[Posted October 5, 2007]

Football Ethics: Let them play by the rules that Christ set

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

How about bringing morality and ethics and–what the heck–Christ's teachings back into the Church?

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said to be a fanatic football fan

TelegraphOctober 4, 2007 - MALCOM MOORE

Vatican buys team to clean up Italian football

The Italian Bishop's Conference now has a controlling stake in AC Ancona, currently top of Italy's third division, after the money was provided by a group of Roman Catholic businessmen.

Edoardo Menichelli, the Archbishop of Ancona, said the move would help bring more morality into football.

"We want to bring some ethics back into the game, which has been undergoing a grave crisis in terms of sportsmanship," he said. go to story

Sri Guru and Gauranga

Christians expected to follow Christ, but instead they say one thing and do another

excerpt from conversation with disciples, Delhi, December 12, 1971

PRABHUPADA: The difficulty is that either Hindu religion or Christian religion, religion is one. So what is that one religion nobody knows perfectly, and it was not presented because they did not know what is religion. They are simply sticking to a particular kind of faith. Faith can be changed, faith can be given up but real religion, that cannot be given up. [However,] It may be perverted. Real religion is to render service to the Supreme Lord. That cannot be changed. We are serving–if not to the Lord, we are serving maya. But that characteristic to serve is continued. So religion is presented simply on formulas and stereo-typed ideas, but actual religion is this surrender. Yato bhaktir adhokshaje. Bhakti means serving. Bhaja sevaya. Sevaya means serving. So, religion means to serve the Supreme Lord, that is religion. Anything which has no such idea, that is not religion. Then again (we) have different types of religion, how far they are making progress with, on that ultimate goal, serving Krishna. The more we advance, the more we become perfect, our real religious life becomes manifested, that is Krishna consciousness. We say this is real religion. So what others have to say on this point? We say this is real religion. Bhagavata says dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2], "All cheating type of religion is thrown away." The cheating type of religion means which does not teach people how to serve the Lord–that is cheating. They take advantage of the religious feeling. They say, "I am God" or "I am everything, you serve me, you give your money unto me, I shall give you some material benefit, atonement. You have made your confession, you are sinful, give me some money and you are excused." In this way religion is being perverted. Therefore, people (who) are educated say "What is this, religion?" They are becoming disgusted. But real religion is this Krishna consciousness: surrender to Krishna and you will become happy. So if we say that this is the real religion, is there anything wrong there? What possible protest they can offer when I say that this is the religion?

SHYAMASUNDAR: Sometimes the Christians they say that, "According to our scriptures that Christ is the only way. And unless one is worshiping God through Christ, that is heathenism."

PRABHUPADA: So what Christ teaches? Let us see what Christ teaches, then we can understand whether only through Christ we can... What is his teaching?

FEMALE DISCIPLE: His first teaching is that, "Love the Lord thy God with all they heart, with all thy might, with all thy soul."

PRABHUPADA: That's nice.

NARA-NARAYAN: He is also saying that, "I have no will but to do the will of my Father who has sent me, and that everything I am saying are not my words but are the words of Him.

PRABHUPADA: Complete surrender.

NARA-NARAYAN: Yeah.

PRABHUPADA: That's nice. But they do not follow, and still they say they are Christians. They do not follow. Christ is all right. According to the time, according to the country, according to the atmosphere, he's all right, but the followers, they reject.

DEVOTEE (1): The followers try to make everyone fear God. Their whole aim is to make everyone so much afraid. They always try to instill fear in everyone they speak to. "You are going to hell."

TAMAL KRSNA: That is the principle of eternal hell that is used to make people surrender, fear of eternal hell.

PRABHUPADA: Yes.

DEVOTEE (1): Fear of God.

PRABHUPADA: According to time... Desha-kala-patra. That kind of forceful, does not act very nicely. One should know the science, but the class of men to whom Jesus Christ said, they are not very much advanced. Under the circumstances, the fearfulness of hell is quite appropriate for them. Actually, one who does not go back to home, back to Godhead, he is put into the hellish condition of life. That is fearfulness, but we are so blunt that we do not take care. It is fearful. Just like Prahlada Maharaja said that "Nrisimhadeva, I am not afraid of your fierce feature of Narasimha, but I am very much afraid of this materialistic way of life." Samsara. Samsara means this material world. So, it is actually very fearful. The whole atmosphere is fearful. Padam padam yad vipadam [SB 10.14.58]. To make adjustment, you have to accept something fearful. Just like this fight, "In future there may be some adjustment so that people may live peacefully. Therefore, we have to fight." This is also, the method is itself fearful. To gain a position where there will be no fear, we have to accept a fearful method. So, in the material world whatever we think, they are not very happy proposition, that's everything is fear. Karma-kandiya, they have to undergo so many hardships, then they get something profit. People are working so hard to get some profit. In the material world everything is fearful, hard-working. So, in the Bible it is said that hell or...?

DEVOTEE: Hell or...?

PRABHUPADA: Hm? What is it? Hell, you were speaking something of hell?

DEVOTEE: Eternal hell.

PRABHUPADA: Hm?

DEVOTEE: Eternal hell.

