Hare Krishna Devotee Finds Christ : 'Jesus, come into my heart.'

[krsna]

 

From a Christian site:

 

 

 

 

MISGUIDED MANTRA

Hare Krishna Devotee Finds Christ

 

 

By Michelle Wilson

The 700 Club

 

 

 

Rick McReynolds was deep into the Eastern religion when a former Hare Krishna spoke truth to him at a Christian concert.

 

 

 

CBN.com – "I wasn’t sure there was a God, so it was basically just living for the day and just trying to stay high and having fun," says Rick McReyolds.

That’s exactly the life that Rick led. After high school and a stint in the Air Force, Rick joined up with childhood friends to start a rock band. They named the band Time Machine.

 

"We were into drugs pretty heavily, mostly pot and speed and acid," says Rick. "We didn’t want to grow up."

 

Then the drummer of the band introduced Time Machine to a different kind of "high" – Hare Krishna.

 

"Someone gave him the book, the Bhagavad-Gita, and he was reading from the book what it would be like to be 'Krishna conscious,' " Rick says.

 

This new religion taught that the gods of other religions – including Jesus Christ – were merely manifestations of the creator of the world, Krishna.

 

Who exactly is Krishna?

 

As Rick explains, "He’s 13 years old, he’s got blue skin, and he’s really into peacocks. That’s God. That’s Krishna."

 

Rick and the band fully embraced this transcendental Eastern religion. They even stopped doing drugs in order to go beyond the material world and become more Krishna conscious.

 

 

"You’re supposed to chant [the Hare Krishna mantra] all the time, which is really like a drug," says Rick.

 

They chanted the mantra every waking moment, studied the philosophies of Krishna, and practiced their music. If they had any doubts about their newfound religion, Beatle George Harrison’s conversion to Hare Krishna was the example they followed.

 

"When he became Krishna conscious and that album come up, boy, I mean, we had that album," says Rick. "It really confirmed that, yeah, this is the truth and the fact that you could have that as part of your music."

 

And so they began to write and perform songs about Krishna. They gave out books explaining Hare Krishna and food that had been offered to the idol. Rick was now deeply involved in reaching Krishna consciousness. There was no turning back.

 

"I really wasn’t looking for something else. I thought I had found it," he says. "My whole dream was that our band, the Time Machine, and my best friends, that we would just go on a national tour for Krishna."

 

It was at this time that an old friend invited Rick to a Christian concert. One of the band’s members was a woman who had left Krishna to follow Jesus Christ.

 

"I went out of curiosity," says Rick. "It wasn’t because of some search that I was on, but it just didn’t make sense to me."

 

For the first time, Rick heard the salvation message of Jesus Christ. After the concert, he wanted to meet this woman who used to be Krishna conscious.

 

"As she walked up to me, I said, 'Hare Krishna.' And she goes, 'Oh, you’re a Krishna devotee.' And I said, 'Yes,' and told her my name. She said, 'Well, Rick, I don’t mean to offend you or hurt you, but that Krishna that you’re worshipping is the adversary; it’s the devil.' It was like a slap in the face."

 

Then the woman began to share with Rick her testimony of how God saved her from the deception and darkness of Hare Krishna.

 

"She said, 'Rick, I want to pray for you that Jesus will open your eyes and show you the truth.' I said, 'OK.' And so she prayed, 'Jesus, open Rick’s eyes and show him the truth.' I said, 'Jesus, come into my heart and fill me with Your love.' I was all by myself. As soon as I said that, I knew I did something right. I knew that it was the truth. I knew in my know-er that He is who He said He was. As soon as I prayed that prayer, it was just total peace and everything was going to be OK. I started singing, 'Jesus, come into my heart.' I had a little melody, 'Fill me with Your love. Fill me with Your love.' "

 

And as simply as that, Rick says that Jesus Christ came into his heart. But turning from Krishna meant turning away from the band and his friends.

 

I said, 'I’ve got to follow my heart. I know what I did is right,' Rick recalls.

 

Rick began going to Bible study and devouring the Scriptures. That’s when he met a woman named Beth.

 

"We started singing together," he says.

 

They married and started living their lives totally for Jesus. Rick also led Time Machine’s drummer, the bass player, and their families to Jesus Christ.

 

"There’s one God, one medium between God and man, the man Christ Jesus," says Rick. "You don’t pray that to think you’ll be heard for your many words. There’s no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. It’s not saying some mantra."

 

Rick and the band members put the false religion of Hare Krishna behind them. Because of their new relationship with Jesus, they formed a new band, Grace.

 

"That’s really where it’s at. It’s God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, the acronym of Grace," he explains.

 

The band Grace stayed together for four years and recorded four albums. Eventually, Rick and Beth started a church.

