NGO conspiracy against religious milieu in Sri Lanka

By W. T. A. Leslie Fernando

In the past it was the Catholic belief that Christianity was the only true religion and all the other religions were pagan and heathen. The Catholic Church was hostile to other religions and adopted a policy to convert people to Christianity at any cost. It used various devices for the purpose and often persecuted non-Christians. In 2000 Pope John Paul II publicly apologised for misdeeds of the Church in the name of religion.

The Vatican Council II (1962-65) reversed the attitude of the Church towards other religions. It directed that the Catholics should acknowledge the truth inherent in them and values in their society and culture. Nevertheless it did not give a licence to sacrifice the Christian doctrine. By the decree of the Missionary Activity of the Church, the Vatican Council II itself renewed the call for evangelism.

In fact the Catholic Church is looking for ways and means to convert the people in Asia into Christianity in the 21st century as the Catholic faith is not so prevalent in the region. The Church still believes that God has made Christ as the mediator and she herself has been established as the universal sacrament of salvation (Redemptoris Mission - 9 ).

It is revealed in the book ‘Catholic Plot Against Buddhism’ published in Thailand as disclosed in the review by Ven. S. Dhammika Thera of Australia, methods adopted by some in Catholic circles to make in-roads into Buddhism. The Catholic clergy getting to learn Buddhism even better than Buddhist Bhikkhus, equating God to Buddhist concept of Dhamma, giving a Catholic outlook to Buddhist meditation and a Catholic colouring to national festivals and functions are some of them. (Dhamsara - February 2006 issue).

We find that similar devices are being adopted by some Catholic clergy in Sri Lanka as well. There are some Catholic priests who have formed NGOs which used to place the picture of Christ on one side and that of the Buddha on the other advocating Buddhism and Christianity which are poles apart as parallel religions.

There are others who introduce Buddhist rituals to Catholic churches in festivals like Vesak. There are also some Catholic priests who want to celebrate Easter and Sinhala and Tamil New Year together so as to give a Catholic colouring to the New Year.

In an article titled ‘The Saintliness of Buddha’ written by a Catholic priest that appeared in the ‘Catholic Messenger’ on May 7, 2006 it is emphasised that the Catholic Church at one time had considered Buddha as a Saint called St. Joasaphat! He also extols that the medieval Church treated the Buddha as a Saint because his renunciation of the royal household was an exemplary Christian virtue.

The Buddha denied an omnipotent God, the creation and a soul (Anatta). It is strange how such a personality who nullified the Christian doctrine could have been considered a Saint by the Catholic Church and for that matter how a Catholic priest who has faith in an almighty God could endorse it by drawing a parallel between Buddhism and Christianity. It is not only an insult to God but also an insult to the Buddha as it makes him subservient to a God.

It is one thing for people of different faiths to work together for the common good while maintaining their religious identity. We could extend our goodwill for the religious activities of the adherents of other religions. Catholics organising Dansalas in church premises for Vesak should be appreciated. But we ought to know where to draw the line.

Once Prince Siddhartha walking on lotus flowers soon after birth was depicted in the premises of a church. In another year a Buddhist Bhikkhu preached Bana for Vesak in a Catholic church. The following year a statue of the Buddha was placed in the same church premises and a pandal was erected. There had been Vesak Bhakthi Gee in church premises as well. In some Catholic churches Vesak lanterns are hung and illuminated.

The church is a place consecrated to God. There is Holy Eucharist in the church and we Catholics firmly believe that God is present there. According to Buddhism, the Buddha is not a God but an enlightened human being. Paying homage to a human being in churches would amount to sacrilege and a big joke as well. Recently celebrating Vesak in churches was criticised in a popular column in a Sinhala Sunday journal.This type of deception would demean Christianity and would arouse the suspicion of intelligent Buddhists. It would confuse the young in their formative years and would mislead the ignorant.

A Catholic priest has stated thus in a Sunday Sinhala journal: “In ten years to come, I am certain that people would not be divided as Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and Hindus. A time would come where we could go to Sri Maha Bhodi, Nallur Kovil and Tewatta Church and meditate, so that spirituality would take the place of religion”. (Lakbima Irida Sangrahaya - May 16, 2004). This sounds a hidden agenda. If this were to happen, it would adversely affect all religions specially Buddhism, the religion of about 70% of the people in Sri Lanka.

The veteran writer and social analyst W. A. Abeysinghe has remarked that the designs of some NGOs to mix up religions and create a hotchpotch would lead to the destruction of Buddhism. That would lead to the downfall of Christianity and other religions as well.

Another well-known Buddhist writer has vividly portrayed a conspiracy against Buddhism, thus - “Church sects take not only our youngsters but even Bhikkhus for seminars abroad and trap them. When they attend one seminar where you get all sorts of sumptuous food and whisky, brand new dollar notes emanating fragrance and friendship of attractive males and females, who is the soul who would refuse the invitation for the next seminar?” (Dr. Harischandra Wijayatunga; Mara Senagage saha Devadattayange Weda - 2003, page 22).

There are some foreign agencies that drill western concepts of morality into the minds of people undermining the wholesome values of our society and culture. They propagate ideas that lead to sexual promiscuity. They encourage homosexuality, lesbianism, free sex and abortion. Even some bhikkhus who have been vociferous about our national identity, spiritual and cultural values have been silenced by drawing them to multi-religious forums and alliances.

Although the people in the West are advanced in science and technology they are not serious about the religion.

In Europe most of the people are nominal Christians. In the West even in Catholic countries only 10% seem to practise the religion and churches are almost empty even on Sundays. Nevertheless people in Europe spend lavishly on conversions because Christianity like globalisation, cultural invasions, multi-national companies and NGO’s etc. is one aspect of re-colonisation for them.

Besides morality is at a very low ebb in Europe. Although Christianity insists on a monogamous marriage, you get more divorces in the Christian West than in this region.

In Europe married couples living in adultery is not taken seriously and family ties are weak. The moral standard in the West have come down to such a low level, that even in some Catholic countries you get swimming pools where both men and women step in to them together fully naked.

In Sri Lanka morality is not so degenerated as in Europe because spirituality is ingrained in the lives of people.

Adultery is shunned and looked down upon in our country. As a result there is more stability in family life in comparison with the West. Even among Catholics moral standards have not so deteriorated to low levels as in the Catholic countries in the West because religion is more earnestly practised here in accordance with the cultural milieu in this region.

In these circumstances it is time for the Catholic hierarchy in Sri Lanka to put an end to various gimmicks that demean the religion.

The adherents of other religions too, specially the Buddhists should guard against various agencies who with friendly overtones try to destabilise the religion.

The writer is a former High Court Judge and Vice-President of the Newman Society Alumni Association.