The other night, my husband and I watched the 1966 movie called Hawaii. It was about a missionary and his wife going to Hawaii to teach the natives about Christianity. The first thing they noticed, upon arriving to the island, was that the women, greeting the ship, were bare breasted. That was only the beginning of the things the missionary demanded to change in order to save their souls from the eternal fires of hell. Later, there was a somewhat humorous scene when the missionary discovered that adultery and incest were common among them. At one point, the brother (and husband) of the Queen lists the twenty-three ways to commit adultery on the island, based on the missionary's definition of it to him.
This had me thinking about today and our concept of sin. Apparently, back then, in this Hawaii story, they thought it was strange to cover themselves, or not to have sex with, or get married to, their siblings, etc. That is until a missionary came along to save them. Yet, did they need saving? Wouldn't God know of their "wickedness?" Did he feel they were being sinful in what they did? Would he have allowed all their ancestors to burn in hell? After all, their feelings were of innocence and disbelief. They weren't doing anything evil. That thought had to be planted in their minds from an outsider.
Sure, some may say the missionary was sent to save them, but did they really need saving? Their ideology seemed to be working quite well and they all seemed happy and content. Until someone came along and decided to change their ideology, implant these judgments, and call them sinners. There was one scene where it was discussed about the Hawaiians killing babies that were born with birthmarks on them. They thought it was more cruel to allow them to live. The Hawaiians were taught that this too was sinful. Until then, they felt they were doing the right thing. In that time period, maybe they were. Maybe they too were being guided by God for their needs. Who are we to judge?
As you can see, this movie made me think about the innocent mind doing something and not thinking it was wrong until told. Yes, we have more scientific awareness that helps our decisions today. However, we have multicultural concepts that are wrong to some but right to others. So who is right or wrong? Who is a sinner and who isn't? A long time ago, I felt the need to ask God, while meditating, about sin and judgment. The short message I received was basically very simple. It went: "I do not judge you, you judge you based on what you feel you did wrong."
Interesting. We judge ourselves before him. In their innocence, of what they did before the missionary arrived, they were sinless, until the thought was planted into their mind and they believed it. Before, when approaching God, he may have found them sinless based on their purity and innocence of thought. However, if they believed the missionary, and continued on with their old ways, they may have met God with guilt or shame; thus judging themselves.
What is sin? Well, what's within you to judge yourself? What has been shown to you, in order for you to decide? What do you feel is right or wrong based on education and awareness? I feel that's how God will see our souls; not so much with mankind and all its judgments, laws and rules, which we still need to obey or pay, but with his infinite wisdom. Also, something else I learned, while meditating: man has many rules but God has one and it's Golden.
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Just in case the movie over indulged truth, I found this website that describes more of Hawaiian life back then.
http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/2000to2004/2004-sexual-behavior-in-pre-contact-hawaii.html
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