Sandy Nixon: What is the difference between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and Christ consciousness?
Prabhupāda: Christ consciousness is also Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but people do not follow the rules and regulation of Christianity. Therefore they are not awakened. The commandments of Christ, they do not follow. Therefore they do not come to the standard of consciousness.
Sandy Nixon: What is unique about Kṛṣṇa consciousness that separates it from other religions? Is it a religion?
Prabhupāda: Religion means primarily to know God and love Him. That is religion. And nobody knows God, and what to speak of loving Him. Nobody is trained up how to know God and how to love Him. They are satisfied by going to the church: "O God, give us our daily bread." That also not everyone goes. So the Communist says that, "You don't go to the church. Bread we shall supply." So poor, innocent persons, they get bread elsewhere, so they do not go to church. But nobody is serious to understand what is God and how to love Him. Nobody. Therefore in Bhāgavatam it is said it is cheating religion. I profess some religion, but I do not know what is God and how to love Him. So that type of religion is cheating religion.
Religion means to know God and love Him. But generally, a man does not know what is God, and what to speak of loving Him? So therefore that is cheating religion. That is not religion. But so far Christian religion is concerned, there is ample chance of understanding God, but they do not care for it. Take, for example, the commandment is "Thou shall not kill." But in the Christian world, best slaughterhouses are maintained. So how they can become God conscious? They disobey the commandments, do not care what Lord Jesus Christ has ordered. So this is not only in Christian religion. Every religion it is going on. It is simply rubber stamp: "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian." And none of them do know what is God and how to love Him.
Sandy Nixon: How does one know a bona fide spiritual master, then, that can lead them?
Prabhupāda: Who teaches these things—how to know God and how to love Him—he is spiritual master. Otherwise bogus, rascal bogus. Sometimes they mislead that, "I am God." Poor people, they do not know what is God, and a rascal proposes, "I am God," and they accept it. Just like in your country they elected Nixon president and again drag him. That means they did not know who is really bona fide president, elected somebody, and again they had to business of dragging out. Similarly, people are foolish. Any rascal comes, he says: "I am God," they accept. And again they accept another. This is going on. So one must be serious student to understand what is God and how to love Him. That is religion. Otherwise, it is simply waste of time.