 

Today Rick and Beth are back on the road again speaking and singing about the life changing truth of Jesus Christ.

 

"Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' Truth isn’t some subjective thing. Truth is a person. It’s Jesus," says Rick.

 

[theist]

By the grace of Jesus Christ I came in contact with Caitanya Mahaprabhu's sankirtana.

 

Some devotees make the mistake of relegating Jesus Christ to the past. Christians make the mistake of rejecting all this awesome knowledge about the Godhead that Prabhupada gave the world.

 

I find that reading about one devotee in the SB like Prahlada Maharaja or in the CC about Haridas Thakur I learn more about the nature of the realized devotee Jesus Christ.

 

Do we really think we please Krishna by rejecting any of His manifestations? Do we likewise think we can please the Son Jesus Christ by rejecting further revelations about the nature of the Father?

 

If this person above read with any depth even one of prabhupada's books then he will never be satisfied with fundemental Christian association.

 

Ever time he hears one of their speakers talk on eternal hell after this one life he will have to reconcile that with what he learned about reincarnation etc.

 

Does he now eat meat and feel good about it?

 

When I was in the temple for a few months in 1971 nobody would go anywhere alone fo fear of becoming bewildered. The feeling was someone was ready to pounce on us. And they often were.

 

Ever see one of those nature shows where the Lions are stalking some herd? Who do they go after and devour? The weak one, the young, the strays.

[Kulapavana]

"She said, 'Well, Rick, I don’t mean to offend you or hurt you, but that Krishna that you’re worshipping is the adversary; it’s the devil.' It was like a slap in the face."

 

a lot of devotees are very naive and sentimental about christianity. we have to make a VERY clear distinction between the respect we give to Jesus of Nazareth, a great devotee and teacher, and present day Christianity and it's followers.

[gHari]

I stopped watching these 700 Club poseurs years ago when I saw a program in which the negro fellow said that Krishna was a historical figure.

 

You'd think that they could at least get their lies together; that is, historical figure or satan.

 

I trashed the Church I worked for when I read their pamphlet about ISKCON. It was written by a bloody psychologist of all people. As I pulled into the driveway of the Presbyterian Head Office one day, repulsed in frustration my mind asked "Why am I coming here"? An answer from deep within my heart as loud as life comforted me, "They have fallen from the path". I couldn't stay much longer, ready to pick a debate with every cleric there. I took refuge in the mahamantra, and the demons attacked.

 

On the day I left I told the head theologian exactly what I thought. He had no response to my two minute chastisement. He was the same head of the Church in Canada who when I had asked over lunch "We love our kids, our wife, apple pie, and golf. How do we love God?" answered "I don't know".

 

We can only pity their insincerity. If I had to characterize Christianity today the word would be "CHEAP".

 

[Dervish]

Hmmm, let's seeee ... Cowherder or carpenter? Blue complexion, or olive complexion?

 

They married and started living their lives totally for Jesus

 

Ahhh, so a lady was involved! I understand now /images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

I wonder who Rick was associated with? Which mission and which Guru. It means little now, it's just my excessively curious nature. If George Harrison was allegedly his sole inspiration as an elder western devotee figure, that is negative commentary on the devotee community he was from.

 

All I can say is ... he'll be back /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Guest guest]

simple-minded of Hare Krishna devotees who turn to Christianity to suddenly label Krishna as the "devil". It seems as if it were that way for everything: first you become attached to something, then you find something new to occupy you, you leave your first attachment, and when you look back upon it, you think it was nothing great to start with.

 

This idea of there being only One Truth, and that Truth being for everyone or it's not Truth is foolishness. Whatever religion you are a part of, it doesn't matter in the end, because they all serve as a connection to God. You pick your religion based on your values, nothing more. It doesn't mean all other religions are right or wrong.

[Guest guest]

Religions come and go, and all are rather useless. SDanatana dharma is inherant in all, and those who remember such dharma do not have this confusion that makes them reject one in favor of the other. Poor rick, hell have to go thru it all over agaiun when allah enters his heart, or when l ron hubbard enters, or whoever.

[krsna]

Christian Pamphlet Irritates South Indian Hindus, Another Targets

Kumbha Mela

http://www.kentaxrecords.com/iaca/feature_hijack.htm

 

INDIA, April 9, 2004: Recently Christian zealots have begun claiming

that various Vedic Sanskrit slogans were in praise of Jesus and not

Hindu Gods. Christian propaganda pamphlets and booklets in circulation

especially in and around Madurai district in Tamil Nadu also make the

suggestion that the revered Swami Vivekananda had asked the people to

worship Jesus. The pamphlets, which have been put in circulation by the

Madurai-based Infant Jesus Hospital also fraudulently invoke verses

from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, saying that they preach

against "idol worship." The highly inflammatory pamphlets, delivered by

Christian converts, have been appearing in southern districts of Tamil

Nadu in the hopes of misleading a few gullible souls. HPI adds: There's

nothing new about the approach, as early Christian missionaries made

the same claims.

