Trafficking in Minahasa: A Scar on the Face of Christianity in Indonesia!

Human trafficking has recently become one of the major concerns of the government of Indonesia, especially that which is taking place in the region of Minahasa in the province of North Sulawesi. Many teenage girls are sent across the sea to Papua to work as hostesses (or, to be straightforward, prostitutes!) in night clubs. The girls of Minahasa are well-known throughout the archipelago to possess charming physical features: fair skin, nice hips, beautiful face, and straight hair. Thus, they become the main attraction for men in town looking for amusement and a dose of instant love-making.

Well, human trafficking happens everywhere around the globe, not only in Indonesia, and not just in Minahasa. The most troubling issue I want to discuss here concerns more about what the people of Minahasa are. They are Christians!

Christianity is the second largest religion in Indonesia – and compared to the Moslems, the Christians are considered a group of minority. As Christians, we are obliged to follow the Lord’s command to become “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.”

Now, Minahasa is a region where over 90% of the inhabitants are Christians. It has been so for generation upon generation. Christianity is so rooted in the life of the people that the main city of this province, Manado, is sometimes called “The Jerusalem of Indonesia.” But the trafficking taking place at present in this Christian-populated region has become a stench and a scar on the face of Christianity in Indonesia!

How did this happen? What causes it?

Many troubled Christian ministers say that this degrading social trend springs up from the change within the Minahasan frame of mind. Decades ago, the Minahasan are people who highly respect education and intelligence. A man is extremely honored when he is a man of wisdom who possesses a high degree of education. But in the recent years, the spirit of materialism started to invade throughout the region, causing people to believe that power lies in one’s wallet and not in the brain. A fool may be well accepted in the society provided that he’s got wealth. This spirit of materialism has ruined the way of thinking of the Minahasan over the years. It is no wonder that these days Christianity tends to become simply a status on one’s ID card and not the way of living like it used to be. One can go to church on a Sunday morning to “perform the religious duty” then in the evening step into a night club to indulge in pleasure.

I’ve heard the story of a servant of God who boldly came up to a member of his congregation to reproach him, “Brother, why are you going there to do this indecent thing?”

The addressed member replied, “Why, pastor! What else a man can do? The girls are gorgeous!”

Pathetic! The reply given to that heart-broken minister show that people these days no longer possess the right mind to judge and decide the right over the wrong.

And it’s not just in Minahasa or Papua. The degradation of people’s morality and wisdom has begun to take place everywhere – disregarding the religion, age, tribe and social classes. Soon, religion – Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism – will sure to become a dusty plate on one’s desk or a meaningless word stamped upon an ID card. With the morality vanish, what will happen to this nation in the age to come?

Let’s hope that the soon-coming new government will be able to cut immorality to the root, restore the people to the sound frame of mind, and abolish trafficking for good in our beloved country!