Question: Dear Greg,

I have come under heavy influence from the Hare Krishna movement which is challenging my beliefs.

Please help me to have the proper understanding regarding two subjects:

1. Reincarnation

1. Did God create us for only one opportunity to experience life on this earth as human beings?
2. Are we the result of countless life and death cycles condemned to material existence because of our desire to be independent from God?
3. Is the human spirit really different from the spirit in animals, plants, insects, micro-organisms, apart from the levels of consciousness?
4. Did King James strip out passages in the Bible referring to reincarnation?

1. Chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.

1. Is the repetition of this mantra an acceptable form of worship? There seems to be great pleasure derived from this practice. Chanting the holy name of God seems to focus the mind where it should be.
2. Does it not make sense for us to spend much of our time with our minds focused intensely on God in this manner? Apparently by doing this we begin to lose our desire to engage in sinful self-gratification.
3. Is this what God meant about "avoiding vain repetitions"?

Answer: Hello Mark,

Thanks for your questions. Here are a few thoughts to consider:

ISKCON beliefs are Hindu derivatives. I understand that ISKCON relies heavily on the Bhagavad-Gita, and that portion of the Hindu scriptures is not as pantheistic as others, and might even be interpreted by some as monotheistic. Krishna thus is one, and Jesus is understood to be the son of Krishna, but not any more God than any other person can aspire to. Jesus is not an incarnation of Krishna.

They believe that salvation is achieved, rather than given by grace. That is, one must follow the four regulative principles and sin will be cleansed (through the works of the follower) – and the karmic debt is removed through multiple incarnations.

But this message is not good news as the Bible speaks of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but bad news. If salvation depends on what we do, and multiple re-incarnations, then we are forever devoted to trying to save ourselves. Therefore, the Hare Krishna message is not only not the message of the Bible, but it is simply another legalism.

Your questions:

1. a. Yes, he created us, and his plan of salvation included offering us salvation by the sacrifice of God the Son, that we might be given what we can never achieve on our own – the righteousness of Jesus Christ

2. There are no human cycles of life spoken of in the Bible. We live once, and we die, and we await the resurrection of the dead.
3. Yes, humans are made in the image of God. Genesis 1 and Romans 1 are among passages that point this out.
4. No, the King James Version did not strip out references to reincarnation. Such a view is fabrication, for the manuscripts in Greek and Hebrew (from which the King James Version are translated) are available for study.

1. a.Chanting of the mantra is not an acceptable Biblical form of worship, and "vain

repetitions" you mention in 1c would certainly be worthy of consideration in this regard.

2. There are many ways that humans have tried to deny themselves and disengage from the body – Colossians would be a good book for you to study. Worship of the will, asceticism, and self denial are not necessarily Godly exercises, according to Colossians, for they do not lead us to God. And historically Christians have also made this mistake, with many early monastic movements, etc. – but they all have their base in legalism. God tells us that salvation is by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Mark, I implore you to be careful with this movement. Please let me know if I can be of further help. I know that there are features that seem to be attractive in the Eastern movements, but please be careful!