Gopinath Dasa The goyim or non-Jew will have to follow Noahide Law which has been accepted as the base of all civilized law in most countries like North and South America and Europe. We are the top of the list of no no’s in the Naohide Law. That is, no idol worship. In the Hasidic University website, www.hasidicuniversity.org there is a break down for idol worship, and we get a mention – “Not to participate in worship ceremonies of Hinduism, Hare Krishna, or various “New Age” cult movements – including transcendental meditation or Yoga – even if no idol is physically present.” The punishment for idol worship by Noahide Law is death by stoning, and I can assure you this is not a nice death.
-6) No idol-worship according to its established rituals
Application to gentiles: Required
Mandated punishment for violation: Death penalty
Brief description: Not to worship a false god according to the customary rituals established by its religion. Some idols or false gods are worshipped through bowing, burning incense, or making offerings of food; others through certain types of dancing, singing, chanting, or meditation; others through growing one’s hair long, shaving it off, and offering it; and others through ceremonies involving fire, water, or convening at certain locations at certain times of year. Whatever the practice of the false religion, even a single act of such worship is a capital offense.While it is also a sin to believe in the existence of a false god (commandment -1), even without worshipping it, that act of false belief is not covered in this commandment.Examples:
Not to bow to a Buddha statue, nor to offer incense before it.
Not to be baptized in Christianity, nor to pray in the name of Jesus.
Not to participate in worship ceremonies of Hinduism, Hare Krishna, or various “New Age” cult movements — including transcendental meditation or Yoga — even if no idol is physically present.
Not to celebrate such pagan holidays as Easter, Halloween, or Christmas.
Category: Idolatry Commandments
Biblical source(s) (Rambam): Ex. 20:5
Biblical source (Sefer HaChinuch): Ex. 20:5
Number in Sefer HaChinuch: 29
Sources explaining relevance to gentiles:(See bibliography)
Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Melachim 9:2
All idolatry-related offenses that carry death penalty for Jews also bring death penalty for gentiles.
Hasidic University
www.hasidicuniversity.org
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Nrsimhanada's shameful article has convinced me to publicize something he once told to my dearest, recently deceased friend Bart Keith.
Bart's first encounter with Krsna consciousness was at the then Topanga Canyon preaching center, approx. 45 minutes north of LA, CA. where Nrsimhananda was the "Temple President" at that center [it actually never was an ISKCON center, rather it always was Nrsimhananda's griha] . After having regularly attended for many months the Sunday feast in Topanga, and developing a very friendly relationship with Nrsimhananda, Bart chose to start going to the Sunday feast in New Dvarka instead, as that Temple was only five minutes from where he resided. One weekday afternoon Bart was standing very near the LA Temple talking to a group of Prabhus. Bart just loved to talk to people, but especially to devotees. And everybody very much enjoyed talking to Bart! While Bart was standing there talking, Nrsimhananda happens to walk passed that group of prabhus. After noticing Bart amongst the prabhus, he stopped and called Bart away from the group and proceeded to instruct him: "Bart, you are Jewish, you shouldn't associate much with non-Jewish devotees, you should try to associate mainly with other Jewish devotees. We are spiritually more advanced because we are Jewish." Some years later Bart told me these words spoken to him by Nrsimhananda.
I am certain that Nrsimhananda would vehemently deny ever having said such words; and unfortunately Bart is no longer with us to confirm what I am claiming. However, I am certain that I would pass a lie-detector test while recollecting Bart's account to me of that incident.
Actually, at this very moment that I am writing this letter I am sitting in front of Sri Pancha Tatva Deities, the very Deities installed by His Divine Grace, and worshiped in ISKCON centers, including New Dvarka, Laguna Beach, and New York. I think, for an aspiring devotee that should qualify as a "lie-detector test"!
If I may add, some years later I befriended a Brahmacari visiting New Dvarka from Israel, and he also told me that shortly after he had joined the movement in Israel he also was told by his temple president that the Jewish devotees in ISKCON are all spiritually more advanced than the other devotees, on account of them being Jewish.
