Flashback. Blog posting March 30. Senior Pastor Laione Lutunacevamaca Dip Th., MABS, of the Kuriakos Christian Centre in Nadi claims to have been told by God that a disaster on a scale previously unknown will strike Fiji from all directions at 2:30pm on 23 June 2010, and he has warned people to prepare themselves. You may read his full pronouncement here.
But people are panicking, writes regular columnist Allen Lockington in an email received today. "The prophecy has rattled many people in Fiji. Tomorrow it is supposed to hit the east coast of Fiji. From what I hear even many religious denominations took it seriously."
And among those helping to spread the panic is Bill Gavoka, FRU Chairman, known supporter of the ousted SDL government and former head of the Fiji Visitors' Bureau, who -- I cannot believe this -- sent emails to tourist operators warning them of them of the pending disaster. "This is not a prophecy made by cult leaders," he wrote, "but by a mature and balanced pastor."
"The prophecy is commanding a lot of dialogue in the Christian community across the country and my background was tourism. I spent 30 years in the industry and I know that they're very vulnerable and I remember what happened in Thailand in 2004 with the Asian tsunami and I thought I would be doing my duty to alert them to this and prepare themselves for something real. According to the prophecy it will be around 2.30 in the afternoon."
NZ journalist Michael Field reports that Gavoka was "seized" by police and according to "State controlled and censored Fiji Broadcasting is being questioned over spreading the rumours of pending disaster." Note the careful choice of words. Everyone can make a little political capital out of the rantings of a religious fundamentalist.
"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances;And one man in his time plays many parts..." (Shakespeare). My prophecy is that Pastor Lutunacevamaca will have prepared his "exit" long before 2:30 this afternoon. I'm unsure what the rumour-mongers will say as the afternoon progresses but Gavoka may have learnt to avoid politics and prophecies and stick to rugby where outcomes are sometimes more predictable.
10 comments:
Overheard: "I don't know why some pastors like to make predictions like this, I don't believe in these bloody things." As he made his way to higher ground.
A 4.7 magnitude earthquake more than 500 kilometers deep has triggered fear among people in Fiji that a tsunami is going to hit at 2.30pm today.
The prophecy on an impending disaster has been circulated by a Nadi pastor who claims that God told him about the disaster.
Mineral Resources Department in Fiji has confirmed the earthquake occurred at 10.16am and said it was too deep to generate a tsunami.
The earthquake was centred between Fiji and Tonga and so far no tsunami warning has been issued.
It was not felt in Suva.
Local reports say people on the Rabi Island have prepared emergency shelters and moved to higher grounds.
Funerals have also been called off today.
Earthquake will not trigger tsunami.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=150671
Thats's his exit strategy Croz.
And he has connections at the Mineral Resources Department?
NO earthquake; NO tsunami! Some people on Twitter were saying an earthquake hit Fiji today. What they were quoting from was the report of a 5. something in the "Fiji Region" which is millions of square miles. There are earthquakes in this "region" literally every day.
Gavoka was once employed by Shangri-La Hotels. One wonders how they could have had such questionable judgment? Or has he only recently apparently lost all sense of reality and judgement? Whatever, he has now been proved soundly wrong. The Pastor is proven to be a veritable clown. Any more acts to follow or is this the Final Act?
Croz, I'll tell you how these prophesies came about.
Some of the people who belong to this Pastor's church were the very ones Bainimarama removed from the country's leadership. I'm told Gavoka is a member of this church and if you care to know, resigned from Fiji Visitors Bureau and in his own words "to join the SDL office and prepare for their election campaign" which was supposedly to be held last year. Other members were disgruntled SDL supporters. What I believe happened was that their hatred of Bainimarama consumed them so much that they had a "vision". The vision was the prophesy that a severe natural disaster was going to hit Fiji.
I'm still waiting for my share of cargo cult cash.
I cant understand why someone would publicise that an earth quake occurred when it was no threat to anyone.
Was there a point?
@ Anonymous
Yes, there was a point. There is METHOD IN THIS MADNESS
Anonymouses
I hope that we've not been reduced to only reporting potential threats to people in Fiji.
Supernova occur and are sometimes reported on. Yet they're light years away and not exactly a threat either
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