'Christianity profoundly influences every part of the region. It is not just that at weekends church ministers can count on preaching to congregations. It is that the Pacific's governments fervently proclaim themselves to be inspired and directed by God..


Pacific Islanders suffer at the hands of their share of exploitive charlatans, native and expatriate. How many in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji have put their trust and money in the hands of a pyramid scheme trickster who has fleeced them of a lot of money?

A government of Vanuatu fell for the smooth line delivered to it by an Asian conman. He flourished what he claimed was the world's largest ruby, in reality a worthless lump of rock.

A steady procession of carpetbaggers has flowed through Tonga. The Cook Islands and Fiji have taken hits. Tuvalu and Niue feel guilty about how their Internet domain sites are used by foreign businesses that paid for access to them.

Frauds accomplished, or nearly so, by itinerant swindlers have been assisted in no small way by the naivety of some leaders of newly independent countries, but also by their avarice.

A feature of the security blanket now descending on the islands with the help, indeed at the insistence, of certain aid donors, is a burgeoning network of police, customs, immigration, financial and intelligence activity.

This is designed to counter crime of a kind which, if unchecked, could undermine the stability of certainly some of the region's countries and cause a great deal of trouble in any of them.

Good leaders naturally wish to shield their people from attacks by crime in all its forms. They also alert their people to entrapment by illusions presented to them in the name of one religious denomination or another.

As introduced to the Pacific Islands firstly by Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, and more recently by the fast growing evangelistic churches, Christianity profoundly influences every part of the region. It is not just that at weekends church ministers can count on preaching to congregations that fill their churches. It is that the Pacific's governments fervently proclaim themselves to be inspired and directed by God.

In the Pacific, Christianity is a powerful political influence that must be reckoned with. In Fiji, it has been distorted and wielded to illegally change governments.

Competition between the old and more recently arrived churches arouses unchristian animosity. Both these sectors have a new worry; competition from charismatic brands of Christianity. These denominations, presenting such ecstatic theatricals as healing, prophecy and gabble presented as speaking in tongues, are a powerful attraction for people ready to be diverted from set, staid religious services offered by the older churches.

The latest arrivals are popping up at a rate that poses the question; are some perhaps disguised money-making businesses run primarily for their personal profit by charlatan self-proclaimed “reverends”? Since national constitutions protect freedom of religion, authorities empowered to crack down on plainly criminal deceptions are inhibited in dealing with Churches of Mammon.

They have a similar handicap in responding to intrusions by enormously wealthy crusader denominations that are such an unctuous feature of the religion business in the United States.

Fiji's authorities in 2004 saw it fit to grant V.I.P status to Reinhard Bonke, a German evangelist, who claims a following of millions in Africa. He also claims to have restored sight to the blind and whole bodies to the lame.

In November, Vanuatu and Fiji barred Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed Messiah and founder of the asset-rich and enormously cashed-up Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianty from landing on their shores.

The Fiji Government went so far to describe Moon's idea as being “misleading, repugnant and divisive and would affect the peace, good order, public safety and public morality” of the country.

In January, another big-time millionaire Jesus salesman, Benny Hinn, was due to descend on Fiji in a private jet. Hinn's critics have nasty words to say about his style of business. On the other hand, millions of people believe his claims to have a personal direct daily line to the managers of Heaven.

Unlike Moon, Hinn will get government red carpet treatment. His presence will cost local taxpayers a F$80,000 (US$45,000) security bill. Can't Hinn depend on God for his safety?

Is he exempt from that biblical admonition? The one about “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”