Catholic church stresses importance of religious harmony
 

BY E. WEERAPPERUMA

SRI LANKA has been a peaceful country and all communities lived in peace and harmony for many centuries despite their religious and ethnic differences. The proposed bills on "Freedom of Religion" and

"Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion" will destroy that good relationship, brotherhood and friendship. As we have already suffered enough over the ethnic conflict and still trying get from that muddle, we appeal not to enact laws that would infringe the right to religious freedom, divide the nation on religious grounds and create hatred.

Addressing a seminar organised by Caritas Sri Lanka SEDEC, to give Catholic and Christian response to the two Bills, Chilaw Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Frank Marcus Fernando said that if the bills were passed by the Government, provisions of the new law would deem it necessary that the religious bodies report every conversion to the Provincial Secretary of the respective area and the Bishop said that the Church would defy such demands.

"If the proposed Bills become law, we will be expected to comply with the law and if we fail, we may be taken to Courts and could also be sent to jail and may persecute us. It is the blood of the Martyrs that flourished our faith.

We are ready for that eventuality for God sake and in obedience to the command of Christ, which we have so far failed to respond. We have disobeyed the command of the Lord to preach about him and introduce Him. But we are not going to do that any more. It is part of our faith to speak about Jesus and we will do that".

Bishop Fernando said the two bills clearly point to the fact that if these become law that would definitely end religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution. Despite all differences and calamities faced by the country, we still live like brothers and sisters. It is a time that country need peace and it is sad to note at such a time attempts been made to destroy the existing peace.

President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Sri Lanka Rt. Rev. Dr. Viany Fernando said that it was very regrettable to note that some section of the media act in a such a way to create division among the people on religious grounds.

He warned that such reporting would lead to a situation worse than the situation faced by the country on ethnic strife. His Lordship pointed out that it would not be possible to stop religious conversions by law.

Dealing with the history of the two bills Fr.Reid Shelton Fernando said that the Church challenged the Bill presented by Jathika Hela Urumaya, before Supreme Court and in its verdict the Supreme Court had stated that the certain clauses in the Bill were inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution.

That Bill now has been referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee and the Catholic MPs should be watchful as the forum of that Committee is just seven MPs and if by chance the Committee recommends, that would be taken up to enact it as law of the country.

Fr. Reid also pointed out that the Bills proposed, tend to create division further in the country. The bill on "Religious Freedom" does not in anyway guarantee the freedom enshrined in the Constitution of Sri Lanka and it violates,hinders and infringe.

"If there is goodwill among the adherents of different religions now, that goodwill is being threatened by such bills. These tend to divide and polarise people on the basis of religion. We feel that the Bills will tend to create religious conflict worse than the ethnic conflict we are facing. It would lead to a religious war", Fr. Fernando said.

The introduction of legislation to restrict conversion from one religion to another is a violation of the inalienable right.

"Our Constitution guarantees the freedom to adopt a religion or a belief. It is also in line with the international law to which our country has acceded to, and on the basis of human dignity, fundamental right of a person, the proposed new legislation whatever way it is called contravenes the fundamental right of an individual and severe good relationship that exists", he said.

Fr. Reid further said that the contents of the proposed bill "Freedom of Religion" are to restrict,freedom of thought, conscience of religion.

He feared that in the event these bills become law there will be malicious prosecutions and it would become very easy to abuse any person under these Bills.

For these reasons we believe that the Church has a moral right to oppose such Bills and in keeping that position we intend to challenge this piece of legislation in the supreme court as we have done earlier.

Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo Marius Peiris said that Bishops Conference of Sri Lanka said that they have proposed to the President to have an Inter Religious Committee which includes Buddhists, Hindu, Muslim and Christian to deal with issues pertaining to conversions. The President was delighted with the suggestion, the Bishop said.

At the open discussion chaired by SEDEC Director Fr. Damian Fernando, participants said that what the propose Bills try to do is to stop or extremely minimise the opportunity in teaching of religion, spreading religious teaching and propagate. They try to stop people wanting to change their religion out of conviction, a violation of human rights.

A number of leading lawyers, religious and laymen participated at the discussion.