By Malinda Seneviratne –
Malinda Seneviratne
Christmas came to me as cards, the colours green and red, and pictures of snow. This was when I was a child. I didn’t know back then that Jesus Christ was not a blond-haired, blue-eyed, white man who was born in a snow-covered day in December. It took me a while to understand that history can be read as a process of appropriations, re-crafting and the re-crafted being marketed as truth.
I am a Buddhist so I could be forgiven for growing up thinking that Christmas was a festival; made up, as I said, of greeting cards, Christmas trees, carols and such. It didn’t take long, however, for me to understand that there was a lot more to Christmas than the glitter. After factoring out frill, myth and appropriation, there’s still so much of value in the story of Jesus Christ and not just for those who see him as ‘Son of God’, ‘Saviour’ etc. At least, that’s my impression, from my reading of the Bible and understanding of relevant ecclesiastical matters. This is perhaps why Christmas appears to me as a monumental fiction.
No, I am not opposed to the celebration, the cheer and festive spirit, not at Christmas nor on any other day. That’s a right and it is healthy too. Down-in-the-mouth is not exactly my cup of tea. I worry, though, whether this is all it is for the vast majority of Christians. I have no way of knowing of course about what Christians do in the in-betweens, befores and afters of ‘Christmassing’. I see a lot of crass commercialization, spectacle and bucks exchanging hands. Maybe what is not seen outweighs several time what is seen. Maybe not.
I can only speak of how I, a Buddhist, understand Christmas or rather what I do on Christmas. This morning I got a Christmas greeting. From a Buddhist. Jinadasa Liyanaratne’s email message was as follows: ‘This is to wish you and all members of your family a merry Christmas and a very happy and bright New Year. Although I am a Buddhist (or because I am a Buddhist!) I have great respect for Jesus Christ and his message of love. It is rather a pity that Christians pay more attention to the Réveillon (Christmas supper) than to the spiritual aspect of the occasion.’
As I said, I don’t know what the average Christian does before and after Christmas supper. I had never heard the word ‘Réveillon’ before either. As I always do when encountering the unfamiliar, I ‘looked up’. ‘Réveillon’ means ‘awakening’ in French and refers to an elaborate meal taken after attending midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Apparently, in the past, it marked the end of the four-week ‘Advent’ fast. I never thought, until today, that ‘fast’ was even remotely associated with ‘Christmas’.
‘Fast’ is made of a certain kind of denial and is usually associated with a determination to devote time to reflection on the fundamental tenets of one’s religious convictions. It is a time to reflect on frailties, on error to self, other and (if one so believes) to god. It is a determination to devote time to meditate on the eternal verities, obtain a sense of proportion on worldly and spiritual things. It is a time to be penitent; not just ask for forgiveness (from those who are believed to possess the authority to judge and confer forgiveness) but to grieve, to sigh (if one went to the relevant Hebrew word) and commit oneself to changing ways, call it ‘to see God’ if you will.
One does not have to be a theist to do all these things, or at least to obtain from Christmas that something that makes one a better Buddhist or Muslim, for example. We all have things to grieve over. We all have done and said things we ought to feel ashamed about. We all have reasons to reflect. We can all be better than who we are right now. Jesus Christ’s life was one of generosity. It was one of humility. He sighed.
This Christmas I will reflect on Jesus Christ, the beautiful man that he was and the remarkable life he led. I believe feasting would interrupt or disturb my meditation. I shall fast.
*Malinda Seneviratne is the Chief Editor of ‘The Nation’ and his articles can be found at www.malindawords.blogspot.com
crazyoldmansl / December 25, 2013
Religious festivals are all business revivals and you should know that. That is what they are meant to be. Business booms at Vesak timeand the tourist bus owners and guest house crowd rake it in during poson. The esala seasons is the kandy hoteliers dream. Christmas is the least of them because Christians are an impoverished lot of have beens who are now struggling to survive in a preudo Buddhist country having had their time of day under pseudo christan regimes of yester year.
So your sanctimonius ‘worry’ about christians is misplaced and wasted. Just get on with making money and if you really feel for them let them make some money too.
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Dinuk / December 27, 2013
Right on Malinda – glad you are able to be so certain that you are a singular Buddhist and Sinhala and not a mix of various cultures, even though you write in English which is probably your BEST and first language..
Two points:
1. I am both Buddhist and Christian and so is most of my extended family with some Tamils mixed in too and most of us speak English @ HOME. English is OUR language of intimacy – since my mother is christian and father Buddhist and there are hell of a lot of people in Colombo – the majority – are of mixed religious and ethnic heritage!
