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| Sunday, 29 September 2002 |
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Letters |  |
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Please forward your letters to [email protected] in plain text format within the e-mail message, since as a policy we do not open any attachments.
In the 'Sunday Observer' of September 5 "Forum page", a letter under the heading "Kuppiyawatta Temple and Vidyodaya Pirivena" appeared. It revealed that the readers are very impatiently waiting for replies from astrologers on the ten questions. However as a confused Vedic astrologer now switched over to scientific astrology, I venture to answer the first question as a reply to all the ten questions there. According to vedic astrology the sun takes 365 1/4 days to go round the earth under the calculations for auspicious hours for celebrating the Buddhist Sinhala New year in Sri Lanka. It is on the basis that the sun enters Aries (Mesha) from Pisces (Meena) on April 13th every year. But in the preparation of the horoscopes the stars in the universe go round the earth every 24 hours passing through 12 Zodiacs from Aries to Pisces. Accordingly every 24 hours or daily births belonging to all the 12 Zodiac signs occur, with characteristics ranging from goat, bull, crab, lion, virgin, scorpion, archer, dragon and fish. Besides the planets going round the earth occasionally go backward or in the reverse gear, as "Vakra" movement. If a clarification is required about the speed of the sun round the earth, planets in reverse gear and the stars in Vedic astrology even the creator maha brahma will run away and hide as the only answer he can give. So are the astrologers as already revealed by their silence. But according to the 'Sunday Observer' of August 18 an international astrology and spiritual sciences conference had been held at the BMICH, Colombo. It was the first time in Sri Lanka. It appears that the scientific or eternal truth and the conventional truth based on guess work by the primitive man through ignorance has no difference or meaning at such conferences where Minister of Justice was the chief guest. The Vedic astrology or more appropriately wayside 'ass-trology' is still trying to co - exist with Buddhism in Sri Lanka, where it had been stated by the Buddha that astrology is an animal science or Thirascheena Vidya that appeals only to the idiots. It is a purely scientific or eternal truth though it is not valid in astrology and the Vedic brahmins became eternal enemies of the Buddha after he discovered the theory of cause and effect. This is a serious matter for the Minister of Buddhasasana. K.S. Fernando, My attention was drawn to a headline on page 9 of the 'Sunday Observer' of August 25th. It read "Worth paying Rs. 50,000 to see Kannangara in shorts' the article of which this was the heading did not enlighten the reader as to who Kannangara was nor did it explain why it was worth paying so much money to see him in shorts I thought I would enlighten your readers with this letter. The person referred to was my late father, E.W. Kannangara, Civil Servant, Permanent Secretary, Senator and Chief Commissioner Boy Scouts at the time a contingent of scouts from this country attended a Jamboree in Birmingham England. My father was in this middle age and had developed a fat stomach so much so it may have amused people to see him in shorts. The episode took place at the House of Representatives and is mentioned in my father's memoirs. He had asked prime Minister Bandaranaike for a grant of Rs. 50,000 to meet the expenses of the scout contingent. When the matter came up before the House of Representatives Dr. N.M. Perera had objected saying that it was far too much and that it should be cut down. Thereupon Mr. Bandaranaike is reported in hansard to have said" Come on be a sport, let us give Rs. 50,000 to see senator Kannangara in khaki shorts." My father records 'there was applause all round and the vote was passed without, any dissension". D.L. Kannangara, TV umpire in championship tournament The ICC's experiment with the TV umpire in the Champions Trophy tournament, currently being staged in Colombo, certainly augurs well for cricket, besides speaking volumes about the positive and progressive approach taken by the sport's top brass. I cannot help but recall an argument I had last year with a prominent cricket commentator-no doubt, a maudlin sentimentalist - over the prospects of employing technology in cricket. He was vehemently opposed to technology usurping the role of the umpire. His somewhat simplistic argument revolved round this question: "What will become of umpires if we leave their job to machines?' My view was: If we have the technology that will assist the umpire in making a decision that cannot be questioned, shouldn't we use it to eliminate unnecessary controversy? The operative word is "assist", because the umpire will have to decide after viewing the evidence produced by the camera. The umpiring or refereeing of any game is a chancy thing. Indeed, the chance call of the umpire has been a constant factor: the tennis shout that may have nicked the line; the strike that could have been a ball in baseball; the dispute over whether the basketball player had charged into the guard or was blocked by him. Fortunately, there are pragmatic executives in tennis and other sports who are brave enough to enlist technology to get as close as possible to achieving a godlike finality in refereeing. Any talk of cricket remaining insulated to the encroachment of technology because this noble sport has, over the ages, been nourished by gentlemenly conduct is absolute rubbish. Such sentiments are tantamount to ventriloquising crusty, archaic views. Life has changed dramatically. So has the world. Didn't 18th century cricket feature underarm bowling, curved bats, two-stump wickets, players wearing velvet jockey caps, nankeen breeches and buckle shoes? In the modern era, had a certain kerry packer not taken the establishment by the scruff of its neck, today's player would not be enjoying rich rewards for their skills, and spectators would not be treated to electrifying entertainment. The cynic would, of course, blame commercialisation for the game tainted with scandal. He's probably right. But that's inevitable: It's all part and parcel of change. Just like umpires relying on technology to help them arrive at an indisputable decision. Percy Seneviratne, Indigenous medicine practitioners and allopathy Everyday thousands of innocent patients