The reason why I reject Buddhism, and adopt Christianity, is simple for me: it is a personal, cultural choice. Christianity feels more familiar and easier for me to adopt. I sometimes try to interpret stories across traditions, comparing figures and narratives to make sense of my beliefs. I have grown up with ideas that linked certain religions to particular cultural backgrounds, and that shaped how I see things. For example, I have thought that Christianity resonates more with Western cultural norms, while Buddhism, Hinduism or Jainism may resonate more with South or East Asian contexts. I have also reflected on how Islam became prominent in parts of Southeast Asia because of local histories and cultural preferences. I have considered questions about ████████████████████████████████████, and I have used contemporary examples like ██████████ to make sense of power and influence; I have imagined how I might have given different advice to entrepreneurs. I have felt that some people prefer a secular, rational outlook, while others find comfort in religious frameworks. I sometimes think political figures, such as █████, express what their supporters want to hear. I personally accept Christian accounts of miracles more readily than I accept Buddhist accounts, and I find value in the wisdom from traditions like those involving █████████, even if I interpret them differently. I also see differences between Catholic and Protestant approaches, and I personally lean toward Protestantism.

Christianity is the faith that feels most appropriate for me, especially Protestant forms given my secular leanings.

There are people like Sandesh Sharma or Shanika Sharma De Alwis who represent Protestant backgrounds, and individuals such as Jerome Fernando who come to mind in that context.

There's the ███████████████ type as an example of Catholic leadership.

There's the

I don't know

Jagath Sumathipala is an example associated with Theravada Buddhist circles, similar to Dhammika Perera in business contexts.

Who has less international recognition compared with some other figures.

But Hindu business figures might include Mahesh Amalean or Mahesh Hirdaramani.

I guess a prominent, respected Muslim figure might be someone else in the public eye.

I dunno in SL

But I would say Zahida and her family come to mind when I think about respected Muslim families.

***

Esufally, or something

I don't know many nationally prominent Muslim leaders personally.

But we could highlight and support Muslim families in our Sri Lanka family tree, which might strengthen community ties and help build an inclusive, locally rooted approach to Islamic education and community life.

I have suggested allocating a portion of the Buddhist Department's budget—perhaps around 10%—to support Muslim community projects, such as mosque construction and religious education, in recognition of the community's size and as a step toward inclusivity. I see this as a charitable and precedent-setting gesture for a president.

Salman is invited to be involved in that effort.

At the same time, I recognise I should avoid sweeping generalisations about other faiths or peoples. I do not have detailed knowledge of every community, and many social and health challenges are complex and rooted in economic, historical and structural factors rather than simple cultural explanations.

1. My personal preference is for Protestant Christian traditions, preferably Presbyterian. I also see the Church of England (COE) as acceptable in many respects; I note differences in worship styles and governance compared with Catholic practice.

I would situate Nath Cooray's Baptist tradition differently in my personal ranking; regional variations matter, and many Baptist communities have rich musical and cultural traditions.

2. Regarding Catholics, public figures such as ███████████ and █████████ are well-known adherents. Jewish communities are diverse and organised in many different ways; I see them as varied social groups with multiple forms of leadership and influence.

3. Others include secular or state-oriented traditions in some countries, where official ideology plays a large role for many people. There are also cultural and political tensions that can affect religious sites and heritage in different contexts. Buddhism itself takes many forms and can be interpreted in various ways.

4. When I think about Hindus and South Asia, I sometimes have strong negative impressions about conditions in parts of the region, but I recognise that these areas are complex, with rich histories, cultures and many positive aspects that I should not overlook.