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“Manipulative Christian Conversions in Sri Lanka: Some Perspectives” is a highly debated essay written by Senaka Weeraratna, a prominent Sri Lankan lawyer, Buddhist activist, and researcher. Originally published as an essay and widely circulated across platforms like Academia.edu and nationalist forums such as LankaWeb, the work outlines deep-seated concerns regarding unethical religious conversions targeting the indigenous Buddhist and Hindu populations of Sri Lanka.

Central arguments of the text

The document holds religious conversion not as an act of genuine spiritual awakening, but as an organized, highly funded geopolitical strategy.

• Exploitation of poverty: Weeraratna argues that foreign-funded evangelical and fundamentalist Christian groups systematically target economically marginalized communities. By offering material inducements—such as cash, education, medical aid, and employment—these groups exploit systemic poverty to secure conversions.
• Foreign funding networks: The text highlights that international evangelical movements funnel massive financial resources into the country to achieve aggressive conversion quotas. Weeraratna claims this influx of unregulated foreign funding alters local demographic and religious landscapes. [1]
• Constitutional violations: While the Constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, Weeraratna posits that “manipulative” conversions cross ethical boundaries. He asserts that using coercion, deception, or material bribery violates the spirit of true religious freedom.
• Historical and cultural threat: The text places contemporary evangelical activities within a historical continuum of colonial-era Christian proselytization. Weeraratna emphasizes that these practices undermine the historical status of Buddhism, fracturing communal harmony and risking future ethno-religious conflicts.

If you want to know more, tell me if you are looking for specific statistics mentioned in his work, details on anti-conversion legislation in Sri Lanka, or academic critiques of his perspectives.

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