It may be an exaggeration, but hardly an extreme one, to say that virtually all religions, ideologies, worldviews and self-help philosophies are by definition absurd, containing every kind of unprovable axiom, self-contradictory tenet, illogicality and appeal to blind faith. They only gain a semblance of self-evident truth through age and familiarity, as the legend of John Frum illustrates.
About a century ago on the Pacific island of Vanuatu, a messiah cult centered on a mythical figure named John Frum, who would bring riches and happiness, rooted itself among the local population. It gained strength in World War II, when Allied air forces established landing fields on the island. The air crews brought desirable goods or “cargo,” much of which was exchanged to the islanders for their labor in building the airfields. In 1945, the seemingly heaven-sent outsiders departed, along with their novel goods.
