Features
“The medium and the message” of religion?
“Most of our assumptions have outlived their uselessness.”
Marshall McLuhan
by Susantha Hewa
Year in and year out we are rejuvenated by a chain of cultural and religious events among which are Deepavali, Ramadan, Vesak, Poson, Maha Shivaratri, Thai Pongal, Easter, Good Friday, and Christmas. Generally, we are interested in celebrating these events but much less so in thinking of religion outside the prescription.
As we grow up, we begin to talk about politics, the economy, diseases, corruption, social issues, health issues, education, crimes, environment, climate, pollution, accidents, drinking, gambling and many other issues that affect our daily lives. And we talk about them without inhibitions or set boundaries, according to our lights, and being informed about the changing views and perspectives. Surely, you aren’t always correct in your views about any of them, but you constantly change and refine them as you become open to different or opposing views. The result is that you become more informed and more flexible. It helps build more fluidity of ideas and thus more democracy. However, we tread more cautiously when we come to terrains like customs, beliefs, traditions, cultural practices, age-old myths, superstitions and religion. Surely, they are part and parcel of daily existence just like the others, but they are shielded by convention. As a result, we generally shun them as taboos. So, the passing years make little difference in our views of them and depending on how insulated or open-minded you are about any of them, you change the distance between you and your ancestors in the relevant area. The more we shy away from them, the closer we get to primitivity. However, there is one silver lining. Whereas you are naturally ill at ease about not being sufficiently updated about the current perspectives of most other issues, you don’t have to be embarrassed about holding your great-grandfather’s views about the ‘protected’ subjects like conventions, customs, cultural practices, religion, etc.
Coming back to the festivities mentioned in the first paragraph for a moment. The celebration of those events contributes to keeping alive what may be called the “spirit of religion” and passing it over to the next generation. As individuals, as well as societies, we take part in many of these events and each time we celebrate them, we get into a religious mood of sorts, which may be different in intensity and character from person to person. And, as a result, we also become more and more benign, humane, compassionate, sensitive, broadminded, intelligent, peace-loving, empathetic, etc. Or do we? Isn’t our engagement in these religious events supposed to make us more and more refined and civilized? Is it unreasonable to expect our commitment to each of these religious experiences to make us a bit better in our sensibilities? Or are they events that stir our ‘religious’ feelings for the moment and leave us no better than we were? Of course, they make us more ardent followers of these rituals year after year, but whether they sensitize us to be more united as humans on a broader canvas is debatable, if the present level of lack of sympathy among people is any indication.
This year, too, while we are routinely energized by the religious events on the calendar, we are getting our regular dose of war news coming from different parts of the world. Some of them make the headlines, others do not. The devastation in Gaza is continuously sending shock waves across the world every now and then. The pace and magnitude of the destruction in Gaza is said to be unparalleled in recent history. As Amnesty International has announced, “Month after month, Israel has treated Palestinians in Gaza as a subhuman group unworthy of human rights and dignity, demonstrating its intent to physically destroy them.” Equally chilling are the mass killings happening in other places although they may not get enough media cover. However, unless you are sufficiently naïve, you are not likely to wonder why all those recurring events that raises our religiosity haven’t done much to end largescale violence and bring about a saner world. You can ask that question only at the risk of being treated as weird. Surely, many would tell you that ‘religion’, as we have known for donkey’s years, hasn’t ever been able to stop any of the wars that have decimated millions of people at different times in different places and that wars have never shunned religion.
As history may give evidence, it is asking a lot to count on religion to solve our most critical problems like wars, famines, plagues, etc., that have taken their toll on millions of people. Not only in antiquity, even now we resort to religious rituals to get rid of serious problems. For example, during the COVID–19 pandemic, we turned to various religious rituals in addition to superstitious practices in the hope of lessening its virulence, but in vain. On the contrary, the congregation of devotees helped the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, religion has been a direct cause of violence and bloodletting at different times throughout history. As such, you can’t blame those people who are not happy about the antiquated tryst between war and religion, if they yearn for the emergence of a new religion – a philosophy, doctrine, vision, dharma, ethics, call it what you may – which can find ways of effectively influencing the warmongers who don’t seem to recognize how their traditional religions can ever be relevant to our experiential, earthly life.