 

For the upcoming Kumbh Mela, 2004, where an estimated 15-25 million

Hindu pilgrims descend on the city of Ujjain in April, a Christian

group known as "Gateway" has released a handout to its members

instructing them to "mobilize a intercessory team to pray on the venue

and during the Mela." The other side gives an elaborate "prayer"

calendar with derogatory marks about Hinduism. "Pray for the

spiritually blind people that they may see for themselves that Jesus is

the Way, the Truth, and the Life," says one of the calendar entries.

The pamphlet gives important dates of Religious Bathing with

instructions to "Pray with special fervor on these dates" because more

pilgrims will be in attendance at the Mela. The group is relying on

direct access to the millions of devotees to disrupt the sacred

festival with prayers and miracle shows in strategic locations to gain

converts, says this article.

 

Other excerpts of daily "prayer" from this pamphlet read:

 

"It is estimated that some 15 million Hindu pilgrims will be attending

this mega event. Pray for the power of 'river worship' and its

spiritual attraction may be broken."

 

"Pray that the pilgrims may realize the futility of worshipping the

dirty and polluted river and stop regarding this river as their

'mother.' "

 

"Pray that the pilgrims may see behind the facade of Hindu hermits and

sages and coming to know their hypocrisy may search for the true and

living God."

 

"Pray for the veil of the futile idolatry be lifted from before the

eyes of the pilgrims."

 

And on a practical note, "Pray that during the Mela, People of God

(that is, the Christians themselves) may be united with the bond of

single mindedness of mission and that there may be no divisions among

them."

[Kulapavana]

"Infant Jesus Hospital also fraudulently invoke verses

from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita"

 

first they twist and defraud their own scripture, now they try to destroy true religion of others. if they could, they would gladly go back to forced "conversions" and the "holy" Inquisition. the desire for such "preaching tools" is still there, but fortunately they have no power to use them.

[theist]

They can have Christianity and keep their 97% bogus siksa and I'll accept Jesus and take my siksa from Prabhupada's books.

[ancient_paztriot]

They're wanting something for nothing. [Entitled that is.]

 

After all, Jesus pays the price for "my sins". (He's a free ticket baby!)

 

(May be popular. But is it true?) I'll bet not.

 

I think he made the ultimate sacrifice to give others a chance to advance… not to be accountable for any nonsense his supposed followers do.

 

There's not much spiritual philosophy to support Christianity. (More mysteries than answers) (It's easy to exploit another's ignorance) (Preferrable for most I think).

[Dervish]

Not only does Christ absolute your sins merely by confession, but to some people, the Christian afterlife might look better to those only seeking some Afterlife Rewards Program. The Jehovah's Witnesses used to come to my house. In their Awake magazine, they had a picture of heaven, an idyllic countryside. This is what God has given to us! Bah, who wants to serve God in the afterlife??? It's bad enough we have to serve God in this life! Those weren't their exact words, but part of their sales pitch is selling heaven.

 

I still think that for Rick, it was a woman that caught his eye. There is an old Sufi story about a Fakir with several disciples, and this fakir saw a Christian woman, fell madly in love, and became a swineherd on her farm (and for Muslims, this is a big deal). His disciples mourned his departure, and they sought another master. The other Sufi Master told them that they must follow their old master wherever he goes, for this is who they originally committed themselves to. If he became a Christian swineherd, then they all must go that direction. So they went to their old master, and they all spoke this intention. The old master was embarassed by this, returned to his Sufi mysticism, and converted his Christian wife.

[gHari]

Some junkie rocker ego-ridden musician reads a few books, sings a few songs and he thinks, and she thinks, and they think he's Hare Krishna. We are surrounded by morons.

 

I am still ready to destroy them if this is how they will behave. I am so ashamed of them. Maybe, just let them go to the hell; my compassion is fading fast for these 'Christian-types'.

 

 

[theist]

Everyday 5 or 6 of us would go to the center of the city to one corner and chant. One day a group of fanatics showed up with 4 or 5 big signs denouncing us. They would shout stuff and hold these signs right in front of us so the drivers going by couldn't see us.

 

So we just spontaneously started dancing and chanting around them in a circle. We didn't argue with them we just increased the kirtan. We drowned out their shouts with names Krishna Rama and Hare and kept them trapped for a wjhile inside our dancing circle.

 

It was bliss!! I am sure Jesus was pleased to see us get some added Mahaprabhu mercy.