2. Indeed ALL religious festivals and rituals are INVENTED TRADITIONS – like Vesak which is highly MILITARIZED in Sri Lanka where the military has run’s Veskh Kalapa and Bohi pujas! The same military whose several members are accused of war crimes and shot protestors at Wliveriya.. All things change as the Noble one said. Militarization of Buddhism under Jarapassa are distortions of WHAT THE BUDDHA TAUGHT!
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Sowden Edward Asange / December 25, 2013
seems that u have been able to put to use the FREE laptop given to ur “Company” as a token of gift. Hope you can put to better use, by praising and eulogizing the MR govt….
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Lanka liar / December 28, 2013
Not one two. One for the lap the other for the top.
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Sandy / December 25, 2013
Jesus declared,” I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty… whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John.ch.6)
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Jeune / December 25, 2013
In answering the Syro-Phoenician woman, “It isn’t right to feed the children’s bread to the dogs.” And the woman answers, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table,”. Do we have to accept this as Jesus spake of or an allegory ascribed on him, the all gentle Messiah Jesus?
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WINSTON DEVALLIERE / December 26, 2013
JEUNE, HERE’S THE FULL QUOTE FROM MATT.Matthew 15:21-28
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O LORD, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 BUT SHE CAME AND KNELT BEFORE HIM SAYING “LORD,HELP ME” 26 And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall FROM THEIR MASTER’S TABLE.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
iT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE JESUS’S ANSWER “O WOMAN, GREAT IS YOUR FAITH”.
THE WOMAN HUMBLY ADMITS HER LOWLY STATE, THAT OF A DOG AT HER MASTER’S TABLE. SHE MAKES BOTH POINTS CLEAR. JESUS OBVIOUSLY KNEW VERY WELL THAT SHE HAD SOMEHOW, SOMEWHERE, HEARD AND BELIEVED IN THE GOSPEL AND WAS SINCERE IN CALLING HIM LORD OF HER LIFE. JESUS WAS MERELY MAKING AN ISSUE OF THIS TRUTH, THAT ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO HAVE ‘CHILD OF GOD’ CREDENTIALS TO RECEIVE FROM HIM.
ONLY FAITH IN WHO HE IS AND IN HIS OVERARCHING LOVE AND DESIRE TO IMPART HIS BLESSINGS TO EVERYONE, THE CHILDREN AND THE DOGS.WHEN HE SAID THE GOSPEL WAS TO BE PREACHED TO ALL PEOPLES HE MEANT THAT THE BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL WERE ALSO FOR ALL THOSE WHO NOT ONLY BELIEVED BUT ALSO HAD THAT SPIRITUAL INSIGHT THAT IMPARTED THE CONVICTION THAT JESUS MEANT EVERY WORD HE SPOKE, TO WIT, THAT HE WOULD IN NO WISE TURN AWAY ANYONE WHO CAME TO HIM IN REPENTANCE FAITH. REPENTANCE ITSELF COMES FROM BELIEVING THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD, THAT HE DID RISE FROM THE DEAD. WHEN ASKED ” WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?” PETER’S ANSWER WAS ” THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD” AND JESUS SAID THAT REVELATION ISSUED FROM GOD AND NOT FROM MAN ” FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED THIS TO YOU BUT MY FATHER IN HEAVEN” AND PETER KNELT BEFORE HIM CALLING HIM “LORD”. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THIS WOMAN FROM SYROPHOENICIA SAID AND DID.
AND ANYONE WHO IS A DOG-LOVER WILL KNOW JUST HOW MUCH HIS DOG LOVES HIM. YOUR DOG KNOWS THE SOUND OF YOUR CAR AND IS THE FIRST TO GREET YOU AT THE GATE.JESUS IS HERE CHALLENGING BELIEVERS T0 EXERCISE THE “GREAT FAITH” OF A LOVED DOG.OFTEN, IT’S TOUGH TO DECIDE ON WHO LOVES YOU MORE , YOUR DOG OR YOUR SON.
THERE’S AN AMAZING DEPTH OF SPIRITUAL TRUTH IN THIS INCIDENT. CONFRONTED WITH HIS HOLINESS AND CAPACITY FOR LOVE AND RESTORATIVE MERCY ONE REALLY HAS NO OPTION BUT TO FEEL LIKE A DOG IN COMPARISON.MAYBE THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY JESUS OF NAZARETH IS SO DESPISED: HIS VERY PERSON MAKES YOU NOT ONLY FEEL LIKE A DOG BUT MAKES YOU SURE THAT SHOULD YOU COME FACE TO FACE WITH HIM, YOU’D BE WAGGING YOUR TAIL AND FOLLOWING HIM. I WONDER WHETHER ANYONE CAN BE SO HATED AND YET SO LOVED.
