity between their fair skins and those of the fairies (pake-pakeha). The Maori race has practised mysticism—has bepn steeped m it throughout its. whole existence—and, having had far N more than a surfeit thereof, requires no more of it in any phase whatever, but does need its faith strengthed in the True God, of whom it has heard only during the past century. Most of the Maoris admit the presence of the Christian God has silenced the Maori gods, wliile ba-ck of their minds retaining some impression that the gods of Ihp Maoris can still exercise some powers over them. To utterly remove this last idea and to point only to the Divine God is the fhst work to which Ratana has been called with such a tremendous degree of success, the work of healing being only incidental, though truly marvellous. All Christian denominations can assist in keeping The good work going, especially Dy preventing any attempt at sidetracking.—Yours etc., PAKEHA MAORI. tO THB EDITOR O* "'THE FBS»S." 9ir, —With much pleasure I have followed the various accounts of Ratana's mission to the Maori. The absence of all form 9 of trickery, and the obvious backing it has had from the unseen, has troubled moro than one strict churchman, as all accounts lead. one .to the conclusion of spiritism or spiritualism, or whatever other term these people call themselves. Mr Trolove makes a distinction without a difference. "Pakeha Maori" ignores facts. If your account of the Rev. Munro'.s meeting was correct, then our church has at last accepted the tremendous fact that we are truly governable from the other side. Such an advance gives us hope for poor struggling humanitv, and as a communicant of 30 years' standing, I congratulate our leaders, and I hope to see mpre life force proceed from our altars. Yotis. CHt , BCHMiN .