Comments on: The Anti-Conversion Bill violates the freedom of Conscience and the freedom of expression https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression Journalism for Citizens Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:11:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.1 By: gilbert Abey https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-34617 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:11:05 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-34617 In reply to The talking Frog.

“Disillusined about Budhism” Well my friend a Philosophy that teaches kindness, love and peace unlike other faiths that used force and cruelty as means of conversion, you are totally ignorent of this great Philosophy.

]]> By: gilbert Abey https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-34616 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:01:58 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-34616 In reply to Anoma .

There is a law in France and in many countries that not to inform a person in danger (very sick eg;) is an offense punishable by law.Budhism is a philosophy with complete freedom to once thoughts and reasoning. This is why in the West Budhism is gaining ground specially among the intellectuals.

The conversion of gullible & naive people can be cosidered as those p in danger. In Sri Lankan History conversions were mainly forced upon the people as economic rewards , & often by force.
What Sri Lanka need is not Bills but to educate the young & the old agaist falling victims to faiths that promise so many fictual dreams.

We can just ask the question why has the so called Supreme Power,has given so much misery , wars & blood, famine in this world that was so calle a devine creation.. Why not this all forgiving compassionate etheral beings do not descend & make this earth their own creation the paradise that they enjoy high above !!

]]> By: Just Someone https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-11317 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:19:49 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-11317 Perhaps a bill is necessary to control Christian Fundamentalism in Sri Lanka. Several Indian states already have such a bill (despite India claiming to be a secular country) and it seems to have worked in stemming Hindu-Christian conflict. I think we could learn from the Indians in this regard. Christian Fundamentalism is not amenable to reason and takes advantage of the poor and those who are desperate, as seen in the recent deaths of two women at Viharamadevi Park. It deserves to be challenged, I think.

]]> By: Heshan https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-11311 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:29:52 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-11311 Yet another fine example of Sinhala-Buddhism in action.

]]> By: Off the Cuff https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-11296 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:37:08 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-11296 The PRIMARY law of the country cannot be over ridden by any secondary law. This fact is overlooked by most posters who allow emotions to override sanity.

What is the Primary law regarding Religion? This is what it states

Freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

10. Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.

If for any reason the above is interfered with the aggrieved person can and should obtain relief from the Supreme Court. The relief requested should include punitive damages (if such is allowed)

All arguments that claim that the State is interfering with a person’s religious belief fails due to this

This is what the Supreme Court said of the Original bill in 2004

“In view of our findings that clause 3 arid Clause 4(b) of the bill violate Article 10 of the Constitution the bill in its present form has to be passed by not less than 2/3’d of the whole number of members (including those not present) and approved by the people at a referendum in terms of Article 83(a) of the Constitution.”

You will note that the Supreme Court makes a direct reference to the PRIMARY Law

This bill is not an Anti Conversion bill but an Anti FORCIBLE conversion Bill

Here is what the bill says

1. This Act may be cited as the Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion Act, No. of 2004

2. No person shall convert or attempt to convert, either Forcible directly or otherwise, any person from one religion to another conversion by the use of force or by allurement or by any fraudulent legal, means nor shall any person aid or abet any such conversion.

Omission of the word FORCIBLE in discussing this bill amounts to Deception and Dishonesty

Being sanctimonious about freedoms and Democracy after such dishonesty would sound very hollow indeed.

]]> By: aruna https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-11177 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:16:41 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-11177 Please find another country to convert and help the poor. Leave SriLanka alone as it is. Do no talk about the freedoms in Europe and other countries. Sri Lankan buddhists have always tolerated the acceptable activities all religions. Portugese, Dutch and the English spread christianity in the country and they have lived in harmony for centuries. With millions of dollard flooding in for convrting the majority buddhists to various denominations of christianity, we buddhists have to take actions; drastic actions. Let those actions be legal and peaceful.

]]> By: A.S.Mathew https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-7034 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:41:11 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-7034 How, people can be forced to convert? If any force is used, that must be
illegal. On the other hand, if a person has taken the decision to follow a new
faith according to his or her conviction, nobody can question it. And if a
country is making any law to barricade conversion based on conscience, that
is simply the violation of human right.

The BJP and its allied parties were playing the card of “conversion” to alarm
the Indian electorate, but the game plan did’t work. As people are getting
more educated, the political game of using religion as a bait will not work any
more.

]]> By: Shocked https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-6058 Fri, 15 May 2009 06:01:43 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-6058 Why does the Government have to interfere in a person’s religious belief. One has to be convinced to get converted and changing one’s religious belief is an entirely personal decision. According to the constitution of Sri Lanka, can the Government stop a person from changing his/her religion? Before trying to stop conversion, the Buddhist Monks should try to gather their flock in the temples at least once a week and preach the good teachings of the Lord Buddha. If Buddhism has to be safeguarded, those who are following Buddhism should live the teachings of the Lord Buddha.

]]> By: citizen https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-4727 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:08:30 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-4727 In reply to wijayapala.

wijayapala,
it is not my objective or job to correct you. i can present the fact and help you look at the matter from a different perspective – and it is up to you to make whatever use you can make out of it.
The point i am trying to get across is that "Christian", "Tamil", "Sinhala" etc identify one common belief or language that many people share. The similarities end there. How meaningful do you think it is to assume
what "Sinhala people" think? Each Christian person has a different view of "God", divergent values and biases… it does not make sense to group them all together as "Christians" and make assumptions about all of them as if they were all one single entity. it's too simplistic – and unfairly discriminative to do so.

]]> By: raja_senanayake https://groundviews.org/2009/01/25/the-anti-conversion-bill-violates-the-freedom-of-conscience-and-the-freedom-of-expression/#comment-4725 Sat, 07 Feb 2009 14:02:20 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=1085#comment-4725 How did Buddhism spread. Wasn't it the patronage of the king that led to it. In the feudal ages the religion of the ruler became the religion of the subjects. Was buddhism embraced by the peasantry ot of intellectual underrstanding?

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