CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

RE: Attacking the Christian community in our motherland-Repy to Mr. Sumith Perera

Prasad De Silva

Dear Mr. Sumith Perera,

Thank you very much indeed for your wonderful mail. Appreciate your views very much indeed.

With regard to you initial claim in the mail, which high lights that QUOTE… “You claim that "Christians are helping the needy." I agree that some genuinely are, and good for them. But others are merely interested in gaining converts to Fundamentalist Christianity through whatever means necessary”. UNQUOTE… Now how can you prove with out a reasonable doubt that some are genuine and some are not???? I hope you will not come out with a web site to prove this point as well. Secondly… you say Christians are converting the Buddhist through WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY…which means, even by assaulting they do convert??? I do not agree this statement in any form. Not at present what so ever. Specially in Sri Lanka (I only would like to voice out my opinion and problems we have in Sri Lanka/ The reason is that its not worth talking about rest of the world, when we do have a problem in our own soil)

This is an unfounded allegation by all virtue. It did happen in the past. But not right now. I would like to ask Mr.Perera…Why we have to live in the past. Past is only for us to learn. That is all left with the past. For example, we still blame the colonial masters, but unfortunately, our countries main bread & butter comes from the Tea Plantation to date, which is a colonial gift for us. It’s not rice….If we keep on playing Colonial drum always for all our problems then we should stop Tea Plantation in Sri Lanka & Should get back to our Rice Crop as well. By then the whole country will go back to the past. If you look at your own name it is not 100% Sri Lankan (Sumith/ Indian & Perera/ Portuguese).So as mine. You mean to say that you will change your own name now because of the colonial oppression??????

When a Christian helps the poor & the needy, they do not look into there Religion. I can assure you that. You might say this statement in not correct. But you have the liberty to voice your opinion. This allegation is done only by those who have a problem with Christianity.

With regard to Joshua Tree Website you talk about, Can you tell me what is wrong with that site???. It only gives information. This site has in no way insulted or degraded any faith what so every. Even when the Sri Lankan Government do the local Statistics, they categorize people by there faith….IS IT WRONG????? / MAKE NO MISTAKE EVEN OUR OWN BIRTH CERTIFICATE HIGH LIGHTS THE RACE OF A PERSON….. Am I Correct????? Sri Lanka is a Buddhist State, so how can you identify a person by there race in his/her own Birth Certificate??? Isn’t it racism???? But for your information, PLEASE…if you look at the JATHIKA HELA URUMAYA web site, you could see the reality in a civilized society whom they call and preach Non Violence. Can you deny this fact Mr.Perera???? Well we can come up with many WEBSITES to prove anything, but all these sites do not give correct information at all times. I would kindly ask you to go out to the streets of Sri Lanka & Please start to Preach Christianity on the road… Then you will see what I am taking about. Then you see the discrimination.

How many Christian children are admitted to a leading Buddhist college in Sri Lanka???? It might be less than 0.01%. But please see the Christian Schools in Sri Lanka; they do give reasonable space for non Christians. The rest they cannot accommodate due to the unavailability of Schools for the Christian children in Sri Lanka other than a Christian school.

How many Buddhist Schools in Sri Lanka give time for Christian education???? NONE!!! For your information…Please bare in mind all Christian Schools give at least 45mins (one period) of time for the Buddhist Classes. This is factually correct. You cannot deny in any form these facts. Isn’t this racism, injustice & biased????? And you still call Christians are Converting Buddhist in unethical manner???? But this is call Tolerance. Christians are not insecured.