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WINSTON DEVALLIERE / December 26, 2013
IN THE CONTEMPORARY SRI LANKAN CONTEXT I WOULD THINK THAT THE RELEVANT SCRIPTURE PASSAGE SHOULD BE MATTHEW 21:42. BUT BEFORE I COME TO IT, LET ME STATE IT VERY CLEARLY HERE THAT I DON’T SUBSCRIBE ONE BIT TO ALL THIS NONSENSE ABOUT CHRISTMAS THAT COUNTERFEIT RELIGIOUS LEADERS HOISTED ON THE IGNORANT MASSES. IT’S AMAZING HOW GULLIBLE PEOPLE CAN BE.THIS IS ALL RELIGIOUS NONSENSE AIMED AT SUBTLE MIND-CONTROL. TO BEGIN WITH, JESUS WAS NOT EVEN BORN ON THE SO-CALLED ‘CHRISTMAS DAY’. SURE HE CAME INTO THIS WORLD TAKING ON HUMAN FORM. BUT, GOOD GOD ! HOW CAN GOD BE BORN IN THE HUMAN SENSE OF BEING BORN.WHY HASN’T THE HOLY SPIRIT SEEN FIT TO INSPIRE THE APOSTLES TO CELEBRATE THE “BIRTH OF GOD ” WHO, TO BEGIN WITH,CREATED MARY ” DID MARY GIVE BIRTH TO GOD ? OR TO THE HUMAN BODY THAT JESUS OCCUPIED TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK OF SALVATION? OR DID SOME STUPID RELIGIOUS LEADER ‘INVENT’ CHRISTMAS KNOWING ONLY TOO WELL THAT HE WAS “ADDING TO SCRIPTURE” SOMETHING HE HAD NO RIGHT TO DO ? TO THOSE WHO FEEL IRRITATED BY THIS COMMENT, MY ONLY RESPONSE IS “INVESTIGATE” INSTEAD OF BEING DRIVEN BY THE HERD INSTINCT.
NOW, HERE’S MATTHEW 21:42
“Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore I say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”
AND THAT INCLUDES ALL OF YOU RELIGIOUS MEN AND WOMEN WHO DEFEND MURDERERS, RAPISTS AND ALL MANNER OF EVIL. YOUR GOING TO CHURCHES AND QUOTING SCRIPTURE AND OBSERVING STUPID FESTIVALS WILL NOT, I AM AFRAID, PREVENT YOU FROM BEING “GROUND TO POWDER”
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A LOOK AT WHAT JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 7:21 TO 23 WOULD ALSO BE PROFITABLE,I QUOTE:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
SO WHERE DOES THAT PUT LEVINSKYITES ? [ LAPTOP JOURNALISTS]
I AM NO CHRISTIAN BUT I DO GET RUBBED UP THE WRONG WAY WHEN HYPOCRITES STINK UP THE AIR AROUND ME.
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Sandy / December 26, 2013
” When Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.When the pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners?’
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
-Matthew.9-
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Ajith / December 25, 2013
” I have great respect for Jesus Christ and his message of love. It is rather a pity that Christians pay more attention to the Réveillon (Christmas supper) than to the spiritual aspect of the occasion.’”””
I have great respect for Buddha and Buddha’s preachings. It is pity that Buddhists pay more attention to destroy and suffercate Tamils than to the true Buddhist principles.
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Amarasiri / December 25, 2013
Ajith,
“I have great respect for Buddha and Buddha’s preachings. It is pity that Buddhists pay more attention to destroy and suffercate Tamils than to the true Buddhist principles.”
We all have great respect for Philosophers and leaders who advance Egalitarian , non-racist and non-discriminatory societies for humanity, where humans are treated with respect and dignity.
Well said, but it is because of Racist Monk Mahanama Sinhala Buddhism that is practiced in Sri Lanka.
Did you ever wonder why there are hardly any Tamil Buddhists in Sri Lanka, whereas in India, Almost Every India Stare has a few percent Buddhists. of every race and ethnicity. including Tamil Nadu.
This is called Monk Mahanama Sinhala Buddhist Racism, that has nothing to do with True Buddhism. Want to know more? Read below:
Mahavamsa- An Insult To The Buddha!
By Sharmini Serasinghe –
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/mahavamsa-an-insult-to-the-buddha/#comment-823472
Caution- The following is more suitable for the broad-minded and the wise. Others are kindly advised to pass!
