Monks calls for Buddhism to be made national religion

BANGKOK: -- Over 100 monks and 500 laypeople marched outside the parliament today, calling on the government to make Buddhism Thailand’s official national religion.

Led by Phra Thepwisutkawi, assistant abbot of Wat Rachathivas and the secretary-general of the Buddhist Protection Centre of Thailand, the protestors submitted a petition to Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrue to urge that the constitution be changed to include their demands.

According to Phra Mahacho Thassaneeyo, one of the core members of the Buddhist Protection Centre, the centre wants to see the words ‘Thailand has Buddhism as its national religion’ included in the constitution.

However, he stressed that the centre had no wish to force adherents of other faiths to convert, and noted that Thailand is an open society when it comes to religious affiliation.

--TNA 2005-06-20

what? it's not the official religion?

as a buddhist myself, i am not pleased to think that anyone would be coerced/pressured into following the dharma.

I can't see any good reason to do this and I can imagine a few bad reasons....I wish they had explained why they want to do this.

Buddhism and Nationalism don't usually sit very comfortably together, and neither should they.

Be that as it may; with 95% of the Thai population already being defined as being Buddhist, what exactly is the point of formulising that which--to all intents and purposes-- already exists?

Such a move would go down very badly in the southern provinces. The gov't would be foolish to follow the recommendations of the demonstrators.

Exactly my thoughts, sabaijai.

National religion is an outdated concept in my view, it grieves me when I see people turn into a path that has been walked before in history by other cultures, and with few good results...