I agree.... The Vatican is the most resourceful religious entity in the whole world. You have to remember Christian community is far more than the Buddhist community in the world. Buddhist community is a fraction when compare to the Christian community in the world. So the resources and the wealth will be accordingly. So you cannot say that Vatican has Millions and Millions and convict the Vatican. But the Vatican does help the needy significantly Million times more than Buddhist Temples. No body can deny that. MR. Perera unfortunately you don’t talk about the giving part, you only highlight the getting & wealthy part of the Vatican. With your own words, you say Christians are helping; now it is with these resources Vatican helps the needy, and that’s one of the reasons you can tell with your own words the Christians are helping others. If not how can they help???? But some Buddhist called it unethical conversions. As for your claims that the Christians are converting people in Sri Lanka by giving money…I would like to ask Mr. Perera, Why do these people has to convert first of all. The sole person can refuse. They do have the liberty to refuse, so then as you say why do they get converted to Christianity???? So is it the fault of Chrisitanity ??? Or is it the fault of the Sole person or the person’s beliefs???? If some one gives poison, do you consume???? I am sure you don’t. So with the religion why it should be different. If Christianity is not good for any one they can refuse Christianity. I am certain that only the insecured Societies and faiths comes out with this type of claims. It is no better than communism. Because a faith is rooted in a person heart and not in his/her out look. No body can force a person to change a religion. If you or any one don’t agree this. I think you are missing some knowledge in life.

Well coming back to your claims on India/Pakistan Etc Etc… I would like to stress that, Even the Buddhist get harassed in India. In Afghanistan they destroyed the Statues of Buddha. When Buddhist from Sri Lanka Planned to build a rest area at Buddhagaya, the state government of India objected few years back. Then the Monks & the relevant authorities from Sri Lanka Protested. Now this is the same thing happens in Sri Lanka. That is the reason most of the Christians are voicing out now, for justice from the Sri Lankan Buddhist state and the people. Buddhist do preach there religion in other countries too. If you look at the west...Example London/Melbourne/ New York/ Paris etc…There are so many Buddhist temples.

But not a single Christian at present discriminate these people & places like they do it in Sri Lanka. Can you deny this????? So many Sri Lankan Monks are based in the West in the Christian Countries and building up new temples at present, So then as you claim aren’t they doing the same thing what the colonial masters did in Sri Lanka many years ago, Aren’t they building new buildings?????? You mean to say that these new temples in the west are operated on the street corners???? These are Christian countries….founded on Christianity. But Christians live in these countries are very tolerant (This I high light to reply to your claims. I rather refrain talking about other countries). Its not only you Mr. Perera, its many of the Buddhist in Sri Lanka has the same view & opinion that you have. Even the most venerable Madihe Panchaseeha Thera was born to a Christian family and grew up as a Christian. Does the Christians have violently attacked or protested the Buddhist for these conversions what so ever????? They do not at all….

Well coming back to your claims on luxuries which Christian clergy enjoys, I would like to say that it is a correct statement to an extent by you. But it is not all Christian Clergy. Even then the Christian clergy do not insult Buddhism the way some of the Buddhist monks does.

At the same token I would like to ask Mr. Perera, Does Buddha’s teachings categorize a Culture/ Civilization/ Religion/ etc etc… I don’t think so. What Buddha’s teaching was to ATTAIN NIRVANA, by leaving and giving up all worldly things, So how can the a Buddhist person or a Buddhist Monk ATTAIN NIRVANA when they fight for converting Buddhist to Christianity??? When they do Politics???? When they become advisers to the government???? When They Grow hair & have side burns/ when they own & operate a fleet of vehicles????

When they instigate hatred & violence????? As per your claims the Christians are unethical… So why not the Buddhist be an example to the Christians?????? For your information…Mr.Perera a true Buddhist… will never be a violent human being no matter what. Do you agree??? Because a true Buddhist have no time for this sort of arrogance. But right now Sri Lankan society is NOT TOLERENT to any RELIGION other than BUDDHISM. This should be changed. Right now in Sri Lanka more or less it’s the people’s way of Buddhism and not the way Buddha preached or teaches. Remember the present Sri Lankan society is one of the most ruthless societies in the whole world. I hope you will not go back to Colonial era and to blame the colonial masters for this statement.

Well in simple…. in a democratic civilized society, a country cannot identify it self with a single religion, but unfortunately in Sri Lanka it is not…Do you agree??? You will not…, to be a full blooded Sri Lankan You got to be a SINHALA/BUDDHIST. Am I correct????. You might say No…., but this is the truth….Unfortunately. Dig you heart and answer to that question….PLEASE…Then you can provide all the web sites under the sun.

Well I do enjoy this very much. I hope these mails will not instigate or cause any problems.

Cheers!!!

Prasad De Silva

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