For many, our earthly life is of no significance without that ‘afterlife’; it’s a mere interim period to prepare for eternal happiness on the other side. Of course, there are differences among the ways in which religions describe afterlife, but they have without exception, have made us conscious of an afterlife, investing it with greater meaning and significance than this life. Very often, the obsession with that afterlife tends to belittle, if not overlook, the horrors of violence in ‘this’ life. Sam Harris says, “One of the problems with religion is that it creates in-group loyalty and out-group hostility, even when members of one’s own group are behaving like psychopaths”. This is enough reason to be disturbed and curious about why religions have failed to sensitize people towards miseries of our own making.
However, it is useless to blame religion for failing to stop wars or major violence. Let’s take a step back to ask the obvious question. If it’s not religion that causes estrangement and bias, then what? Can this be understood with reference to a secular theory? Have we made religions to be what they have been, and what they will be, by using a model of communication of our own making, which doesn’t seem to have any inseparable or necessary connection to religion? In other words, would it be better for us to continue to transmit religion to succeeding generations in the same way we have been doing for ages through inheritance?
Well, all may agree that the content or the ‘message’ of every religion subscribes to a meaningful life. However, after all these centuries of religious instruction we are no better than our ancestors when it comes to the all-important problem of conflict resolution. There’s the rub. If all religions are wise in their content what on earth could have rendered them ineffective in making us a bit more sober?
The philosopher and media theorist, Marshall McLuhan, hopefully, may throw at least a little light on the intractable problem of why religion is not what it is intended to be, that is, to serve as a promoter of peace and goodwill. According to Prof. McLuhan, “The medium is the message” in all forms of communication. He emphasized that the message is so much a part of the medium through which it is communicated and perceived by us, that our primary focus in understanding communication should be the medium, because the message is embedded in the medium. Taking the light bulb as an example, he showed that it was a medium without ‘content’, but it changed everything around it, including our perceptions, the numerous ways in which we organize our work, etc. Some may say that it is not very prudent to borrow from McLuhan to understand religion-related communication. But we cannot think of the passing of religion to progeny without a medium through which it comes to us no matter how much aura it has gathered around it. That is, we cannot consider religion as an abstraction naturally descending on us with no human intervention.
What is the medium through which religion has customarily been communicated for centuries? It comes to us as a cultural experience together with all other traditions. It is given to us by parents and the relevant institutions of the community. As far as the receivers are concerned, it is much more of an overarching and multifaceted experience than it is ‘learning’ per se? It is an inescapable experience we begin to get from our early childhood in which knowledge resulting from conscious learning is virtually absent and unworkable. As children, we all have “experienced” religion in a variety of customary ways with no adequate cognitive resources to understand it. The means of religious communication, from what we know quite well, is repeated exposure. It defines what we understand as religion.
The same content or ‘message’ transmitted through two different processes or ‘mediums’ wouldn’t be the same message. To put it in a better way, we cannot conceptualize message independent of the means of its communication. In other words, religion, when it is embedded in a communication model, we may call its medium, cannot escape being determined by the medium used.
If a religion, or religions, were to come to us along with other subjects in the school curriculum bypassing that no-escape childhood experience, then it wouldn’t be the same ‘religion’ as we have come to know it for millennia, which has unwittingly created alienation amongst us. Thus, if we want religion to be more effective in addressing burning problems, perhaps we have to turn to another medium of communication.
It may be some time before the full impact of food inflation is felt in the West. Until such time the world would continue to keep itself in suspense over whether the Trump administration is in earnest when it seeks to convey the impression that it is backing a negotiated solution in West Asia.
As is usually the case, consumer stress would be one of the final determinants of political change. To the degree to which the average US consumer somehow ‘muddles through’ and puts the food on the table, to the same extent would the Republican sections of the US public in particular be tolerant of the Trump administration’s inconsistent handling of the West Asian war and the main issues stemming from it. That is, there would be no grave popular disaffection and a demand for political change in the short term.
However, the indications are that the Trump administration’s support base is suffering some erosion in the wake of the current economic crisis. While reports indicate that Democratic sections are firming-up their opposition to the political centre, Republican support for Trump is also showing signs of waning, we are given to understand.
The above developments are probably why Trump is on record as having given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a ‘dressing down’ recently on his seeming intransigence on the question of giving negotiations a chance in West Asia. The show of displeasure could be really aimed by Trump at containing the impatience of the American public.
