way of an emphasis on inter-religious dialogue following the model provided by Cantwell Smith’s phenomenological framework of inter-faith dialogue. The advantage of such a non-legislative solution has to do primarily with its capacity to deal more appropriately with the ever-changing nature of religion, and recdomain, the meaning of social and cultural symbols and individual beliefs and actions. NOTES 1.
2.
tion adopted by the United Nations General Assembly which expresses the fundamental and inherent human rights of all human beings (The Universal index. shtml). The distinction between legislative and non-legislative has to do with the enactment of laws and legislature which entails the implementation of rights and responsibilities as opposed to the promotion of change in social behavior and social practices by means of theoretical philosophical analysis of social, ethical and religious norms. A phenomenological approach to the study of religion provides for a non-legislative solution to the tensions between the various religious groups in Sri Lanka because it is oriented towards interfaith dialogue and recognizes and assesses the limitedness of law and policy
3. 4.
It should be noted that this type of involvement from the State does not guarantee the survival of religious communities (Dyzenhaus, Reibetanz, and guaranteeing individual liberty rather than focusing on the communal or social dimension of liberty. It only guarantees the possibility and thus lack of constraints from the State, for an individual to change her religion.
5. thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, prac6. 7.
of a right’s bearer rhetoric. It is not the phenomenological approach as such but rather Smith’s nonlegislative solution by means of the phenomenological approach that is of -
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