Over the years I have told this story privately to a few individuals; however, Nrsimhananda so very publicly siding with Israel in their genocide of the Palestinians, on the grounds that one is allowed to "preach" in Israel, but not in Gaza, this perverted application of the philosophy of Krsna consciousness leaves me no choice but to expose the real motive behind his heartless and demoniac sentiments. He NEVER stopped identifying with being Jewish! pg
Janmastami Sinkowski
HEEBS FOR ISRAEL!!!
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=12772
"I’m born Jewish. Let’s get that out of the way. I have identified as a Vaisnava three times longer than as a Jew in my life....
I identify as a devotee of Krishna,not as a Jewish devotee. I’ve been to Israel three times; Gaza once (when it was open to everyone while being administrated by Israel in 1979)....
But I can’t dance and chant in Gaza even if it were open. I can’t do it in the West Bank either. Hamas, Hezbollah, and the PA (Palestinian Authority) won’t allow Hare Krishna’s to propagate their religion in public, and they make severe restrictions even in private. It’s that way all over the Middle East. Except Israel....
Israel is the ONLY Middle Eastern country where we as Hare Krishna’s are free to practice and promote our spirituality tp our heart’s content. If any of the administrators of the Palestinians have their way, Israel will be destroyed. In their version of Palestine, Hare Krishna’s will be silenced. What does that tell you?...
However, like Duryodhana, the leaders of these Arab organizations are dedicated not to let the Israeli’s, even those born in Palestine, have a head of a pin to stand on....
So when you think of the unfortunate Palestinians in Gaza, remember what is at stake in this flashpoint of civilizations. On one side of the border, you can preach the “peace formula” ...;
On the other, you will be prohibited and persecuted. If you doubt it, go there and try to preach. You’ll be lucky to survive with your tongue still in your mouth."-Nrisimhananda Dasa
Sources explaining relevance to gentiles: (See bibliography) Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Melachim 9:2 All idolatry-related offenses that carry death penalty for Jews also bring death penalty for gentiles.
This is common knowledge amongst the Jewish people and Rabbis, similar to how we know the five Vedic Laws that warrant the death penalty. The Idol Worship Law in all Noahide Law specifically states Idol Worship as a Capital Crime. There is an argument that in modern times the death penalty only denotes the seriousness of the crime, does not mean death, and is only symbolic of death. I am not entirely sure what this means, but this may be true. So long as these Noahide Laws are not enacted this may, in fact, be the case, but what if they are?
Most if not all countries of the Secular World have laws that they do not enact, but if the time place and circumstance is right they will and do enact these laws or create new ones to fit the situation. The Laws on terrorism is an example of this process. They on one hand protect us, and on the other hand can take away our civil liberties.
Surely if North America and Europe as well as many other Secular States throughout the world have accepted the Noahide Laws as the basis of their civilization, then where does this leave the Hindu and the Vaisnava if this law is ever enforced? To think in this day and age that this Law will never be enforced is naïve. It is entirely possible. This is the Kali Yuga and eventually devotees will be hunted down and killed, as is predicted in the Srimad Bhagavatam.
I believe it is a very important matter that we as a movement look more closely into how the application of Noahide Law would affect the ISKCON devotees, Vaisnavas and Hindu Communities who worship the murti form of Sri Guru, Sri Krishna and the Demigods. Even if it was not seen as a Capital Crime that warranted the death penalty, it is still is a serious offence under Noahide Law to worship any God or form other than the Hebrew God.
Perhaps some of the more learned JBD’s of ISKCON can illuminate us on any possible ramifications of this, that may help us in gaining a better understanding of how this will impact upon our Vaisnava Society. For make no mistake, this is not a whimsical set of Laws and they will and are being taken seriously by people outside of ISKCON, so please let us not be ignorant about this and make a careful study of it.
I do not bring this issue up as scaremongering, but we need to know the nature of the world around us and how it will and does impact on us in the prosecution of our service.
Narahari Das