By Darmitha

It is not a new thing for us to hear untruths being uttered by the above evangelical ministry or their affiliates in the assumption that listeners are all fools. An advertisement or Announcement which appeared in the Sunday Leader (which is also known for their allegiance to AOG) of 25^th October 2009 is one such example. It is titled ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-A Special Stamp Issueing Ceremony in Honour of Evan.Prof. S. Rajedram on his 6^th Thanksgiving Memorial Service on 28^th October 09 at 10.00a.m.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ The advertisement notice has been placed by his wife who goes as Rev.Prof. M.R. Rajendram, children and workers of the Ministry.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Pastor Rajendram who during his lifetime professed that Jesus Lives Ministry could help cure illnesses through prayers used to bring bus loads of ignorant gullible people to Mattakkuliya for his prayer sessions. What is truly perplexing, is that neither he nor his wife(who is also a Female Pastor) with all their prayers could not save the life of Pastor Rajendram when he fell ill 6 years and had to succumb to his illness! However, they still use monetary allurements, to get people to come and profess how such people were cured through prayers in front of crowds. No wonder these groups attract mostly the uneducated and the ignorant.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The advertisement/ notice in the Sunday Leader is very long and winded in its message to the readers. It states that the 6^th Memorial Thanksgiving Service will be held on 28^th October at 10.00 am and that on this day a special Commemorative Stamp will be issued by the Sri Lanka Government Postal Department. To (quote): ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚From 1978 Brother committed his entire life to the True Divine God who delivered him from the darkness of death, and he had offered himself completely to GodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s serviceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦Therefore to Honor this Divine Man of God the Sri Lankan Government Postal Department is issueing this Commemorative Stamp and this is the first time in the history of Sri Lankan Christians an Evangelist is Honoured by Issueing a Commemorative Special Stamp. This is an honour given to the entire Christian societyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚¦.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(end quote)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The truth of the matter is quite contrary to what this message concocted by Pastor Mrs M.R.Rajendram makes it out to be which is totally misleading and a mischievous endeavour to give a wrong impression about the Sri Lanka Government Postal Department!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We are aware that 2-3 years ago, Mrs.Rajendram attempted to get a Commemorative Stamp issued for her late husband but the attempt failed miserably and was shoved under the carpet. The attempts both in the past and present, is to legitimize Evangelical Christian movements in Sri Lanka and to portray the service done to the country which is anything but complementary! The uneducated ignorant poor people living in and around Colombo are being cheated by professing to be able to cure illnesses through prayer-these innocent people will never dare to question but will go along with the singing and dancing and the loud prayers. The Pastors of these Evangelical Ministries never have the honesty or the guts to reveal to the world at large how many unsuspecting patients have been killed with this tom foolery of singing and shouting accompanied by dancing without seeking the advise of a medical doctor!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Commemorative Stamps in this country are issued by Sri Lanka Postal Department after taking into consideration a strict list of qualifications to deserve the honour ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  such a stamp- it is not issued to honour personalities who have been living out of the misery of uneducated ignorant and innocent people. Unfortunately, Pastor S.Rajendram did not and does not fit into the criteria for which Commemorative Stamps are being issued by our Government. But ofcourse, Pastor Mrs. M.R.Rajendram cannot honestly and openly state this to her congregation and others who are out there whom the Jesus Lives Ministry is hoping to attract into their fold! She is desperately attempting to legitimize Evangelical cult movements in Sri Lanka by stating falsehoods in the newspaper notice/advertisement. Most of us, are not at all surprised by this devious or dubious methods.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To enlighten readers the writer will explain what this so called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Commemorative StampƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is all about so that you yourself will be able to decide for yourself the truth of the matter and also decide on how the Jesus Lives Ministry must be hoodwinking their congregations through their prayers!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

• It is not a postal stamp. In the professional arena of stamps this stamp that is being issued, is what is called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-A LabelƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Personalized StampƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and there is no monetary value printed on it. Therefore, this cannot be used as a postal stamp;
• This kind of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Personalized StampƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-LabelƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ has been introduced by the Postal Department during the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Deyate KirulaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ programme very recently;
• No ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-First Day CoversƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ are issued on behalf these ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-LabelsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Personalized StampsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ & therefore, it cannot be considered a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Commemorative StampƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ as is made out by Mrs. Rajendram;
• One sheet of stamps will have any denomination of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 09 postal stamps printed ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ together withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  09 of these ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-LabelsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Personalized StampsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (depicting Pastor Rajendram) ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and this sheet will be issued only to the Applicant at the rate of Rs.500/= per sheet;
• The Postal Department considers this as an additional source of income for the Department;
• Anyone who wishes to print such ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-LabelsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ or ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Specialized StampsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ can do so by making a request to the Director of the Philatelic Bureau. The Director has the final authority to accept or reject such a request;

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The above ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-LabelsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ are seen quite often in most countries and it is of no commercial value whatsoever except that it is merely treated like scraps that we used when we were schooling in the good old days.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore, when Mrs. RajendramƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s advertisement / notice states in bold font ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-..Therefore, to Honor this Divine man of God the Sri Lankan Postal Department is issueing this Commemorative Stamp, and this is the First time in the history of Sri Lankan Christians an Evangelist is Honoured by issueing a Commemorative Special StampƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ there is a grave and strong attempt at even insulting the good offices of the Postal Department without their knowledge by making the readers believe that this is a postage stamp which it is not! It is merely a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-LabelƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ with absolutely no commercial value to it and which cannot be used to post even a Post Card.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We do not need to go into other details of how the followers of Jesus Lives Ministry are being deceived all the time, when Mrs. Rajendram does not mind using her late husbandƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s name as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-a dishonest commercial ploy ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…– what more can we expect from such people or such religious cults which is what they are known as in other western countries.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is sad that Orthodox Christian Church groups ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka are also being vilified and insulted with this kind of dishonesty and tom foolery ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD!