Christianity...What Is It?

There are some official ISKCON representatives who, with great enthusiasm, propagate the idea of the oneness of religions and the importance of interreligious dialogue with representatives of various religious groups—better described as sects—all while neglecting to ask the most basic question: What is real religion?

Srila Prabhupada offered a clear answer to this question: Real religion can only be defined by God. God is God in His own right. He is not the property of any religious group to claim superiority over others. No wonder Krsna recommends to Arjuna at the end of the Bhagavad Gita: “Give up all religions and simply surrender unto Me.”

Thanks to Srila Prabhupada, we can offer humanity the ultimate understanding of true religion. It defines the soul's eternal constitutional position as being an eternal part of the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

This is why Srila Prabhupada insisted that his movement be named the International Society for Krsna Consciousness rather than the International Society for God Consciousness. He was aware that followers of Krsna might be labeled as just another sect, but he didn't care. He trusted the final conclusions of the revealed scriptures, which establish Krsna as the origin of all religious paths, provided such paths are followed sincerely and according to scripture.

In this way, Srila Prabhupada respected and even encouraged those unable to take up the path of bhakti-yoga to follow their religious practices if they were authorised by scripture and guided by true representatives of that scripture. However, even texts like the Bible and the Quran cannot be considered fully authoritative, as they were written down and interpreted by many commentators over time, leaving room for personal opinions to enter what was once considered absolute. The Bible itself was written centuries after the departure of Jesus.

Even within ISKCON’s relatively short fifty-year history, many attempts have been made to reinterpret or distort Srila Prabhupada's teachings. What, then, can be said of those who interpreted Jesus' words so long after his time?

Christianity is full of mysteries. Nobody knows for certain how Jesus looked, and his life leaves many unanswered questions. The undocumented portion of his life, during which he suddenly disappeared, is claimed to be documented by sources from India, where some even assert that his grave and the records of his family exist. Could he have survived the crucifixion? Why not? Any qualified yogi in India could do so. But who was he really?

The church offers its own version of Jesus' life, and documents that contradict the official doctrine have mysteriously disappeared over time. Similarly, attempts may be made to distort Srila Prabhupada's words, but it is more difficult because Srila Prabhupada is the most documented acharya in the history of Vaisnavism.

Srila Prabhupada taught us, based on authorised scriptures, who God truly is—His name, activities, and opulences. He revealed everything necessary for us to return to God. The ultimate return to God is a message found in all revealed scriptures. God has His messengers, and Jesus was certainly one of them. But was he the only son of God? Srila Prabhupada humorously pointed out that an ordinary person may have several sons, yet God has only one? If this were true, then God, by the Christian account, would seem quite impotent.

Srila Prabhupada demonstrated great respect and devotion to Jesus on several occasions. Once, while staying in a devotee's home, he was given a room for the night where a crucifix hung on the wall. Seeing it, Srila Prabhupada cried and said softly, "Please take it away immediately. Look at what they have done to him."

Indeed, worshipping one's spiritual guide nailed to a cross and dead is a rather morbid practice. The ritual of symbolically eating his body and drinking his blood every Sunday in church would naturally disgust any follower of Krsna. Who would consume the body and blood of their guru?

During a morning walk, Srila Prabhupada engaged in a playful but profound roleplay, embodying a devout Christian:

• Srila Prabhupada: “Here we are walking early in the morning. Where are all these Christians?”
• Devotee: “Srila Prabhupada, they are sleeping.”
• Another devotee: “Yeah, they are in maya!”
• Srila Prabhupada: “What do you mean, I am in maya?”
• Devotee: “Christians don’t even serve God.”
• Srila Prabhupada: “What do you mean, I don’t serve God? I am praying every day, going to church every Sunday!”

Finally, another devotee interjected: “But you don’t even follow your own Bible!”
Srila Prabhupada responded: “Yes, that’s where Christianity went wrong—they don’t even follow their own scripture. After all, 'Thou shalt not kill,' yet they violate the very first commandment by killing innocent animals.”

Srila Prabhupada once addressed the Pope as the leader of a “great sect.” His letter to the Vatican went unanswered. When devotees attempted to arrange an audience with the Pope, they could only secure a spot in the general queue for blessings. Srila Prabhupada declined the ceremonial meeting, offering a humorous analogy:

Once, a tiger asked a heron to remove a bone stuck in its throat, promising not to eat the heron and even to give a blessing in return. The heron nervously complied, and after removing the bone, asked for his blessing. The tiger replied, “I already gave you a blessing—I didn’t eat you!”

Srila Prabhupada indicated that such "blessings" are what one might receive from the "big tigers" of this world.

So, what questions might Christians struggle to answer?

• Who is God? ("Father and supplier"—but this could describe any responsible householder.)
• What does He do? (Provides bread and punishes sinners—similar to a baker and a policeman.)
• Where does He live? ("In heaven, up there.")

Christians, Srila Prabhupada remarked, might reach the heavenly planets by following the Commandments, but not the spiritual world unless they deepen their understanding of God.

Can a devout Christian achieve love of God? It is difficult to love someone you do not know. However, it is possible if one stops killing other living entities. Historically, Christians have excelled in killing, surpassed only by some fanatical rulers in the Muslim community.

Srila Prabhupada often said, "We have not come to stop you from being a Christian; we can teach you how to be a better Christian." Krsna Consciousness is not for fanatics—it is for those sincerely seeking the highest spiritual truth.