PRABHUPADA: Eternal hell. Huh? What is that?

DEVOTEE: Everlasting hell.

TAMAL KRSNA: It means that, so far as I remember, Prabhupada, in the Bible it says that at the time of judgment...

NARA-NARAYAN: judgment, the judgment.

TAMAL KRSNA: There's a judgment...

NARA-NARAYAN: You rise from the grave in the time you are judged.

TAMAL KRSNA: Yes, all of the souls then rise for judgment and accordingly they either go to heaven or to hell.

NARA-NARAYAN: Or into an intermediate stage where they can gradually go up to heaven. Limbo, I think.

FEMALE DISCIPLE (2): The ultimate desire of a Christian is to be with Jesus, is to go to be with him. That is their ultimate desire. Not necessarily to be with the Father, but to be with Jesus.

DEVOTEE (3): What do they do with him?

DEVOTEE (2): By leading the Christian life.

DEVOTEE (3): I mean when they go to him, what do they do? ...The lila [pastime] is death mostly. But it isn't death; the basics are there, but they're teaching death. And so any intelligent person says, "I want to go to Jesus, but then what do I do? If it is everlasting hell, then heaven must be also everlasting, but what do we do?" And if it's void, then it will not keep the people interested, therefore people are leaving religion.

PRABHUPADA: Yes, that is very good reason. There is no hope, better go to hell. [laughter] At least there is something. Never mind. Yes, hopelessness is not good.

NARA-NARAYAN: Actually, that is their philosophy, Srila Prabhupada. I've heard people say exactly that, "All the things I want to do are for the people that are going to hell; therefore I want to go to hell. Why should I go anywhere else?" They want to keep up their drinking, smoking, etc... And so they will.

PRABHUPADA: There was a story that the priest was describing about the hell, so they did not respond. But when he said, "There is no newspaper," then, "Oh, it is horrible." [laughter] Other conditions–that it is dark, it is very moist, and so many things described. But they were miners, they know that these things are happening daily, so what is the wrong in the hell? Then he stressed, "There is no newspaper." Then they will, "Oh, it is horrible." [laughter] So, according to one's taste the hellish conditions should described.

DEVOTEE (3): And according to one's taste the heavenly conditions can be described also because Krishna is all-attractive.

TAMAL KRSNA: Prabhupada?

PRABHUPADA: Hm?

TAMAL KRSNA: It seems that just like a mother when she is training her young child, because the child is very young and not yet very advanced in intelligence, sometimes the mother uses the method of fear to train her child. So similarly, according to the consciousness of the people the doctrine of love of God has to sometimes be preached with a little element of fear so that they'll accept it.

PRABHUPADA: That creation of fearfulness may be sometimes not fact but fearfulness is there according to our actions. That everyone has got experience. Just like if you steal, then you go to jail. It is a fact. It is not a creation of fearfulness. It is a fact. If you contaminate some disease, then the typhoid or any other disease, you contaminate. So there is suffering and that is really fearfulness, that is not a false creation. So sometimes there are false creation, but actually for our misdeeds we have to suffer, that's a fact.

...But generally the Christians they are very much confident that "All of our sinful actions they have been absorbed by Lord Jesus Christ so we can do anything."

NARA-NARAYAN: Yes.

PRABHUPADA: Therefore they say the Christian religion is very good. Very good means that Lord Jesus Christ has taken contract for absorbing all their sins and they go on committing. Is that not idea in the Christian religion?

DEVOTEE: Yes.

DEVOTEE (1): They say all our sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus.

TAMAL KRSNA: I know, Prabhupada, that in Seattle you had me lecture on a newspaper clipping that in New Jersey they had opened up one home for alcoholic priests. [laughter]

PRABHUPADA: Five thousand, five thousand priests, they are suffering from alcoholism.

TAMAL KRSNA: Plus here in India we see that the sadhus [holy men] are taking gañja.

PRABHUPADA: Gañja, yes. Not sadhus, rogues. Sadhu's description is there–bhajate mam ananya-bhak: fully surrendered to Krishna, he is sadhu. Sadhur eva sa mantavyah [Bhagavad-gita 9.30]. He is sadhu. Api chet suduracharo. Even one is found that his habits are not to the standard, but if he has unflinching faith in Krishna and engaged in His service, then he is sadhu. These sadhus with long hairs and gañja smoking, they have no idea what is the ultimate goal. And those who come from Western countries, naturally they find out these are the 'sadhus' and they imitate. Hippies, they do like that, imitation. They do not know what is the philosophy, what is religion, what is sadhu.

NARA-NARAYAN: The American hippies actually are following these sadhus. Certain persons, like Allen Ginsberg, have brought back impression that this is what the sadhus...

PRABHUPADA: But they do not know that they are not sadhus, they are rogues. Sadhu means devotee of Krishna. That is sadhu.

DEVOTEE (3): We are also opening up homes for habituated japa-mala [rosary] users , who are also intoxicated, but in a spiritual way.

PRABHUPADA: Huh? That is required. [laughter]

DEVOTEE (5): Srila Prabhupada?

PRABHUPADA: Hm?

