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BHUTAN - BEWARE OF THE CHRISTIAN MENACE:

DO Not let it Destroy the EnviableBuddhist Culture and the Happy and

Innocent Lifestyle of the Bhutanese

People

Common Agenda: Evangelization 2000

and Beyond

It is no secret that all world churches- most important of them being the Roman CatholicChurch and the Protestant Church- have a common agenda which they call

"Evangelization 2000 and Beyond". Evangelization 2000 is not an isolated phenomenon.It comes in wake of two other movements, globalization and Westernization.Westernization has culturally enslaved many peoples minds and lives. All this togetherconstitute a single, three-pronged onslaught on national sovereignty economic, culturaland religious of Buddhist nations such as yours and mine (Sri Lanka). Evangelization isin fact homogenization. It seeks to impose "one God, one Prophet and one Book over allmankind. It will destroy cultural pluralism and religious diversity. It is the evangelizingfaiths that threaten the rich and colorful diversity and impose a monolithic way of lifeover all peoples.

Subordination of Humanitarian Service to Proselytizing

According to the World Evangelization Research Center (WERC), there are more thanfour thousand mission agencies. Collectively they operate a huge apparatus, manned bysome 434,000 foreign missionaries wielding an annual global income of $18 billion.They spend an astonishing average of $359,000 for every person baptized.

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This subordination of humanitarian service to proselytizing is a matter of theology--evangelical Christians believe they hold a divine mandate, their "Great Commission"from God, to spread their creed. But it is also a matter of policy as far as the CatholicChurch is concerned. Pope John Paul II, during his 1998 visit to India, statedcategorically that the "Christianization" of Asia is an absolute priority" for the CatholicChurch in the new millennium. Missionaries have long capitalized on the leverage theyexercise over the young through thousands of church-run hospitals, schools, andorphanages.

Allurements and Inducements

The practice of allurement, or providing "inducements" to the poor in return for theirconversion to Christianity, is quite common, and one that many missionaries readilyadmit using. Today's methods are subtle and more concealed. Converts are now being"bought" with food, medicine, promises, micro-loans and many other means. Thispractice of bribing, rewarding and buying people over to Christianity, is not a recent

phenomenon, it has been the common characteristic of all Christian and westernhumanitarian and charity missions and their NGO affiliates operating in poor countries.

Intimidation and Fraud

When these baits and allurements fail, the missionaries resort to more-aggressive meanswhich border on intimidation and fraud. In Sri Lanka they resorted to making of the

Buddha- shaped cookies to be eaten by children and smashing and destroying statues ofthe Buddha in their presence in order to kill childrens spirit of veneration to the Buddha.For these peculiar Christians the "harvesting" of souls has become an end that justifiesalmost any means. "It's not how we convert that matters," Paul insists. "Conversion iswhat counts."

Not Humanitarian nor Charitable

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Bhutan is known to be a country with gracious people who are simple and innocent intheir disposition. Perhaps most of them are not fully aware of the deplorable nature ofoperations of these so-called Catholic and Christian charitable missions operating inBuddhist countries such as Sri Lanka. Most of our people are unaware that the methodsof assistance of these missions are based on the give and take business principle, ratherthan on an altruistic humanitarian philosophy. Their generous givings are laden withstrings. In terms of real value, what they give is negligible when compared to what theyseek and get. What they do at grassroots level among the innocent and materially poorpeople do not qualify as humanitarian or charitable efforts. Humanitarianism or charity isto generously give without expectation of anything in return.

Buddhist Spirituality

For 2,500 years Buddhism has satisfied the spiritual needs of nearly one third ofmankind. It appeals to those in search of truth because it has no dogmas, satisfies thereason and the heart alike, insists on self-reliance coupled with tolerance for other pointsof view, embraces science, religion, philosophy, psychology, mysticism, ethics and art,and points to man alone as the creator of his present life and sole designer of his destiny.Studies have revealed that Bhutanese are the happiest people on earth. The primary basis

of their happiness derives from their Buddhist way of life and attitude towards life,towards others and towards their environment.