However, the current ground situation in the Middle East, particularly the uncontained bloodshed, is likely to impress on the thinking sections of the world that more than temporary political change is needed in West Asia and the US.
A well thought out political solution that addresses all the contentious issues at the heart of the Middle East conflict is what enlightened opinion would demand, and very rightly. Right now, the ‘peace efforts’ initiated by the Trump administration give the impression of being piecemeal solutions at best.
There have been, of course, numerous initiatives in the past aimed at bringing permanent peace to the Middle East. These failed mainly because they did not address in full the root causes of the conflict.
At bottom the Middle East conflict is mainly about race and religious hate bred by socio-economic and material inequalities. For instance, if the Palestinian people were not displaced and deprived of land occupied by them at the time of the founding of the Israeli state, ethnic enmities would not have grown to the current unmanageable proportions.
When addressing the above questions, though, it must be remembered that the Israelis too were a displaced people who were entitled to land and a state of their own in the Middle East. Basically, out of these seemingly irreconcilable and conflicting demands have grown the Middle East imbroglio.
Middle East peace is considerably about reconciling these demands and arriving at a solution that would ensure the creation of two states that would opt for peaceful co-existence thereafter.
As long as the US does not see the need for a non-partisan solution that addresses the needs of both ethnicities and religions and goes all-out, as it were, to have it implemented, the Middle East would continue to bleed.
However, staunching the blood flow through the creation of two states would be only half the job done, though a very important part of it. More pernicious, pervasive and difficult to remedy are the inter-ethnic and inter-religious hatreds that have been unleashed over the decades.
However, if substantial, long-lasting peace is to be fostered in the region the latter ‘demons’ would need to be exorcised from the hearts and minds of the communities concerned. No doubt an uphill task but one that must be undertaken by those who wish the region well.
The UN would need to put its ‘best foot forward’ in such undertakings but it is time that it dawned on the international community and other caring quarters that Middle East peace, and all other such uphill challenges, require proactive peacemaking on the part of all civilized sections for their effective management. That is, public involvement in peacemaking too is a must.
Since hatreds are harboured in the human consciousness the enmities embedded in the latter need to be managed and defused judiciously alongside other undertakings in a peace process. In the case of West Asia, such enmities could be even spread globe-wide besides being multi-dimensional. For instance, it ought to be thought-provoking that Iran is insistent on a peace initiative that would also include Lebanon.
Besides security considerations it is also ethnic and religious affiliations that account for Iran making this demand. For instance, the Shias are a numerically important religious community in Lebanon and they provide a significant number of Hizbollah fighters, who are in a vital sense carrying out a ‘proxy war’ for Iran. It also needs to be factored in that Iran is a Shia-majority country.
Thus trans-border religious affiliations could add to the complexities and enormity of ethno-religious conflicts. However, the task of managing centuries-long enmities needs to be launched and prodded on with by peacemakers since a downing of arms alone would not guarantee substantive peace.
It is not realized sufficiently that the process of ending hatreds begins with mutual apologies by antagonists to a conflict for the harm inflicted on each other. This would be anathema in some ears but there is no getting away from the requirement. It is the vital first step to permanent peace anywhere.
In fact there could be no reconciliation worth speaking of without such mutual apologies. It is a point worth re-iterating in these times when even the government of Sri Lanka is voicing the need for national reconciliation. Well, without the words, ‘I am sorry’, there could be no permanent end to enmities – they would do well to remember.
The above requirements may not go down very well with governments, but they resonate in the hearts and minds of most people, since they are inheritors of religious traditions of some kind.
This is a principal reason why peacemaking works well when publics too are involved in them. The effectiveness of such campaigns increases several fold when they have a Mahatma Gandhi or a Jawaharlal Nehru at their helm. A strong proactive involvement by the public in peace could lead to the emergence of such leaders at some point in these campaigns.
Official Digital Partner of the 2026 ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone
Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s #1 connectivity provider, collaborated with the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs to bring one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most technologically advanced Vesak experiences to the ‘Dakshina Prabha’ National Vesak Zone. The three-day celebration, in Matara attracted more than hundred thousand visitors, who engaged with a series of innovative digital activities powered by Dialog 5G Ultra, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences, digital pandols and a Data Dansala. The opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development and Hon. Saroja Savithri Paulraj, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, along with distinguished guests and Dialog’s senior management.
