Save the Gullible from evangelist Crooks
By Janaka Perera
It is imperative that the Anti-Conversion Bill has to be passed without further delay. Enforcing such a law is in the best interests of all religious major groups. Those who oppose the Bill have to decide whether they want freedom to proselytize or to preserve peace and religious harmony by avoiding unwarranted provocations. Legal measures are the only effective means of dealing with ‘religious’ crooks whose livelihood depends on fooling the gullible at congregations, public meetings or through their paid television and radio programs and other means.
It appears that the ‘religious zeal’ of some Christian evangelists have exposed their stupid gimmicks to promote themselves among the gullible. The most recent case is the advertisement that the so-called Jesus Lives Ministry inserted in the October 25, Sunday Leader announcing “A Special Stamp issuing Ceremony in Honour of Evan. Prof. S. Rajendram on his 6th Thanksgiving Memorial Service on 28th October 2009 at 10.00 a.m.” (See page … ) The advertisement notice has been placed by his wife who goes as Rev. Prof. M.R. Rajendram, children and workers of the Ministry.
The truth is that this is nothing but a mischievous move to mislead people regarding the Sri Lanka Government’s Postal Department! As the Centre for Buddhist Action has noted the Postal Department issues Commemorative Stamps after taking into consideration a strict list of qualifications to deserve the honour of such a stamp. It is not issued to honour personalities who have been living out of the misery of uneducated, ignorant and innocent people.
In this instance what the Department has issued is “A Label” or a “Personalized Stamp” which has no monetary or commercial value. No “First Day Covers” are issued on behalf of these “Personalized Stamps” which cannot be used for mailing letters. It means this is not a Commemorative Stamp in any legal sense.
With all their prayers the ‘Jesus Lives Ministry’ could not save Pastor Rajendram’s life when he fell ill! Yet these frauds still use monetary allurements, to get people to come and say publicly how they were cured through prayers.
Soon after the tsunami this very same ‘Ministry’ put up posters saying that the natural calamity was ‘God’s’ punishment! – Punishment for what? It is beyond comprehension there are people who believe in this garbage. Some years ago these frauds got highly agitated and staged angry demonstrations against a Sinhala weekly when the paper’s editorial asked if they could heal the sick at public meetings why cannot they cure the patients in hospitals – after all that would save a lot of funds spent on medicines, medical treatment, doctors and other hospital staff. The government should also bring in legislation to arrest and charge people who in the name of religion refuse medical treatment for their followers or family members who fall sick.
Those who argue if it is good for Buddhist monks to deliver sermons and spread the Buddha’s word what harm is there in Christian evangelists doing the same, here is the answer: “Buddhists or Hindus don’t play a numbers game. They do not give material inducements to convert people. Anyone can listen to their sermons by going to temples or switching on the radio or television or reading Buddhist literature. But whether all the listeners accept Buddhism or not is no concern of the Sangha. They do not suffer from a craze of trying to save non-Buddhists from hell”