Wonder if ours might have been a wiser, and a more ‘humane’ society, had our ‘ancient’ history, been based on Aesop’s Fables, instead of the Mahavamsa. For if not for the Mahavamsa, the Sinhalese may not have been endowed, with the reputation, of “Sinhalaya Modaya (The Sinhalese are Fools)”!…….
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lal / December 26, 2013
The truth of the matter is that Tamils don’t need Buddhists to destroy and suffocate Tamils. Tamils themselves have proven that they can destroy and suffocate themselves better than Buddhists or anyone else. They need the Buddhists to put the blame on. Tamil racism,casteism and innate stupidity are the driving forces behind their self destruction.
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Sulaiman / December 25, 2013
Malinda’s Christmas Fast:
1. Refrain from using the free laptop as it would mean a compromise of journalistic ethics
2. Refrain from hiding his personal involvements and his projects- i.e. disclose his involvement in the Milk food saga
3. Refrain from insidious messages in his articles (case in point – refrain from taking an anti-Christian view in this article by (a) denigrating Christmas as a “monumental fiction” (b) term Jesus a “man” without being sensitive to the views of Christians (c) slide in a friend’s personal email to state that Christians pay less attention to the spiritual side of things (this is done so that he can deny that he said it).
4. Refrain from using his innocent children in his fear mongering – as when he sought to paint Sarath Fonseka as a rapist during the general election on the grounds of a concerned parent.
5. Refrain from issuing homilies that are sickly sweet.
It is going to be a tough fast my dear boy. Perhaps instead of just a Christmas fast you should try Ramadan with me.
S
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Spice Girl / December 25, 2013
Misplaced sanctimony from Malinda, as usual.
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RebornLeela / December 26, 2013
He has to do so- else, he would have to face the same consequences of the photographer of President^s Unit got caught being robbed a camera in Dubai Duty free. So, even if MS is said to have earned international awards, he is unfortunately singing for the breeding of criminals. This is the ground reality of the so called intellectuals of the colombo. Self proclaimed political analyst cum senior diplomat DJ is the other… both have much in common – the latter has already lost more of his credibility whatever he sprouts these days.
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Amarasiri / December 25, 2013
Dear Malinda Seneviratne,
Now that you have got your Christmas Gift of a Laptop from your Santa, aka the The Mara Family, and that you have been inducted to the Mara House of Cronies, what are you supposed to do for that gift?
Black any unfriendly write up against the Family and their Cronies?
Just curious! What dies it take to become a crony and get a Laptop? A Benz? A ministerial Portfolio? Where can one make an Application? Is it Gazetted?
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Lister / December 25, 2013
Santa Malindo!
Down in your mouth let the taste of wine flow ….
Drowned in a solitude you nibble in your pastures… while
Dabbling with the clues you exacerbate and belie with to and fro….
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kabaragoya / December 25, 2013
Written on the free gift of a lap-top bought with money stolen from the people, let us hope this man is penitent and grieves for the lost freedoms of expression and of the press. It would be good if people like him do not write such pontifical nonsense when what they say apply to many religious leaders. All of them are good. Knaves twist the truth they spoke to make traps for fools, as in the case of Buddhism and the Mahavamsa and no doubt, in the case of Jesus Christ and his message of love. This man should extend his Christmas holidays and come back a few years later after people have forgotten about his sycophancy.
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Kiri Yakka / December 25, 2013
Ah, its you again Malinda ?
This is Christian Stuff – the Christian in you ? Is this a sequel to your previous article the Muslim in You ? But then you could not help your self insulting the Christians could you ?
Guess what. This one makes a lot more sense as to how religions can be perverted. What better example than the perverted Sinhala version of Buddhism – where the teachings of tolerance, kindness and nonviolence have been taken to extremes ? Have not your pals outdone the Christians ?
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K.A Sumanasekera / December 26, 2013
It is 64% success rate in Northern Province at the recently released AL results.
It is even better than in the East, which is a multicultural and and a multi religious Province.
Surely, Christmas has brought some joy to the Northern Inhabitants despite the ever increasing doom and gloom emanating from their Vellala rulers lead by the Vellala CM from Colombo.
If their is no peace, freedom, jobs,security and schools how did these kids achieve such brilliant results?.
What was the success rate before Nanthikadal?.
If this pass rate is allowed to continue Northern Inhabitant kids will be on par with the best of the rest or even better, based on their performance of the pre Pranba era..
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What was the Christmas Message and the New Year resolution of the Vellala CM and his LTTE proxy TNA handlers to their current subjects in the North and their ardent supporters in the Diaspora?.
Is it to help the next crop of AL students to do better and restore the past excellence?.
Or are they needed for Eelaam project work?….
