This is probably gonna be one of the things I write that piss people off. Anyway, here we go.
Although I start with the lines "I am the village heathen", I'm not referring to my home village or to a specific village in general (before all the Ha'ateiho people come at me lol).
When I wrote
"No one’s seen me in the church I was baptised in
Since who remembers when."
I simply mean I haven't been to any church in the longest time. I was baptised as a baby into the FWC church, but I can't remember the last time I went to an FWC church, or to church in general.
I wrote this in my own opinion that I think the church and religion in Tonga have a lot of power and influence that permeates into politics, and strict gender roles that uphold sexist views. Like, is it just me or is misogynistic, transphobic & homophobic views and beliefs most rampant in Tonga from
some of those faifekaus screaming at us on the radio and the TV and their most faithful followers? Hmm? 🤔🤔
Since June is LGBT Pride Month, here's an example (and a common example):
"Women were made for men. Men were made for women. The role of men and women is to procreate under matrimony and raise children who are blessings from God. Anything else from that is a sin. You will burn in Hell for eternity for being GAAAAYYY! Being Gay is a sinnnn! "
I'm sure we've all heard a malanga somewhere along that line more than once in our lives in Tonga. But sexual orientation is not a choice, and that's just how you are. It's not a switch you can turn on and off. Did you choose to be straight?
But no one is ever really gonna say anything because the faifekau already said in his malanga that anything other than heteronormativity is a sin. So we blindly accept Heteronormativity and it just becomes accepted as the norm because that's what the faifekau and everyone in power said?
However, if you even dare to raise a question, especially about sexism and homophobia, you're labelled as being difficult and disrespectful to those in power and with authority?
And the cycle of hate and discrimination goes on, fueled by whatever the faifekau and those in power says.
It's never made sense to me.
I always thought love was the core value of Christian belief. But when you preach about hate disguised as love and judging and condemning others who are not the same as you or believe in the same things as you, what does that make you? What does it mean?
That's it. That's the questions that's been on my mind. That's all. For now, ponder with me.
'Ofa atu and until next time.