Opinion

Is belief in afterlife essential for religious practice?

Published

3 years ago

2023/05/11

Most religions including mono-theistic religions like Christianity, though they reject reincarnation, believe in some form of after-life. Christianity believes that after death the person would go to heaven which is God’s Kingdom, depending on his unwavering faith in God or to hell in the case of unrepentant sinners decided by God and there is no repetition of life on earth.

In Hinduism the soul is responsible for continuation of life after death until Moksha could be attained by adopting a moral life according to the principles of the Bakthi-marga. In the Holy Quran Jannah is mentioned in the sense of an abode that is a reward for the believer in God. After-life in Buddhism is described as rebecoming (punarbhava) where there is no involvement of a self but instead there is a “stream of consciousness” (vijnana sota) arising from dispositions (“sankara“) that could give rise to a form of consciousness called prathisandi-vijnana at the time of death that could enter another being at the stage of conception. One could see that there is a considerable amount of metaphysical content that lacks empirical evidence in these theories and one wonders whether all that is necessary for religious experience.

Moreover, most of the religious metaphysical views are necessitated due to the belief in after-life and these would include Self, heaven, hell, theories on the mechanics of transmission of being from one birth to the next including karmic information etc. Thus, one arrives at the question how and why religions came into being for that may give an answer to the question whether belief in survival after death is essential for practice of religion.

Religion was created by man in his search for solutions to the human predicament, full of defilement, insatiable greed, uncontrollable hatred, ignorance, self-ego which caused immense mental dissatisfaction and sorrow. This problem was made worse by various physical and mental illnesses and natural evil. Early man was amazed, baffled and terrified by natural phenomena and evil. His inherent inquisitiveness and evolved intellect made him pry into nature and its mysteries and thus developed his science. His incessant feeling of dissatisfaction and suffering made him seek solace and thus develop religion. He worshipped natural phenomena like the Sun, trees, rocks and later he created deity. Several gods were worshiped in Mesopotamia including Anu the god of Heaven. In ancient Egypt a deity named Sobek with a crocodile head was created. Seals discovered in Indus Valley civilisation ruins show objects of worship like fig trees, etc.

As the civilisations evolved the objects of worship also became more civilized so to speak. Greeks developed twelve gods, Zeus, etc., to oversee different subjects. Vedic religion in India developed three gods responsible for the creation and destruction of the world. Pantheism which is the doctrine that propounds several gods and also the concept of identification of god with the universe developed in these cultures. In line with these thoughts arose the Book of Genesis in Palestine ascribed to Moses, the first book of the Hebrew religion which described the creation of the world and life in it. It also mentions Abraham, who had the first humanity’s relationship with God and is considered the founder of Judaism. Three religions Christianity, Judaism and Islam, with a common god, evolved from Abrahamic thought. Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohamed the founders of Christianity and Islam respectively are also humanity’s connections with god. Meanwhile, Vedic culture in India also paved the way for the development of three religions Brahmanism, which developed into Hinduism continuing the doctrinal essence of the Veda, Buddhism and Jainism which took different paths.

It is clear that religion was created by man as a solution to the evil that is a feature of life on earth. Man wanted a definition of the moral existence which he thought could perhaps mitigate the evil that he had to contend with in life. He also wanted a source of solace and he created god for this purpose, yet the god he created in the final analysis is a reification of the abstract composition of the morals embellished with metaphysical artifice. In Christianity Jesus Christ preached mainly on morals and his famous Sermon on the Mount as contained in the Gospels of Matthew emphasizes his preachings on morals, on how a human being should live. He spoke about God as the symbol of morals, the moral Absolute and goodness. He ascribed to God omnipotence and omniscience in order to make people abide by the morals he preached, cautioned by the belief that a supreme being would be sitting on judgement and decide whether they go to heaven or hell. Jesus took the side of the poor, exploited, wretched of the earth and symbolically was born in a manger, he carried the sins of sinners symbolically on the cross. His mission obviously was to instil morals into the soul of people.

To be a good Christian one need not essentially believe in an unempirical after-life, and being born in a metaphysical heaven or hell. One does not need a reward of being born in heaven to do good. The good one does is reward itself. Leading a moral life brings so much goodness to oneself as well as all others. The world becomes a much better place to live in. All man-made evil like wars that abound despite an omnipotent God overseeing the world affairs, would abate if everyone lives a moral life. Cruelty of man against man would cease. Greed and hatred would be controlled. One could believe in Jesus Christ sans the myth, and his preaching on moral life and put into practice those precepts and there by one could be a good Christian. The concepts of god, heaven, hell and after-life were created by man to deter immoral life by instilling doubt or fear of the consequence and encourage moral life.