DEVOTEE (5): The spiritual master, his duty is to take all of his disciples back to home, back to Godhead, and I've heard it said that he doesn't leave until he has taken all his disciples back. What is the position of Lord Jesus when so many people are following but not doing, not in a position to go back to home, back to Godhead? Is he responsible for all of these people, who are attempting to serve him?

PRABHUPADA: That is nice question. What is that? Repeat it again.

DEVOTEE (5): Because the guru is responsible for taking all of his disciples back to home, back to Godhead, I was wondering what was the position of Lord Jesus Christ, because so many people for so many years have been attempting to follow his teachings, many of them sincere but not getting proper instructions. I was wondering if he is responsible for all of these people who are attempting to serve him.

PRABHUPADA: But one thing is we sing daily, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado [Sri Sri Gurv-ashtaka, Eight Prayers to the Guru by Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura: "By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krishna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement."] You have to please your spiritual master. But yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi, if you displease your spiritual master, then you are nowhere. How do you adjust these things? It does not mean that because you have made somebody spiritual master, you displease him, at the same time he takes responsibility. Is it very nice?

DEVOTEE (5): Many times...

PRABHUPADA: If you please him, then he is responsible. Yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi. If you displease him then you are nowhere. So, if you take it in this way, that my spiritual master has taken responsibility so whatever nonsense I do, it doesn't matter. The Christians are thinking like that. "Jesus Christ has taken contract for all our sinful activities, so we can do anything, whatever we like." But that is not the fact. If one takes responsibility for you, you must abide by his order. Otherwise how is that, that he simply takes responsibility and you don't abide by his order? It is reciprocal. But the Christians are thinking, "Because we have taken to Christian religion, now we are safe. We can do anything we like and Lord Jesus Christ will compensate. He'll be every time crucified and we can go on doing all nonsense." Is it not? Then? That's not a very good idea. This is, as Vishvanatha Chakravarti said, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado. If you please your spiritual master, then God will be pleased. If you don't please him, then you are nowhere. So first of all you please Jesus Christ, that is reasonable, then he takes the responsibility. If you disobey Jesus Christ in every step, what is his responsibility? That is a misconception.

DEVOTEE (5): There are some Christians who are actually sincere and they feel as though they are doing the proper thing, but they are just misled by the fact that there is no parampara [disciplic] system coming from Lord Jesus. The churches are teaching the wrong thing, but they are sincere. Is there a chance that Krishna will direct them to the proper authority?

PRABHUPADA: Yes. If they are actually following strictly the principles of Jesus Christ, then sometimes when he meets some pure devotee, he will accept. The groundwork will be nice for accepting farther advancement. Just like Jesus Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." So if anyone follows this principle, "No, I shall not kill," then he becomes purified. But who is that Christian who is not killing? So where is follow? Amongst the Christians the more killing process is going on very strongly. So who is a Christian? In that, if you disobey the first principle of Christianity, then where is your Christianity? Why you falsely claim that you are a Christian? "Thou shalt not covet." What is that next?

DEVOTEE: "Thou shalt not kill."

DEVOTEE: Honor thy mother and father?

DEVOTEE: There is one about no adulteration.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. So adulteration is going on, killing is going on. So many disobedience to Christian principles. So where is the possibility of becoming a Christian?

DEVOTEE: "Honor thy mother and father" is not being respected.

PRABHUPADA: Not... So many things. So, if you do not follow the principles of Christianity, simply by stamping yourself as Christian, will that do? So why Jesus Christ will be responsible for you? Simply by stamping yourself that "I am Christian." Is that very reasonable proposal?

NARA-NARAYAN: Lord Jesus himself never claimed that he would be responsible. As a matter of fact, he would heal certain persons who by their karma were blind, or lame deaf, or some disease, even dead, he would bring them back to life, so many things. And then when he healed them, he invariably said after, he said, "Now go thou and sin no more lest the worst thing befall you." And he has been saved by Jesus personally, yet Jesus is saying, "lest the worst thing befall you." How can the worst thing befall you if everything he does then is all right? So that means Jesus does not take that responsibility.

PRABHUPADA: Yes. Why he should be responsible? If you are not a Christian, why he should be responsible? Now, here he says that "Now you have sinned, full reaction I have washed, don't do it again." But they are going to church, confessing every week, and doing the same thing. Who is a Christian, first of all find out, then Jesus Christ will take responsibility.

DEVOTEE: They are gambling and eating flesh right in the churches, Srila Prabhupada.

PRABHUPADA: If you don't follow the Christian principles, how you can claim yourself to become a Christian and how you can ask Jesus Christ to take responsibility for you? These are misleading, therefore people are coming disgusted. Otherwise Christian religion is all right. It teaches love of Godhead, teaches to become moral, it teaches to love people, that's nice. These are good principles.

VISHALA: So, Srila Prabhupada, in the Bible it says, "Thou shalt not kill", and the Christians say, "Yes, thou shalt not kill but you can kill animals."

PRABHUPADA: That is rascaldom. Where it is written that thou shalt not kill animals? "Thou shalt not kill." "Thou shalt not kill," means you shall not kill anything.