"I SHALL TAKE TO KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS BECAUSE WHATEVER SINFUL ACTIVITIES I SHALL DO, IT WILL BE COUNTERACTED BY KRSNA"---"WHAT IS THIS BOGUS TALK?"
Himāvatī: Swami, many people also think that “If you’re sinful, how can church help you? What is the use of going to church?”
Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. If you… That will be discussed. This is the point. This is being discussed. It is not the… It is not the question of atheism. Their point is “What is the use of going to the church?” But the use is that if he goes to the church, if he actually hears about, I mean to say, glorious life, to become devotee, to understand God, then the utilization of going to the church is all right. But if he goes with that spirit that “I shall go to the church and my sinful activities will be counteracted by giving some bribe and going to the church. Then it is very good…” But his motive is different. Churchgoing is not for that purpose. That is a facility.
Just like we are preaching, “You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]—your sinful activities will be counteracted. Kṛṣṇa says that ‘You just surrender unto Me and I shall give you protection from the sinful acts.’ ” So if I think, “It is very good. Then I shall go to Kṛṣṇa. I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and He will protect me from the sinful reaction. So it is a great opportunity. You become Kṛṣṇa conscious and commit all sinful activities, Kṛṣṇa will give me protection.” And that will create certainly atheism: “What is this bogus thing?” But that does not mean… So, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa takes charge of your past sinful activities. But that does not mean that I shall remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, at the same time I shall go on committing sin.
This, for this facility, if anyone takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is most sinful, that “I shall take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness because whatever sinful activities I shall do, it will be counteracted by Kṛṣṇa.” So that will create certainly atheism, that “What is this bogus talk?” Do you follow? Yes. But that is not meant for.
Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted Jagāi Mādhāi on the condition that they will not commit any more sinful activities. So whatever they have committed, that is excused. Just like I am also accepting. Not that on the condition that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and whatever you do, it will be counteracted. We are not making that condition. We are making condition that you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Whatever sinful activities you have done, that will be squared up. But you don’t do any more. Don’t have illicit sex, don’t drink, don’t do this, don’t do this. So you must take it in that [indistinct]. Whatever you have done, that is no disqualification. That will be squared up. But not that on the strength of your Kṛṣṇa consciousness you’ll do again.
So these people are misunderstanding that “Church is giving me some facility that ‘All right, whatever you have committed, that you confess. It is excused.’ ” But if the church and the people make a business that “All right, throughout the whole week let me commit all kinds of sins and on Sunday it will be all counteracted…” Yes?
[Excerpt from Lecture-Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.6, November 6, 1970, Bombay.]
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