ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he is hopeful the trend on focusing on the economy during election instead of race and religion will continue.
“It is always said, you must look after the stomach before you can look after anything else. You have to first feed the people, and then think of the religion,” Wickremesinghe was quoted by his media division.
Recent elections are less influenced by racial or religious factors, Wickremesinghe pointed out, focusing instead on economic issues.
He said he hoped that this trend would continue, keeping religion separate from governance and ensuring a fair approach to all religious communities.
The president was speaking at the graduation and ordination ceremony of the Apostolic Diocese of Ceylon held at the BMICH on Saturday.
Wickremesinghe said that “the teachings of Jesus Christ have resonated in the country for centuries”, and “stressed the importance of upholding the freedom of worship and the need for religious facilities to be accessible to all denominations”.
“Now we are coming into a new age where even organized religions will have a question mark,” the President said, urging religious leaders to adapt and consider how technology and AI will affect religious doctrines and practices.
Wickremesinghe spoke about the importance of providing psychological guidance, particularly to young people who are increasingly influenced by digital media, and emphasized the need for religious and community leaders to address these issues.
“In this coming period, it’s best that everyone gets together and considers this problem,” he urged. “The guidance we provide must be adaptable to the evolving world, focusing on the needs of all individuals, regardless of their religious background.”
The government is committed to supporting all religions in Sri Lanka, in accordance with the Constitution, he said, and called for continued cooperation between religious groups to tackle the challenges of the modern age and to ensure that spiritual guidance remains relevant and effective. (Colombo/Sep7/2024)