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Fasting Unto Death: What Do Our Religions Really Teach?

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  Fasting Unto Death: What Do Our Religions Really Teach? The news of Suresh Salley’s decision to fast unto death while under CID detention has stirred strong emotions across the country. Whatever one’s political position, his act forces us to confront a deeper moral and spiritual question: How do the great religious traditions view self‑destruction and the choice to embrace death through fasting? Buddhism Buddhism places the highest value on ahimsa —non‑harm toward all beings, including oneself. Intentionally ending one’s life, even through fasting, is generally seen as an unwholesome act rooted in suffering, not liberation. The Buddha consistently discouraged self‑mortification and taught the Middle Path as the way to transform injustice, not self‑destruction. Hinduism Hindu thought also upholds the sanctity of life. While ancient texts mention prayopavesa —a disciplined fast unto death—it is permitted only under extremely narrow conditions: old age, terminal illness, and...
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Understanding “The Other’s World of Pain” — A Calling at the Heart of Pastoral Care

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  Understanding “The Other’s World of Pain” — A Calling at the Heart of Pastoral Care In every pastoral encounter, we step into a moment that is sacred and fragile — the now of another person’s life. At that moment, the person before you may be living within what I call “their world of pain.” It is the space where psychological, spiritual, and physical suffering converge. It may not have existed last week, and it may be gone tomorrow, but here and now it is real, and it defines the person’s experience. Your task as pastoral caregivers is not to fix that pain, nor to rush past it, but to enter it with reverence . Pain is not simply a problem to be solved; it is a language to be listened to. It speaks of loss, fear, guilt, loneliness, and sometimes of hope struggling to survive. When you meet someone in their world of pain, you are meeting them at the most honest point of their humanity. When engaged in pastoral conversation — we must to be relentless pursuers of pain . This d...
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Location: Leeds, UK
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  The Binding of the Son: A Shared Story of Obedience in Christianity and Islam Introduction In the past few days, our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world celebrated Eid al‑Adha , the festival that commemorates Abraham’s profound act of obedience and God’s gracious provision. As a Christian pastor and a fellow seeker of God’s truth, I write this reflection as a gesture of goodwill and friendship — honouring the deep faith of the Islamic community and acknowledging the sacred story we hold in common. At a time when our world longs for understanding and peace, this shared narrative of Abraham invites us to stand together with respect, humility, and mutual appreciation. A Shared Story of Faith Few stories in our sacred traditions carry the emotional weight and theological depth of the moment when Abraham is asked to sacrifice his beloved son. Whether told as the binding of Isaac in the Bible or the offering of Ishmael in the Qur’an, this narrative stands as one of the...
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The Episcopate in Methodism: A Sri Lankan Journey

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  The Episcopate in Methodism:  A Sri Lankan Journey Introduction “Methodists don’t have Bishops; they have only Presidents, Chairmen, and Superintendents.” This has long been the general understanding among Christians in Sri Lanka—until quite recently. But is it true? The answer is partly yes and partly no. According to statistics from the World Methodist Council, of the 73 Methodist Churches worldwide, fewer than half a dozen still follow the British model, where the head of the Church is titled “President.” Even the British Methodist Conference—the Mother Church of Methodism—has agreed with the Anglican Church that, in the near future, the head of the Methodist Church will be titled “President-Bishop,” exercising an episcopal ministry.¹ Early Encounters with the Title “Bishop” My second appointment as a probationary minister (the equivalent of a Deacon in Anglicanism) was in the Kandy Circuit of the Methodist Church, under the superintendence of Rev. Dr. Kingsley Mutt...
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  Silence is Complicity: Why the World Must Demand Peace The silence is deafening. As bombs fall and children cry, the world watches with muted horror. Where are the voices that should be rising in outrage? Where is the moral leadership that should be calling for peace? In a time when suffering is broadcast in real time, silence is no longer neutrality—it is complicity. It is nothing short of tragic that the three Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—born from Abraham’s vision of blessing all nations, are now locked in cycles of violence. This is not faith; it is a distortion of faith. And while leaders argue, children die, families are torn apart, and nations collapse under the weight of war. The United Nations, entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding peace, has failed to bring the United States, Israel, and Iran to the negotiation table. Every day of inaction is a day of bloodshed. Every delay is a betrayal of the innocent. The consequences are global. Wars...
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  The Silent Positives of the Sanga Samuluwa As a Christian who values building strong relationships with both clergy and laity across different faiths, I hold deep respect for interreligious harmony. To me, violent or unruly behavior — regardless of the faith it comes from — is incompatible with the spirit of true religion. It is from this perspective that I reflect on the recent Sanga Samuluwa held last week at the ACBC in Colombo 7, under the leadership of Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero. The gathering was expected to draw a large number of Buddhist monks. Instead, the depleted attendance revealed something far more significant: a quiet but powerful statement about the state of the Sangha today. Silent Dissent Speaks Volumes The absence of the majority of monks was no accident. It was a deliberate act of dissent, a refusal to endorse divisive rhetoric that blames other religions for Buddhism’s challenges. Their non-participation was a conscious choice to distance themsel...
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Rendering to Caesar and to God

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  The Scriptural Principle When Jesus declared, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21), He drew a profound line between civic responsibility and spiritual devotion. His words remind us that while our ultimate allegiance belongs to God, we also live within earthly structures of governance that demand respect, accountability, and obedience. The Situation In Ceylon, during a time of epidemic, the Government entrusted a Christian Church with a 99-year lease of state land to operate a health facility. This was a providential gift, and the missionaries faithfully served the community through primary healthcare. Years later, the facility was transformed into a youth camp site under the stewardship of a respected Christian organization. Eventually, the property was returned to the Church. However, financial constraints made it impossible to sustain the camp site meaningfully for over three decades. Recognizing this reality, the Government ...
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