Missionaries
in Bali: Why they failed
The Miguel Covarrubias book Island Of Bali talks about how Christian
missionaries have tried over the last 200 years to convert the
Balinese. Balinese culture, family life, daily life and social
organization are all inter-linked with the Agama Hindu religion
and its is hard to imagine anyone converting. Last year I talked
to a young Mormon from Salt Lake City USA who was on a RTW trip.
He said coming across the Pacific he had some success in talking
to people about converting, but that he could not figure out what
was going on here in Bali and that he felt slightly uncomfortable
with the elaborate ceremonies.
Covarrubias elaborates on the history of missionary activity in
Bali:
During the past century all efforts to Christianize the Balinese
have failed, and the story of Nicodemus, the first Balinese convert,
is already well known. Nicodemus was the servant and pupil of
the first missionary who came to Bali. He allowed himself to be
baptized after some years in his service of the missionary, but
time went by and no other converts could be made, so the missionary
began to put pressure upon Nicodemus to baptize others. The poor
boy, already mentally tortured because his community has expelled
him, declaring him morally dead, unable to stand the situation
any longer, killed his master, renounced his faith, and delivered
himself to be executed according to Balinese law. The scandal
aroused in Holland brought about a regulation discouraging missionary
activities in Bali.
This, however, did not stop the missionaries, permits were granted
to them in 1891, again in 1920, and in 1924, when Roman Catholics
requested special concessions, but waves of opposition from the
Balinese thwarted these attempts. Meetings were held among the
Balinese leaders to stop the catastrophe, and the permits were
revoked. But towards the end of 1930 the American missionaries
again succeeded in securing an entrée, supposedly
only to care for souls already saved and not seek new converts.
But quietly and ostentatiously they began to work among the lowest
classes of the Balinese. The more sincere of the early missionaries
had aimed at obtaining converts of conviction and consequently
had failed, but these later missionaries wanted quicker results
and followed more effective methods.
Taking advantage of the economic crisis that was already making
itself felt in Bali, they managed to give their practically destitute
candidates for Christianity the idea that a change of faith would
release then from all financial obligations to the community-all
they had to do was pronounce the formula: Saja pertjaja Jesoes
Kristos-I believe in Jesus Christ. If the man who was induced
to pronounce the magic words was the head of the household, the
missionaries claimed every member of the family as Christians
and soon they could boast about 300 converts.
Soon enough the new Christian discovered they had been misled;
they had to pay taxes just the same, had become undesirable to
their communities, and were being boycotted. In Mengwi, where
the missionaries had their greatest success, the authorities refused
to release converts from their duties, bringing endless conflict
with the village and water distribution boards. In many villages
regulations were written into local laws to the effect that those
who were unfaithful to the Balinese religion were to be declared
dead; meetings were held to discuss the possibility of banishing
the converts to remote parts like Jembrana, together with other
criminals. The Christians had also become deeply concerned when
they found out they could not dispose of their dead, because they
were not permitted to bury them in the village cemeteries and
all the other available lands were either rice fields or wild
places. At times the situation became intense and near riot took
place. The alarmed village heads reasoned with some converts and
succeeded in bringing back a number of them to the old faith.
Covarrubias gives further examples of Balinese converting to Christianity
not really understanding the meaning and converting back to Agama
Hindu. He then goes on:
In the meantime, while the controversy rages on, the shrewd missionaries
are steadily gaining ground. At present a Catholic priest and
a Protestant missionary are stationed in Denpasar, and another
missionary, a Catholic, is stationed in Buleleng, all three undoubtedly
discreet but tireless in their efforts to save the Balinese.
But Bali is certainly not the place where missionaries could improve
in any way the moral and physical standards of the people and
it is hard to believe, knowing the Balinese character, that they
will succeed. Religion is to the Balinese more than spectacular
ceremonies with music, dancing, and a touch of drama for virility;
it is their law, the force that holds the community together.
It is the greatest stimulus of their lives because it has given
them their ethics, culture, wisdom, and joy of living by providing
the exuberant festivity they love. More than a religion, it is
a moral philosophy of high spiritual value, gay and free of fanaticism,
which explains to them the mysterious forces of nature. It is
difficult to imagine that it will ever be supplanted by a bleak
escapist faith devoid of beautiful and dramatic ritual.
..................................................................
This was written in 1937 and to this day most Balinese are Agama
Hindu. Obviously Covarrubias is totally against missionaries and
in love with the Balinese culture, but what he says about the
religion being the center piece of Balinese life is totally true,
everything from the banjar, to the ceremonies, to the control
of water, to life and death is structured around their religious
beliefs. Take away that central system and much of the social
fabric is gone.