Rather than trying to liberalize abortion laws, the government should be looking for other approaches
Buddhist, Muslim and Christian religious leaders discuss a government move to liberalize the abortion laws at a Congress of Religions held in Colombo on Sept. 14. (ucanews.com photo)
Buddhist, Muslim and Christian leaders in Sri Lanka have jointly opposed a government plan to allow abortion in a broader range of circumstances.
Cabinet has approved presentation of a bill to parliament to legalize abortion when a pregnancy is due to rape or if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal congenital malformation.
In Sri Lanka, abortion is currently legal only to save the life of mothers.
An estimated 600 illegal abortions take place in Sri Lanka every day.
According to media reports, 10 to 12 percent of maternal deaths are due to excessive bleeding and infections after unsafe, illegal abortions.
Buddhist, Muslim and Christian leaders have told the government they all believe life begins at conception.
Venerable Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thero, said that according to Buddhist doctrine abortion constitutes the taking of a human life.
The Buddhist monk, even if a fetus was diagnosed with a lethal congenital malformation, abortion was still contrary to Buddhist teachings.
"No mercy killings are permitted," Wimalarathana Thero said at a Congress of Religions held at the Maha Bodhi Society in the capital, Colombo, on Sept. 14.
He added that some forms of birth control were acceptable if a mother was unable to safely have another baby due to her own health problems.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said rather than trying to liberalize abortion laws, the government should be looking for other approaches.
He believed that should include providing "sound" sex education programs so that young people did not engage in irresponsible sex leading to unexpected births.
"State officials and doctors should seek such alternatives," said Archbishop Ranjith.
"Religious clergy could help by educating youth through their Sunday schools and educational programs," said the archbishop.
"Famous people like Ludwig Van Beethoven and Mozart emerged from big families which respected human life and their parents did not consider their births as burdens' or 'unwanted'," he said.
"Abortion amounts to murder and so how could we accept it?"
Muslim leader Ash-Sheikh Fazil Farook reiterated that, according to the Quran, abortion is not permitted.
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