June 23, 1970
My Dear Tosana Krsna,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge reciept of your latter dated nil.
Regarding New Testament, we can simply agree that the New Testament accepts God is great and the creation came into existence by His Word. I do not know the details of New Testament, but I know so far that it is stated there that all creation is made by God. So this statement is Vedic statement. In the Vedanta philosophy also the same thing is stated that the Supreme Brahman is the cause of all creation, maintenance and destruction.
So on the principle that God is Supreme, God is Great, I do not think there is any difference of opinion between us and the Christians. But the Vedic literatures being older and disseminated by many, many superior acaryas we can find out how God is great, how the creation took place one after another. These details are not found in any other scriptures in the world.
So on the whole if anyone accepts that God is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him, then we welcome such statement. And if he is sober and intelligent then he will try to learn from Vedic literature how God is greater than everyone and nobody is equal to Him. This knowledge is very clearly defined beginning from the Bhagavad-gita. So if you meet such persons who are staunch Christians you can humbly put this argument before them for consideration. But if somebody is dogmatic and blind follower, then avoid to discuss with him. Better spend that time for enlightening a person who is innocent. Do not try to enter into the details of New Testament, but simply say that we agree on the principle that God is great.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS:db