Category: Theology

Vaisnavism, Metareligion, and the Lens of Revelation

By Ajit Krishna Dasa

Ever notice how some folks try to extract universal “truths” from every religion, as if they’re squeezing juice from a dozen oranges to make a single glass of cosmic OJ? That’s the vibe with metareligion—the idea that all religions are essentially saying the same thing, just in different languages, and that we can find a “higher perspective” by mashing them together. Sounds nice, right? Except, from a Vaisnava presuppositionalist perspective, it’s got some serious cracks in the foundation.

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Answering critics: Is Presuppositionalism for Vaisnavas?

By Ajit Krishna Dasa

A critic of my article “What Is Presuppositionalism and Why Does It Matter for Vaisnavas? wrote:

“Isn’t this just the argument from reason? It seems like that’s what you’re making. Presuppositionalism, on the other hand, is incoherent. From what I remember, presuppositionalism assumes God exists without proof.

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What Is Presuppositionalism and Why Does It Matter for Vaisnavas?

By Ajit Krishna Dasa

Presuppositionalism is a way of looking at the world that asks: What needs to be true for us to make sense of anything? It focuses on the basic assumptions—or presuppositions—that shape how people see and interpret reality. These assumptions often go unnoticed, but they form the foundation for all our reasoning, beliefs, and experiences.

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Srila Prabhupada on the Logic of the Blind and the Lame

By Ajit Krishna Dasa

In his teachings, Srila Prabhupada sometimes invoked the andha-pangu-nyaya, or “the logic of the blind and the lame,” to illustrate how two limited parties can achieve success by cooperating. Through this metaphor, he conveyed the power of synergy, where limitations become strengths when aligned with Krishna consciousness. Here’s how Srila Prabhupada used this analogy and why it is a valuable tool in preaching Krishna consciousness.

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The Aroha and Avaroha Apologetic Methods

By Ajit Krishna Dasa

Question:

Paraphrasing a question that a devotee recently asked me:

“Theists often argue: “The whole material manifestation needs a Creator, because it could not have come about by itself. Therefore, a God must exist. To this atheists often respond: “If there needs to be a God, does He not also need a creator? And if God does not need a creator, then why does the material world need a creator?” How do we answer that?”

Answer:

You will get different answers according to the apologetic method used by those who answer. There are several apologetic methods, but as devotees we can categorize them as either belonging to 1) the aroha pantha (the ascending path) or 2) the avaroha pantha (the descending path).

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How to Talk to Atheists: (Part 2: Positions in Relation to the Existence of God)

Written by Ajit Krishna Dasa

Positions in Relation to the Existence of God

In How to Talk to Atheists Part 1 I made the argument that we as devotees have to avoid using the definitions of atheism given by atheists, and other non-believers of Vedic theism, and instead go with the definitions given by our revealed Vedic scriptures. Here in Part 2 I will shed some light on the respective positions that are possible to hold in regard to the questions of God’s existence.

Before we get into each individual position, please note:

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How to Talk to Atheists (Part 1: Do Atheists Exist?)

Written by Ajit Krishna Dasa

How do we, as devotees of Krishna, figure out what an atheist – and what atheism – really is? 

-Do we search the internet? 

-Do we arm wrestle about it? 

-Do we just think really hard about it? 

-Do we consult a dictionary? 

-Do we ask an atheist? 

-Do we make an online survey? 

No, of course not. As devotees we look to sastra for an answer. Interestingly enough sastra says that there are no atheists! 

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Atheism, Theism and the Burden of Proof


By Ajit Krishna Dasa

When debating the existence of God atheists often claim that they do not have to lift a burden of proof. They argue that since atheism is nothing but the absence of belief in God it does not make any positive claims about the non-existence of God, and thus atheists have nothing to substantiate or justify when debating the existence of God.

Let us examine their claim carefully:

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