fall victim to these unscrupulous medical practioners, whose only concern is monetary gains. The authorities concerned are turning a blind eye. Perhaps, through your columns, public concern could be evinced in this unhealthy issue. Unani was the system of medicine practised by ancient Greeks. This system continues to be practised in some form in Indian and Pakistan. It is from India that this system of Unani medicine was officially introduced to Sri Lanka in the late 1920 s. With the introduction of Unani medicine it was expected that this system, alongside Ayurveda and Siddha, would become another alternative to allopathic system of medicine. These expectations from all three systems proved to be wrong. Unani practioners stated to practise allopathic medicine. At present most of these Unani graduates and an equally significant number of Ayurveda and Siddha graduates practise illegally, the allopathic system of medicine. Although the regulations are in place to nab these illegal practitioners, they get away due to the laxity of the authorities. When officers authorised by the department of health attempted to bring these 'qualified quacks' to book, the same department issued a circular preventing these officers from carrying out their duty. It is said that the reason being put forward by the graduates of this system of medicines, especially the Unani system, is that raw drugs are not available in this country and therefore they are compelled to turn to allopathic medicine. sThe truth of the matter is that many of those who join the indigenous medicine courses do so only to obtain a licence to set up a practice. Once they achieve this, they then set about their illegal practice of allopathic medicine. The lives of hundreds of thousands of patients, are at risk at the hands of these 'qualified quacks'. Yet the authorities seem to be completely oblivious to this situation either through negligence or by design. The SLMC has prohibited its registered practitioners from training this category. What it hopes to achieve from this is not very clear but at least it is a start. The SLMA on the other hand is concerned about the fundamental rights of these indigenous graduates but does not seem to voice concern about the rights of innocent patients exposed to risks at the hands of these 'qualified quacks'. Perhaps the solution to this situation lies in the hands of the indigenous graduates themselves. It is they who should look inwards and realise that the income they earn and with which income they feed, clothe, house and educate their children and build the future of their family is illegitimate to the very last cent. These individuals should heal and cleanse themselves of this criminal malady and thereafter genuinely think of healing others using the glorious knowledge of indigenous medicine, which they have learnt. M. Nilofer, The media, the television, telephone conversations, tell us what happened last week, last month, yesterday or a few hours after an event, what transpired. However, the Holy Bible (which is God's message) tells us what will happen tomorrow. This Book called the Holy Bible, the Voice of God is full of specific details, prophecies describing specific people, events, times, places, years and years before they came into existence. Many people think "How can you be so certain that Jesus Christ will come in my generation when he did not come in my father's grandfather's and even my great grandfather's generation". Though many preachers said and are saying, he would. The same way that he went up in a cloud and will return once again in the air for his bride, the Church Acts 1:11. The only hope in a hopeless world is that Jesus Christ is coming very soon. The nation of Israel was scattered in such a way that no other nation was, not only were they scattered, but they were massacred, humiliated, humbled. Nearly six million lives were lost in world war II, 1939-1944. No one could ever dream they will arise again from the ashes. Hitler wanted to destroy them as a nation from the face of the earth and Nasser of Egypt. But today there rises a nation to prove the truth in the infallible Word of God which thousand of years before in Jeramiah 31:10. This prophecy was fulfilled in detail that is recorded. Jesus said almost 2000 years ago that there would be wars and rumours of wars, nations rising against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms (Matthew 24: 6-7). Jesus also predicted that there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places (Matthew 24:7). One third of the world is wellfed, one third of the world is underfed and one third is starving. More than a hundred million children died as a result of the famines in the 1990s. Does not the Holy Bible say in Luke 17:29 that when Jesus is revealed it will be like the day when Loth went out of Sodom. Read Genesis, 19, see how the sin of homosexuality was rising in the time of Loth and God had to come down to wipe it out. This is an abomination to the Holy God who created this wide world and all those in it. The anti-christ will rule the earth for seven years. Money will not be worth. Read Revelation 13:16 - 18. No man might buy or sell without the mark of the beast (the anti-christ) or the number of his name and his number is 666. This mark will appear only after the church is caught up and the anti-christ appear on the scene. The mark 666 is already appearing in some snap fasteners and in some sarees. World Bank code number 666 and Australia National Bank card bears the number 666. This appearance of the mark 666 in the surface in our generation is only to warn us how close we are to His soon return. Jesus said "I'm the Alpha and Omega". "The beginning and end" so we now live in this time which is really the beginning of the end. We are now living in the era which the Holy Bible declared 2000 years ago with all the signs. But the good news is, we now have an opportunity to know Jesus the God who created mankind and this world. Wherever you are open your heart to the Lord Jesus. Now, He loves you, He does not want to die and live in hell eternally. He is just waiting to hear your cry. Call out to Him and He will stretch out his hand and lead you to the road which leads to Heaven. Trust Him now. Tell Him now that you love Him and you believe only Jesus can save your life from hell and surely He will hear your heart's cry and give you happiness, peace in your heart and keep you in His care. Receive His free gift of salvation. Marji Fernando, |
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