Comments on: John Frum and the Cargo Cults

By: av_Carlos

av_Carlos — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 05:20:08 +0000

This topic appears also on Werner Herzog’s film “Into the inferno”. It’s actually a documentary about volcanoes, and when he travels to Vanuatu to explore Mt. Yasur, Herzog meets the chief of one of the villages where the John From cult is still alive. The chief event tells him he has spoken to John Frum through the volcano, if I recall correctly.

This is a fascinating story, but the thing is it is actually quite possible that their beliefs come true one day, when America or some other nation chooses to go to war again and decides that the south pacific islands are a valuable strategical spot.
I don’t know, I’m thinking maybe as a pit stop on your way to bombing North Korea…

By: Scot Soars

Scot Soars — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 04:01:00 +0000

I spent three months sailing in and around Vanuatu a few years ago and spent two months there after cyclone Pam hit the island. The author’s description seems to me as very far off of the mark on many things. Take a trip and see for yourselves how the followers of Jon Frum operate.

By: James Mhango

James Mhango — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 09:54:56 +0000

What else. what if whatever I believe in has similar connotations. we are not free beings we are under control of memes. Victims of information. This proves that All religions started like this. Examine all your beliefs and don’t cry

By: Jurrasic

Jurrasic — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 13:46:22 +0000

DI Doe said: “The cult, religion, whatever you want to call it; is being reinforced by tourists who have heard about the origins of the cult, who visit and bring Cargo in the form of money, gifts, etc. I also have heard the ‘John from America’ version, which might explain via media coverage why most of these tourists are American.

This is a lovely example of the kind of cause-and-effect thinking that humans are so good (and bad) at.”

Funny you mention that, I was just thinking how if I was rich enough, one of the first things I would do is charter (or buy) a rebuilt WW2 warbird big enough to do a cargo drop from, load up a crate with useful goodies, fly down there and parachute drop a load of cargo right on top of them mid-ceremony.

A good deception deserves a little efford to maintain it, I always say. ;-)

By: timjowers

timjowers — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:45:18 +0000

[quote]timjowers said: “quite interesting indeed. you’d think someone would bother to ask the “cults” what they believe. I think one poster may have hit on it for real, if they have interesting rituals then they entertain themselves and their guests. I think also one must realize the fun of making bamboo towers and landing strips. Its like painting or drawing. The tone of superiority one senses from the earliest records of “tribes” rings through even in this article and most of the postings in it. Probably, in reality, the islanders are fairly smart. They might laugh at us saying “make a wish’ when we blow out candles on a birthday cake as much as we laugh at them saying John Frum will come from the volcano!”[/quote]

BTW, generally a “cult” is any organization which forbids an individual to leave the group. Also, forbids interaction with other groups. So, “cult” is a misnomer but a derogatory term in the spirit of superiority mentioned above.

By: timjowers

timjowers — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:43:31 +0000

quite interesting indeed. you’d think someone would bother to ask the “cults” what they believe. I think one poster may have hit on it for real, if they have interesting rituals then they entertain themselves and their guests. I think also one must realize the fun of making bamboo towers and landing strips. Its like painting or drawing. The tone of superiority one senses from the earliest records of “tribes” rings through even in this article and most of the postings in it. Probably, in reality, the islanders are fairly smart. They might laugh at us saying “make a wish’ when we blow out candles on a birthday cake as much as we laugh at them saying John Frum will come from the volcano!

By: azdezinergirl

azdezinergirl — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:17:20 +0000

My daughter taught me about John Frum…my mailman “brought” me a new car…he’s our John Frum. I’m printing this article and putting it in the mailbox for him!!!

By: stinger

stinger — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:38:32 +0000

Just a note, the Smithsonian article says they tried to buy LJ for $1000 not $77000:

In 1964, one cargo cult on New Hanover Island in Papua New Guinea offered the U.S. government $1,000 for Lyndon Johnson to come and be their paramount chief. But as the years passed with empty skies and seas, almost all the cargo cults disappeared, the devotees’ hopes crushed.

By: ThomasD

ThomasD — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:27:43 +0000

Not that cults don’t form in even the most sophisticated of societies even today, but I think this sort of phenomenon clearly illustrates the willingness and ease the human species showcases when it comes to believing a higher power. Simply put, humans in general want to believe, and they’ll believe just about anything if need be.

There’s no wonder why our major religions formed when they did – that is, in an age where the world was much more like these tribes than the world we have today.

By: stholas

stholas — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:16:39 +0000

Einstein was way more spiritual and religious than the ‘good book’ requires you to be. That alone is enough to reject the goofy book, or for that matter, any other enlightening text out there.

(This message has been sponsored by the cult of cult hating true believers of science and worshippers of the Theory of Relativity)