One of the key attractions at the venue was the Dialog 5G Ultra-powered Virtual Reality (VR) experience, which attracted more than 35,000 participants. The activation enabled devotees to virtually visit and pay homage to sacred Buddhist sites, including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in India and the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, directly from the Vesak zone in Matara.
Visitors receive complimentary mobile data through Dialog’s QR-powered Data Dansala.
Dialog also conducted an AI Digital Vesak Greeting Card Competition from 21 May to 01 June 2026, attracting numerous entries from across the country. The shortlisted designs were showcased across 20 large LED screens throughout the venue and across Matara City, and were also made available for download via mobile devices. Further, through the use of AI, traditional Jathaka Katha were reimagined in a digital format, demonstrating how technology can be used to preserve and enhance cultural and religious heritage. Together, these initiatives blended traditional Vesak celebrations with emerging technologies, offering visitors a unique and immersive way to engage with Vesak traditions.
Extending the spirit of Vesak through connectivity, Dialog conducted a special Data Dansala powered by its QR Reload platform, enabling visitors to receive complimentary mobile data by scanning QR codes placed across the venue. In addition to the Matara National Vesak Zone, similar Data Dansala activations were also conducted at the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones in Colombo.Visitors also had the opportunity to create personalised Vesak-themed digital photos through an AI Photo Booth, generating AI-enhanced portraits using their own photographs and adding a contemporary digital element to the Vesak celebrations.
Visitors watch AI-generated Jathaka Katha
Commenting on the initiative, Hon. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, said, “The 2026 Dakshina Prabha Vesak Festival marked the first time AI-powered digital innovations were incorporated into a National Vesak Festival in Sri Lanka. Presenting Buddhist stories and teachings through technology created a new and engaging way for visitors to connect with these traditions. We thank Dialog for supporting this initiative and for working closely with us to bring our vision to life. Their contribution played an important role in making this first-of-its-kind event a reality.”
Lasantha Theverapperuma, Group Chief Marketing Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC said, “We thank the Government of Sri Lanka for the opportunity to support the 2026 Dakshina Prabha National Vesak Festival and for embracing technology as part of this year’s celebrations. As the Official Digital Partner, we were privileged to contribute through our Dialog 5G Ultra and AI capabilities, creating new ways for visitors to engage with Vesak traditions while preserving their cultural significance for future generations.”
Beyond supporting the National Vesak Zone in Matara, Dialog also enhanced the Gangaramaya and Bauddhaloka Vesak zones through a range of digital activations during the Vesak season. The company additionally continued its sustainability initiatives, including the Thirasara Aloka Poojawa, which illuminated rural places of worship through solar-powered lighting solutions.
Universal Woman is an international pageant focused on “beauty, elegance, and talent” for women, positioning itself as a platform to shape global ambassadors. The 2026 edition will be held in Cambodia, and Sri Lanka will be there, as well.
According to reports coming my way, contestants, at the international event, will work with industry trailblazers, under international standards.
Sri Lankan supermodel, runway and pageant trainer Chulpadmendra Kumarapathirana, is the National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026.
With over two decades in the industry, Chula was crowned Miss Sri Lanka 2006, and has since shaped the next generation of titleholders through her Colombo-based Chulpadmendra Catwalk Studio, widely regarded as one of the country’s leading modelling academies.
The team behind Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026
A former host of Derana Miss Sri Lanka for Miss World 2008 and a judge for Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2025, Chula now serves as National Director for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026, leading the franchise’s search for Sri Lanka’s delegate to the international final in Cambodia.
Applications for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 are being taken, via WhatsApp: 077 659 4994, says Chula.
The judging panel for Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 includes Senaka De Silva, Pageant Aesthetic Advisor & Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Angela Seneviratne, Caroline Jurie, Rozelle Plunkett, and Suraj Mapa.
Universal Woman Sri Lanka 2026 officially began its journey with a first round of auditions, held in Colombo, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in Sri Lanka’s pageant industry.
Launching the first round of auditions
The platform aims to empower women while selecting an intelligent, confident, and inspiring representative to compete at the Universal Woman International Pageant 2026 in Cambodia, this September.
Universal Woman Sri Lanka now moves forward with the vision of creating one of the country’s most prestigious and empowering pageants while preparing to crown a queen who will proudly represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.
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