Colombo, Aug 13: In two landmark judgements, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court has ruled against religious conversions and denied legal status to two Christian organisations. The three-judge bench of the court last week held that the Sri Lankan constitution did not recognise propagation of religion as a fundamental right but only guaranteed a citizen's right to worship or practise a religion. The apex court was hearing two petitions filed by the All Ceylon Buddhist Women's Congress (ACWBC) against two bills presented in parliament seeking legal status for two Christian organisations, the 'new wine harvest ministries', a Norwegian Christian Group, and the 'provincial of the teaching sisters of the holy cross of the third order of Saint Francis in Menzingen of Sri Lanka'. Buddhists organisations have been agitating against Christian groups and cults which have in recent years been active in rural areas and allegedly offer money, jobs, clothing and books to induce people to change their religion.
The court held that these kind of activities would result in imposing unnecessary and improper pressure on people who are distressed and in need.


The ACWBC petitioners claimed that one of the bodies sought not only to propagate the catholic religion, but to "allure persons of other religions by providing material and other benefits."
Among these benefits were medical facilities, education to children, providing care for infants, aged, orphans, destitute and the sick.

Bureau Report