Incompatibility with Culture and Way of

life

What Catholic and Christian missions are attempting to introduce to predominantlyBuddhist countries such as yours and ours, is incompatible with the way of life and thesocial value system of our countries. Bhutans well-established Buddhist culture extendsto the 7th century, a period that exceeds 1400 years and is marked by ingenious creativityand accomplishments.

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Bhutans Buddhist culture is characterized by cohesive families, respect for parents,elders, strong and lasting family bonds, children being great sources of inner satisfactionand pride for parents, taking personal care of parents and elders during their sunset years,

maintaining close ties with ones relatives, taking pride in their accomplishments, andhelping those in need, being charitable and compassionate towards others, generation ofsatisfying community feelings through numerous religious, cultural and recreationalactivities where Buddhist principles form the basis, and peoples active participation inthese festivals, ceremonies, rituals and celebrations. Peoples community attachment andfeelings of togetherness are best expressed at the varied colourful rituals and festivitiesthat characterize life in Buddhist Bhutan.

Negative social tendencies that characterize western Christian societies are uncommon

in Buddhist countries such as yours and ours. Among these undesirable tendencies areexcessive divorces, broken families, family violence, single parents, abandoned children,child abuse, abortions, teenage pregnancies, drug and sex addiction, proneness to stressand depression, excessive sensuality.

Divisiveness and Disharmony

Proselytization actions of Christian organizations not only work against Buddhism andBuddhist culture that form the foundation of life in countries such as yours and ours, butalso, in the process, bring about divisiveness and disharmony among our people. This is amost reprehensible form of exploitation. Divisive tendencies thrust upon people becomethreats of the well-known community coherence, hospitality, cordiality and unity thatcharacterize out Buddhist communities. Community feeling pervades our Buddhistsocieties, especially among our predominantly rural masses. Individualistic tendenciesare promoted by the Christian western corporate culture where aggressiveness, cravingand sensuality reign supreme. This so called culture promotes limitless craving formaterial possessions, physical comforts and sensual pleasures.

Sustainable Development Strategy

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Buddhism and Buddhist culture are essential components of the tangible and visible andintangible and unseen socio-cultural infrastructure of our Buddhist nations. Sustainabledevelopment means implementing a process that integrates environmental, economic andsocial considerations into decision making. As far as countries such as Bhutan and SriLanka are concerned, with a rich and well-established ancient Buddhist cultural heritage,sustainable development means the achievement of continued economic and socialdevelopment at the expense of the spiritual development that are essential components ofour cultures, providing stability to our society. Uprooting something that has becomeessentially a part of nature in Bhutan with something foreign and incompatible isagainst sustainable development.

Western Christians find Solace in

Buddhism

The sensible and intelligent people of the western world are withdrawing fromChristianity in increasing numbers, and through their own conviction, have turned to the

meaningful Buddhist way of life. Today Western Europe, the traditional homeland ofCatholics and Anglican Protestants, is a post-Christian society. The churches are empty,the people increasingly secular and some significant sections turning to Buddhistmeditation and yoga. A similar situation exists among many in USA among whom arethe educated, professionals and celebrities.

Former Christians are in increasing numbers, turning towards Buddhism and Buddhistpractices such as meditation to enrich their lives, because they do not see depth andmeaning in the lifestyle promoted by the western materialistic and individualistic life

style. They find it to be both stressful and shallow. Buddhism is the fastest growingreligion and spiritual influence in most western countries at present.

Science and Buddhist Knowledge

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In recent years western scientists in fields such as psychology, cognitive science,neuroscience and medical science have shown much interest in the vast field of Buddhistknowledge. They concede that Buddhism has refined meditation methods in order to

probe the nature of mind, using the mind itself as the instrument of investigation. Today,bio-behavioral scientists in increasing numbers are extending their methods andexpanding their conceptual frameworks realizing the complementary nature of theapproaches of science and Buddhism. What science and Buddhism really share is the goalof understanding the nature of reality. Science uses that scientific method and a lot oftechnology it starts from the outside and probes the nature of reality. Buddhism uses thehuman mind, reformed through meditation, starting from the inside, looking at the samequestions.

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane

Vancouver, Canada

February 01, 2011