The Foolish Bigotry Sorrounding Conversion Phobia

By Asoka N.I. Ekanayaka –FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Prof. Asoka N.I. Ekanayaka

It seems as if the foolish obsession with conversion phobia has raised its ugly head again this time with the incendiary encouragement of Malcolm Ranjith a garrulous apostate pluralist Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, whose open endorsement of the Buddhist philosophy makes one wonder whether he is a Buddhist at heart though a Christian by name. Indeed his 2018 Vesak message where he boasted that all religions existed in the shadow of the Buddhist Chintanaya from which we draw our thoughts and ideals, is a direct contradictions of Jesus’ timeless dogmatic affirmation that as the incarnate Son of God Jesus uniquely is the “only way the only truth and the only life”! 

No self respecting Buddhist leader will compromise his own understanding of the Buddhist view of Truth by bending over backwards that much in an excruciating spiritual contortion to make himself popular with Christians. Not so this Cardinal who has made himself the darling of the Buddhist majority especially the extreme fanatical Buddhist fringe, by devaluing the Christian “Gospel”. Consequently on the issue of Christian conversions the beleaguered Christian Church might well say of Bishops like Malcolm Ranjit “with friends like this who needs enemies” ? !

Against this background it is timely and relevant to reproduce herewith my article “Legislation Driven by Conversion Phobia” which received national publicity far back in 2004 when this was a hot issue. It explodes several of the myths, distortions, and foolish notions Sorrounding the subject of Christian conversion. The contents may be anathema to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit who tends not to favour any conversions to Christianity. But they were strongly endorsed by that godly Roman Catholic Bishop the late great Dr Frank Marcus Fernando who though he had never met me ( I not being a Roman Catholic) wrote to me saying “This little note is to thank you and congratulate you for your excellent article on the pending anti-conversion Bill . . .”. Now 16 years later I still treasure the gracious handwritten note dated July 6th 2004 by this loveable saintly  Bishop a true pastor to his flock and servant of God, compared to those with more exalted titles before and since who deviating from sound doctrine have betrayed the Church and face a terrible accounting.

Reproduction of 2004 Article

Watching the film of Victor Hugo’s book “Les Miserable”on TV a few days ago, I was reminded of one of the most moving and inspiring encounters ever described. It is the moment when Monseigneur Bienvenu the saintly Christian Bishop saves Jean Valjean from being returned to the galleys by telling the police that the silver plates stolen from him by the dissolute fugitive were a gift, and giving him the silver candlesticks as well. With the words “Jean Valjean, my brother, you belong no longer to evil but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God !”. Monseigneur Bienvenu launches the conversion of Jean Valjean. It is a dispiriting thought that in terms of the narrow unenlightened degeneracy of Sinhala Buddhist extremism that is relentlessly driving the thrust for anti conversion legislation, in Sri Lanka the worthy Bishop would have been accused of unethical conversions. According to the government’s proposed bill he would be liable to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 100, 000 as extremists takes satisfaction in the thought that the interests of Buddhism have been served. 

However to a non Buddhist, one of the sad things about the current phobia about Christian conversions which underlies the aggressive drive for anti conversion legislation is that it seems to be the very antithesis of Buddhism. The appearance of insecurity, fear, resentment, and restlessness associated with the frenetic craving for anti conversion laws, seems so much at variance with the attitude of patience, kindness, detachment, equanimity, and renunciation that  is at the core of Buddhism. If I am mistaken in this (and hopefully not), then Buddhism is a more militant philosophy than I had imagined. Amidst the upsurge of violent attacks on Christians in many parts of the country in recent times one would have expected that by now any concerns about unethical conversions would have quickly given way to widespread moral outrage and indignation at such inhumanity. Far from it – but then history records that religions have been most discredited by those who were its most zealous defenders, encouraged by the seeming acquiescence of the silent majority.  

There have been over 100 attacks against Christians since March 2002, and 20 of these took place in the first 18 days of 2004. Such violations have included beatings, arson, acts of sacrilege, death threats, violent disruption of worship, stoning, abuse, unlawful restraint, and even interference with funerals, amongst other acts of thuggery against peaceful Sri Lankan Christians. 

Reportedly 146 places of Christian worship have been forced to close down within a space of four months. To say in response that Christians are only getting what they deserve for indulging in unethical conversions that must forthwith be halted by passing legislation – is of course the worst form of victim blaming. 

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