Christianity Preaching and Mercy

[Guest guest]

This is a question sent by a devotee which I am sharing with all of you.

 

> 2) I was just in [A KC restaurant]

> and talking to a collegue from work (who is

> a Christian), and who come to lunch there. I should have preached more

> strongly, because I ended up doing most of the listening. This wasn't

> good a good idea. He said that in the Christian way is not so much that

> God's love can be 'bought' by performing certain actions, but by

> God's grace. I tried to explain that the mercy of the Lord and the guru is

> also causeless (by grace), but that one has to become 'qualified' to

> be given this grace by performing certain actions ('Certain actions'

> meaning glorifying or chanting about the Lord, telling others about the

> Lord, etc.). Is that the correct position? These concepts are quite

> insidious, as they seem to accept and at the same time reject the need to

> peform bonafide activities.

 

Christians advocate "baby kitten" consciousness, but you have almost

advocated "baby monkey" consciousness, although not quite. Do you know what

that means? The "baby Kitten" is simply picked up by the mother Cat in the

mothers mouth. The "baby Kitten" doesn't have to do anything. So that is

what the Christians often advocate. That God or His Son will do everything

and we don't have to do anything. It is "baby Kitten" philosophy.

 

Another group of philosophers state that it is all depending on our becoming

qualified so actually we are really the one's responsible to get the mercy.

If we don't get qualified we can't get it. Like a "baby monkey" simply

hangs onto the mother and the mother doesn't take any effort to hold onto

the baby monkey so they claim that everything depends on our efforts and The

Supreme Lord and Spiritual Master will give mercy simply dependong on our

efforts.

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, my Grandfather Guru and your

Great-Grandfather Guru, has stated that the actual fact is something of

both. We are as conditioned souls fallen into the dark well of material

life. The Supreme Lord hands down His causeless mercy in various ways. The

Spiritual Master is also the personified mercy of the Lord. Just like when

someone hands down a rope to save such a person from the dark well the Lord

is handing down the mercy. When that happens then we have have to grab onto

the rope and hold on so we can get pulled out. The combined effort of the

mercy coming down and our desire and effort to get out create the perfect

situation.

 

These type of Christians you mentioned are getting the mercy, but do they

actually hold onto rope and want to get out of the material sense

gratification and entanglement? In spite of getting the mercy they are

clinging onto the material sense gratification and forgetting their eternal

souls. Lord Jesus said also what is the use of having the whole world if we

lose our eternal souls. He also commanded (first commandment) that we

should love the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul, body and mind.

Krishna consciousness is the practical application of what Lord Jesus

ordered. Therefore, If a christian follows Bhakti Yoga then he will be

following the orders of Lord Jesus and be a perfect liberated Christian.

 

Krishna conscious devotees are twice born, or "born again" according to the

spiritual process. The difference is as Srila Prabhupada taught we don't

want to be giving only lip service to the Lord. From our side, although we

are weak and unqualified, we try our level best to do what is pleasing to

the Lord. That is the least we can do. Srila Prabhupada said it is cruel

and miserly to let Lord Jesus (or Spiritual Master) die/suffer for our sins

and we make no effort to control our senses.

 

If you begin to ask Christians questions like "If there isn't reincarnation

and if all beings are born for the first time then why are some people born

crippled or blind and others healthy? Why doesn't God give everyone an

equal chance?" They don't have an answer for that question and usually

reply that it is a "mystery". For them what we consider kindergarden

questions are "mysteries". Actually the Bhagavad Gita makes sense and if

you can get someone to listen to the explanation of Bhagavad Gita then any

rational intelligent open-minded person will be impressed and see how Lord

Sri Krishna (the Supreme Lord) has made things so perfectly and reasonably.

Since other scriptures are not so complete and they lack a Guru-parampara to

explain even their own scriptures there are many "mysteries" which remain

unanswered to them. They will appreciate getting the answers to their

mysteries if they are honest. I hope this helps you in discussing with your

christian friend(s).