Citizens' Mail

Politicians visiting places of worship

We very often see politicians visiting places of worship. They very often go to temples, Hindu kovils, churches and mosques.

They go and meet religious leaders. Very often when accepting a new position, they will meet the religious leaders and obtain their blessings. This is very good.

When there is some political crisis, politicians visit temples and other places of worship.

When politicians visit temples, lot of publicity is given. When coming out of the temples, the journalists start asking various questions from the politicians.

After visiting a temple, any devotee will be very religious, very peaceful, very patient, very reasonable and very pleasant.

When we visit a temple we change our behaviour and try to be compassionate and peaceful.

This is not observed in our politicians. When coming out of the temples, sometimes they are not peaceful at all. They start criticising their opponents. They start attacking their opponents. Instead of talking about peace, compassion, religious feelings, helping others, forgiving others, they start scolding their opponents. This is an insult to the religious leader they met. It is an insult to the religious teachings.

We very kindly request to the politicians to behave in a better way when they visit places of worship. Do not use these holy places for your low grade politics. When you visit a holy place behave in a manner that shows some respect to the religious teachings.

Religion plays a very crucial and central role in everyone’s life. Religion guides us to the path of honesty, integrity, high morals and inspires us to live a righteous life.

Religion may be defined as a cultural system of designated behaviours and practices, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics or organisations that relates humanity to supernatural, transcendental, or spiritual elements.

Visits of politicians to temples should be more spiritual and meaningful. These visits should not have other low level motives. Enter or leave a holy place with due respect and with a peaceful and spiritual mind.

D. Weeratunga
Nugegoda