The central theme and core philosophy of Buddhism is suffering or dissatisfaction (Pali- Dukkha) and the means of ending suffering. This pertains to the present life on earth and there is no need of an after-life for the theory on suffering to be valid for it is something that we experience in our day to day life. Even Nirvana which really means freedom from defilements greed, aversion and ignorance, which would eliminate dissatisfaction (dukka), could be attained in the present life and does not depend on an after-life. Buddhist philosophy is significantly influenced by its morals and has to be considered in that context. Even if karmic consequences could be experienced in this life, one would accrue the benefits of meritorious living in this life itself.

One may argue that the profound philosophy of Buddhism would collapse if the theory of rebecoming (“punarbhava”) is disregarded. As mentioned above Buddhist philosophy is influenced to a great extent by its morals and its main pillars are the thrilakhana (anicca, dukkha, anatta), the Four Noble Truths and paticca-samuppada. These theories are more or less grounded on empiricism and do not depend on metaphysical considerations like after-life. For instance, “anicca” (impermanence) is an everyday experience and so is”dukkha (dissatisfaction). “Self” in Buddhism is the feeling of “I, me, mine” which we experience but has no reality. The Four Noble Truths deal with the main concern of Buddhism which is dukkha and does not depend on rebirth. Paticca-samuppada propounds a mechanism for dependent arising of all phenomena which again could be discussed independent of “rebecoming”.

Similarly, in Hinduism and Islam the practitioner need not believe in a metaphysical after-life to practice these religions for the good of oneself as well as everybody else. One could practice Bhakthi marga in Hinduism without believing in an after-life. One need not believe in rebirth to practice the comprehensive morals so diligently written down in the Holy Quran.

It is the widely different metaphysical beliefs in religion that destructively divide people into religious groups and encourage clannism, which in the extreme form may even cause religious wars. It is such beliefs that give rise to religious chauvinism and bigotry. Morals, on the other hand, in different religions are very much similar and could be a unifying factor. What is worse, these metaphysical emotional beliefs give the proselytizing cults tools to be used for their unholy loathsome deeds which may provoke retaliation and violent eruptions such as “bala sena”. Though these metaphysical theories and views may provide topics for often uninformed, unwise debate and criticism, as the Buddha said, these different views would constitute opportunities and articles of attachment and tenacious grasping that may lead to conflict, confrontation and even war. If the morals that every religion preaches are treated as the unifying factor, religious harmony so essential for a country like Sri Lanka that eminent priests like Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith advocate could be achieved.

N. A.de S. Amaratunga

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Opinion

Missing 52%: Why Women are absent from Pettah’s business landscape

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/23

Thilina Walpola

Pettah

Walking through Pettah market in Colombo, I have noticed something both obvious and troubling. Shop after shop sells bags, shoes, electronics, even sarees, and yet all shops are owned and run by men. Even businesses catering exclusively to women, like jewelry stores and bridal boutiques, have men behind the counter. This is not just my observation but it’s a reality where most Sri Lankans have observed as normal. What makes this observation more important is when we examine the demographics where women population constitute approximately 52% of Sri Lanka’s population, but their representation as business owners remains significantly low. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2023 report, Sri Lanka’s Total Early Stage Entrepreneurial Activity rate for women is just 8.2%, compared to 14.7% for men.

Despite of being the majority, women are clearly underrepresented in the entrepreneurial aspect. This mismatch between population size and economic participation create a question that why aren’t more women starting ventures? The answer is not about capability or intelligence. Rather, it’s deeply in social and cultural barriers that have been shaping women’s mindsets for generations. From childhood, many Sri Lankan girls are raised to believe that their primary role is as homemakers.

In families, schools, and even universities, the message has been same or slightly different, woman’s success is measured by how well she manages a household, not by her ability to generate income or lead a business. Financial independence is rarely taught as essential for women the way it has been for men. Over time, this messaging gets internalised. Many women grew up without ever being encouraged to think seriously about ownership, leadership, or earning their own money. These cultural influences eventually manifest as psychological barriers as well.

Years of conditioning have led many skilled women to develop what researchers call “imposter syndrome”, a persistent fear of failure and feel that they don’t deserve success kind of feeling. Even when they have the right skills and resources, self-doubt holds them back. They question whether they can run a business independently or not. Whether they will be taken seriously, whether they are making the right choice. This does not mean that women should leave their families or reject traditional roles. But lack of thinking in a confident way and make bold decisions has real consequences. Many talented women either never start a business or limit themselves to small, informal ventures that barely survive. This is not about men versus women. It’s about the economic cost of underutilising 52% of the population. If our country is genuinely serious about sustainable growth. we must build an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem through confidence building programs, better finance access to women, and a long term societal mindset shift. Until a young girl walking through Pettah can see herself as a future shop owner rather than just a customer, we will continue to waste our country’s greatest untapped resource.

Harinivasini Hariharasarma
Department of Entrepreneurship
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Opinion

Molten Salt Reactors

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/23

Thilina Walpola

Some essential points made to indicate its future in Power Generation

The hard facts are that:

1) Coal supplies cannot last for more than 70- 100 years more at most, with the price rising as demand exceeds supply.