 

This went on three days in a row and finally they quit coming. Too bad actually, they really enlivened us.

[gHari]

So they can't treat me like that. God help them if they ever try. Grrrrr.

 

 

Actually I'm currently enrolled in red-neck training, and hope to graduate completely versed in heehaw evasion techniques. Ah just looks straight through 'em like they ain't even there. Straightens 'em out just fine.

 

But I think you're right, Theist. Once I was singing, I would just naturally sing louder and louder and dance with abandon. Ain't nobody gonna rain on my parade.

 

[theist]

 

Ain't nobody gonna rain on my parade.

 

 

 

[krsna]

Krishna Movement “Not Normal” — Russian Rabbi

 

 

MosNews, Apr. 2, 2004

http://www.mosnews.com

 

 

 

One of Russia’s chief rabbis, Adolf Shayevich, has suggested the Russian office of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness build its temple on the Chukotka or Yamal Peninsula instead of in Moscow, Interfax reported Friday. The rabbi called the movement “mercantile” and “not normal” and at odds with the Russian tradition. He said he was concerned the society was “making Russians forget their roots and the country’s religion”.

 

Shayevich spoke following a presentation of a new design of a 38.5-meter-high Krishna temple, which is equivalent to a six-storey building. “Why should a Hindu temple be higher than most Orthodox churches in an Orthodox country?” the rabbi asked.

 

“Russia does not have enough followers of this organization to build such a gigantic temple. But if Krishna followers need such large buildings, they can build them on the Chukotka or Yamal Peninsula or somewhere else. There are a lot of places in the country,” the rabbi told Interfax.

 

“A Krishna temple in Moscow does not need to resemble a sports complex in size. A good clean room is enough to pray,” he said.

 

The rabbi said that the project pursued by the Society for Krishna Consciousness will provoke a negative reaction not only from religious people, but also from many Muscovites.

 

“If there are Krishna followers, let them pray, but everything must have a limit. This is absolutely incomprehensible to me, a tolerant person,” he said.

 

Shayevich said he is surprised that the Society for Krishna Consciousness is trying to convince Russians to practice its religion. “When young people with an unmistakably Slavic appearance shave their heads like Krishna followers and put on the robes of Hindu ascetics, it looks artificial to other people. Why should such things appear today if nothing of this nature has ever been on Russian soil?” he said.

 

“Long years of atheism cut the ground from under our feet and resulted in our losing our national (in a good sense of the word) roots. This concerns all nationalities: Russians, Jews, Tatars. And many people who have a poor understanding of their native culture and roots easily switch between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Krishna followers also have something to offer them,” Shayevich said.

 

“This is all not serious. This is mercantile. There is no strong faith behind it,” he said. “The Society for Krishna Consciousness has taken advantage of the tragedy Russia faced in the 20th century to bring more people into its ranks,” the rabbi said.

 

This is not the first time the Hare Krishna temple has met with protest. As MosNews reported last month, on March 22 about a thousand people, most of them Orthodox Christians, gathered on Pushkin Square to protest against the building.

[Kulapavana]

"The rabbi called the movement “mercantile”"

 

LOL! such label coming from a rabbi is especially humorous. they patented mercantilism in their religion. This is rich...

[vanamali]

I think Gujus and Jews are probably brothers... but that's silliness.

 

To address the original post, I too found Lord Krishna through Jesus Christ, basically because I feel most comfortable in a relationship to God as Beloved (even as a young child) but this type of bhava is not at all encouraged in modern protestantism. So I pleaded with Jesus to help me and... long story short... he revealed Himself to me through Lord Krishna.

 

This is not a theological statement that Jesus = Bhagavan Sri Krishna. I don't know... it's none of my business, nor do I wish to make it my business. Anyway, I don't have any baggage having to do w/Christianity, except for, yeah, the 700 club scares me a little, and I don't know that Jesus would be all that happy with some of the things they say.

[Haridham]

I think since being a guju and watching seinfeld and since intaracting with some jewish people i think we can be brothers.

 

 

What were we talking about again?

 

Oh yeah, jesus christ coming into the heart of a "krsna devotee"

 

Well, someone who probably didnt practice krsna consciousness with sincerity and properly and someone who didnt want to surrender to krsna and follow something that had less philosophy then what can u do

[theist]

Sorry but that sounds rather offensive. I know you didn't mean it as such.

 

This is personalism. Christ is a person.

[Haridham]

I wasnt trying to say anything offensive t towards Lord Jesus Christ but I dont think I am intelligent enough to explain what i mean. It seams like i am always offending someone. People only reply to me when they think I am offensive but not much any other time.

 

 

Anyways, what I meant thiest ji was that this perticular person has no respect for the culture she was in because she didnt understand it. Thats all.