Today I attended a lecture for foreigners new to Jakarta. It was a pretty decent overview of basic information about Indonesia, including the fact that the government recognizes six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
As our audience (mostly non-working wives of men in the oil and gas business) contemplates the PowerPoint list, confusion ensues.
“What’s … kon - fu - tuh…?” (Speaker trails off, unable to pronounce the whole word.)
The patient instructor explains that the term refers to followers of the tenets laid out by Confucius.
A few brows furrow. “Who is Confucius?”
Brighter members of the audience try to help. “You know, like ‘Confucius say…’”
“But … what do they BELIEVE?”
The instructor says “Well, it is really more of a philosophical system than a religion.”
You can almost hear the collective intake of breath.
“You mean … THEY DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD?”
Clearly, this is at once a novel and deeply disturbing concept.
OMG! I thought that the person that said, “Catholics aren’t Christians,” was a stupid dolt. Are people in other countries as ignorant as our fellow US citizens or are there dim bulbs everywhere with occasional flashes?
And to nitpit, Protestantism itself is not a religion it is a branch with many, many sub-branches and twigs. But I guess that the others in the list would say the same now that I know that there is Shiite and the other one and they hate each other to distraction and death.
Actually ILovCoffee, the presenter changed the language a bit to make the list clearer for people. Unless the official decree has been changed (which is possible), Indonesians actually say that two of the religions they recognize are “Christianity” and “Catholicism.” More than once I’ve met with a blank stare when I’ve said to an Indonesian “But why do you count “Christian and Catholic” as two religions? Catholics are Christian.” It didn’t compute.
CairoCarol, you really need to get out more. Maybe do some travelling.
It’s astonishing but true that a lot of people can’t wrap their heads around the notion that not everyone believes as they do. I’m reminded of an Internet friend’s account of her local paper publishing someone’s letter to the editor. “People should have the freedom to choose whatever religion they want, be it Methodist, Baptist, or Southern Baptist.”
One of the most irritating books I ever read was Nightmare in Laos by Kay Danes. Dumb ex-pat wife whose prime concern when moving to Laos was meeting other “aussies”, hanging out at the Australian Club, getting a kick out of having local low-paid servants and doing anything she could to not blend in and stick out like a sore thumb. Transpires, shock, horror that the country is unstable and the regime is corrupt. Never! Really?? She got chucked in jail and I didn’t feel sorry for her. Might have happened anyway but a lower profile and a few words of Laotian would have helped.
A big vommy to the ex-pat community. Bloody embarassment. Bah.
While Americans I have met abroad are definitely capable of such antics, in this particular instance I can help you. I was the only American present; the rest of the group consisted of Aussiie, British and Dutch.
Sternvogel’s cite is true, but there is more to it as a practical matter. In Indonesia, you don’t have the option of not declaring a religion. Your identity card states a religion, and when you are born you are automatically assigned a religion. The trend is toward less state control, but in the past the religion checked on your identity card might have influenced where you were allowed to live and go to school or who you could marry. As a cultural matter people take very seriously which of the religions is ticked on your ID. Conversion is frowned upon, as are inter-religious marriages.
There is no official policy of intolerance for non-named religions (and by definition, there are zero Indonesian citizens who are followers of non-named religions!) Foreigners can be any religion they like, although they are not allowed to enter the country for the purpose of proselytizing.
I feel your pain. I’ve been at trainings (in the US) where the trainer says, “How do all of you feel about beginning to work at a Catholic institution?” and the replies vary from “We all believe in the same God” (not true, in my opinion) to “Everyone believes in Jesus, or Mohammed, or, or, whatever it is the Jews have for a messiah, Jesus I guess, or… or… what… um… Buddhists… um…” Plus, nobody but me ever noticed that that “welcome to our organization!” coffee mugs (which quoted Jesus) also were decorated with crosses all around the top and bottom rims. “Really? No! I would have noticed that! … Oh. Well, but everybody believes in Jesus! Or, um, whatever the, the, the Jews… um…” Ad infinitum, alas.
ETAL Oh, and CairoCarol, how are you finding Jakarta otherwise?
Oh, I lurve Jakarta. Although I’m “new” at the moment, I already lived here from 1993-97 and 1999-2002. Loved it then, loved it now.
I have no idea what strange impulse seized me when I agreed to attend that session. Guess I was feeling that I was coasting on all my old friends that I already know from living here before, and I ought to try to meet new people. Not a bad impulse, but wrong venue. This weekend I’m going hiking with “Java Lava,” a club of expats and Indonesians who like to climb volcanoes. For me, a much more sensible way to meet new people.