2) Reactor grade Uranium is in short supply, also with the price rising. The cost is comparable to burning platinum as a fuel.

3) 440 standard Uranium reactors around the world are 25-30 years old – coming to the end of their working life and need to be replaced.

4) Climate Change is increasingly making itself felt and forecasts can only be for continuing deterioration due to existing levels of CO2 being continuously added to the atmosphere. It is important to mention the more serious problems associated with the release of methane gases – a more harmful gas than CO2 – arising from several sources.

5) Air pollution (ash, chemicals, etc.) of the atmosphere by coal-fired plants is highly dangerous for human health and should be eliminated for very good health reasons. Pollution created by India travels to Sri Lankans by the NE monsoon causing widespread lung irritations and Chinese pollution travels all around the world and affects everybody.

6) Many (thousands) of new sources of electric power generation need to be built to meet increasing demand. But the waste Plutonium 239 (the Satan Stuff) material has also to be moved around each country by lorry with police escort at each stage, as it is recovered, stored, processed and formed into blocks for long term storage. The problem of security of transport for Plutonium at each stage to prevent theft becomes an impossible nightmare.

The positive strengths to Thorium Power generation are:

1) Thorium is quite abundant on the planet – 100 times more than Uranium 238, therefore supplies will last thousands of years.

2) Cleaning or refining the Thorium is not a difficult process.

3) It is not highly radioactive having a very slow rate of isotope decay. There is little danger from radiation poisoning. It can be safely stored in the open, unaffected by rain. It is not harmful when ingested.

4) The processes involved with power generation are quite different and are a lot less complex.

5) Power units can be quite small, the size of a modern detached house. One of these can be located close to each town, thus eliminating high voltage cross-country transmission lines with their huge power losses (up to 20%).

6) Thorium is ‘fertile’ not fissile: therefore, the energy cycle has to be kick-started by a source of Neutrons, e.g., fissile material, to get it started. It is definitely not as dangerous as Uranium.

7) It is “Fail – Safe”. It has walk-away safety. If the reactor overheats, cooled drain plugs unfreeze and the liquid drains away to storage tanks below. There can be no “Chernobyl/ Fukoshima” type disasters.

8) It is not a pressurized system; it works at atmospheric pressure.

9) As long as reactor temperatures are kept around 600 oC there are little effects of corrosion in the Hastalloy metal tanks, vessels and pipe work. China, it appears, has overcome the corrosion problem at high temperatures.

10) At no stage in the whole chain of operations is there an opportunity for material to be stolen and converted and used as a weapon. The waste products have a half- life of 300 years, not the millions of years for Plutonium.

11) Production of MEDICAL ISOTOPE Bismuth 213 is available to be isolated and used to fight cancer. The nastiest cancers canbe cured with this Bismuth 213 as Targetted Alpha therapy.

12) A hydrogen generation unit can be added.

This information obtained from following YouTube film clips:

1) The Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor – what Fusion wanted to be…

2) An unbiased look at Molten Salt Reactors

3) LFTR Chemical Processing by Kirk Sorensen

Thorium! The Way Ahead!

Priyantha Hettige

Opinion

Foreign degrees and UGC

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/23

Thilina Walpola

There are three key issues regarding foreign degrees:

Recognition: Is the awarding university recognized by our UGC?

Authenticity: Is the degree genuine or bogus?

Quality: Is it a standard, credible qualification?

1. The Recognition Issue (UGC Role)

The UGC addresses the first issue. If a foreign university is listed in the Commonwealth Universities Yearbook or the International Handbook of Universities, the UGC issues a letter confirming that the university is recognized. However, it is crucial to understand that a recognized university does not automatically imply that every degree it issues is recognized.

2. The Authenticity Issue (Employer Role)

The second issue rests with the employer. It is the employer’s responsibility to send a copy of the foreign degree to the issuing university to get it authenticated. This is a straightforward verification process.

3. The Quality Assurance Gap

The third issue

—the standard and quality of the degree—has become a matter for no one. The UGC only certifies whether a foreign university is recognized; they do not assess the quality of the degree itself.

This creates a serious loophole. For example:

Does a one-year “top-up” degree meet standard criteria?

Is a degree obtained completely online considered equivalent?

Should we recognize institutions with weak invigilation, allowing students to cheat?

What about curricula that are heavy on “notional hours” but light on functional, practical knowledge?

What if the medium of instruction is English, but the graduates have no functional English proficiency?

Members of the UGC need to seriously rethink this approach. A rubber-stamp certification of a foreign university is insufficient. The current system ignores the need for strict quality assurance. When looking at the origins of some of these foreign institutions (Campuchia, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Sudan..) the intentions behind these “academic” offerings become very clear. Quality assurance is urgently needed. Foreign universities offering substandard degrees can be delisted.

M. A. Kaleel Mohammed
757@gmail.com
( Retired President of a National College of Education)