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Lynx / December 26, 2013
The TNA has to always see only the ’empty’ part of the ‘half full’ glass. Otherwise how will they retain their seats in Parliament. By the way I don’t recall seeing any Christmas message from the CM …. Such a message would require a belief in reconciliation and not vengeance however!!
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Lanka liar / December 28, 2013
Look they studied without electricity under a rain of bombs in bunkers and achieved fantastic results. They are a bunch of honest decent hardworking people. If you just keep away from them and remove the rapist and hooligan from them they will prosper more the results will be 90 %
They know what to do for the next exam. If you can keep away from them that is the greatest help. There are thousands of your people in South try to develop them so there will be no rape no kidnapping but you cant eradicate lies. that i don’t expect to happen. Master Liars. Please believe me I am a Sri Lankan
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kabaragoya / December 26, 2013
Sumaney, It was always the wages of envy. You wanted to topple the Jaffna man through unfair means. Had Sinhala only, killed many of them in 1958 and in a succession of riots. Then Mullivaikal. Nothing has worked. The diaspora kids are at the best universities in the US, Canada, UK Germany, Norway Sweden, etc. getting education in various languages. Assuming a small percentage return to the North, the existing lead in education will be assured. In the meantime, you cheat the Sinhalese youth feeding them Pali, Sanskrit and Buddhist Civilization and Sinhala culture which will take them nowhere. Search where the fault lies.
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MNZ / December 26, 2013
Malinda
Christmas abounds with many fictions, which does not affect the faith of Christians who celebrate the day.
Some of the real facts are:
Jesus was a Palestinian Jew, about the complexion of an average Sri Lankan. Paul sexed up his image, and very successfully re-branded him in Rome with blond hair and blue eyes.
Christmas is but a perversion of the celebration of the pagan Winter Holstice in late December, with the Druid priests providing felled evergreen trees, mistletoe etc. (Our X’mas trees).
Jesus, according to respected theologians, was born sometime in mid-June, but definitely not in December. So 25 December was not his real birth-date.
The ever-popular image of Mary with baby Jesus was created in Rome, but is of course borrowed from the more ancient Egyptian Horus and her son Isis.
Nowhere in the Bible does it explicitly say that Jesus was the biological son of God, or that he was God incarnate. However, many Christians preachers and adherents believe otherwise.
He was the Messiah, a Prophet (prone to violence at times, e.g. the assault on money-dealers at the holy temple). He was reviled by the Jews as a Terrorist and consigned to the cross.
However, whether he really died on the cross is a fundamental debate between Christian and Muslims (who revere Jesus as a great Prophet and also believe in the Second Coming after the end of the world).
Malinda, despite the several misconceptions and misinformation about Christianity, it is indeed a great faith notwithstanding your supercilious attitude. It’s basic teachings of love, charity, forgiveness etc are not in conflict with Buddhism or any other faith.
Please let the Christians celebrate their faith in any which way they wish without adding your usually inane and provocative comments, which may lead one to wonder whether you are in fact another closet BBS hit-man!
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MNZ / December 27, 2013
Correction!
Isis was the mother and Horus the son.
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Mahadana Muththa (Jnr) / December 26, 2013
Malinda is a good writer, but he writes rubbish.
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Sandy / December 26, 2013
From.’Mere Christianity’- by C.S. Lewis.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him:
“I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept
his claim to be God.”
That is the one thing we must not say.
A man, who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.He would either be a lunatic – on a level
with the man who says he is
a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell.
You must make your choice.
Either this man was and is the Son of God; or a madman or something worse.
You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or else you can fall at His Feet and call Him LORD and GOD.
But let
us not come away with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher.
He has not left that open to us.
He did not intend to.”
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fred / December 29, 2013
Malinda seems to be at once generous – in acknowledging the virtues of the Christian message – and mean spirited – to say “Christmas appears to me as a monumental fiction.”
Religious festivals are steeped in traditions and customs not all of which make sense to a lot of people. We can spend long hours of toil and examination to ascertain if such all religious beliefs are supported by historical fact and a sound scientific basis. But such effort would be unavailing because of the nature of religious belief
I would endorse MNZ’s comments and say to Malinda, “Please let the Christians celebrate their faith in any which way they wish”. His comments have not been very helpful.
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Eshanthi / January 6, 2014
Jim Softly, are you Malinda Seneviratne; Milinda are you Jim? I think Jim Softly is Milinda Seneviratne or a friend of Milinda’s. If you do not believe me check Milinda’s articles and comments; Jim Softly is there only once or twice but all comments are either to help or clarify Milinda. Milinda, do not stoop to a level too low because people will start urinating and defecating on you. I feel sorry for you. Shame on you.
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