If a friend makes an honest mistake and asks for forgiveness, a charitable heart readily offers pardon. If they repeat the mistake, mercy may still extend a second or third chance. But if that person commits the exact same act repeatedly, with full intentionality, expecting forgiveness on demand without making any effort to change, common sense tells us that forgiveness is being taken for granted. To assume that one can continually exploit mercy without consequence is not faith; it is naive.
Yet, a pervasive idea exists among many believers today: that one can indulge in a lifestyle of perpetual wrongdoing, hand over the tab to Lord Jesus Christ, and be completely cleared of all consequences simply by professing belief.
Does this not treat Jesus Christ as a fool?
Jesus Christ is certainly no fool. Genuine spiritual life requires more than lip service; it demands authentic repentance, self-discipline, and a transformation of character.
The Illusion of “Elephant Bathing”
In the Srimad Bhagavatam (6.1.9–6.9.10), King Pariksit raises this exact dilemma to the sage Sukadeva Gosvami. He questions the value of ritualistic atonement when a person immediately returns to sinful habits:
“If a person who knows the adverse results of sinful activity commits sin again and again, of what value is his counteracting method? Such atonement is like the bathing of an elephant, which takes a bath in the water but immediately upon coming onto dry land throws dust all over its body.”
Atoning for a sin only to repeat it deliberately is known in Vedic wisdom as hasti-snana, the elephant’s bath. Cleaning oneself only to roll in the dirt again solves nothing.
The Christian scriptures share this exact warning. Saint Paul writes directly to believers who assume grace excuses ongoing sin:
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
— Romans 6:1–2
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
— Galatians 6:7
To presume that Jesus’s sacrifice gives us a blank check to sin with impunity is to mock the Savior. Forgiveness clears the heart of honest seekers, but divine law ensures that willful hypocrisy brings its own severe consequences.
Action, Reaction, and the Laws of Nature
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explains that actions performed in ignorance and self-indulgence, without regard for consequences or harm inflicted on others, bind the soul to suffering:
“That action which is undertaken out of delusion, without considering consequences, loss, injury to others, or one’s own capacity, is declared to be in the mode of ignorance.”
— Bhagavad Gita 18.25
Forgiveness frees the spirit from malice, but it does not suspend the physical and spiritual laws of cause and effect (karma). Fire burns whether you are forgiven for touching it or not. Expecting divine grace to shield us from the natural reactions of intentional harm, while continuing to cause that harm, ignores how God’s creation functions.
Reclaiming “Thou Shalt Not Kill”
How, then, can a true follower of Christ honor His teachings in thought, word, and deed? A crucial place to begin is with one of the most fundamental commandments: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).
True spiritual progress expands our circle of compassion. Can we truly claim to follow a God of love while participating in the unnecessary suffering and slaughter of innocent creatures who feel fear, pain, and affection?
Furthermore, many spiritual scholars and early Christian traditions emphasize that a central point of conflict between Jesus and the established Temple authorities of His time was His firm stance against ritual animal sacrifice. When Jesus famously cleansed the Jerusalem Temple, driving out those selling oxen, sheep, and doves (John 2:14–15), He directly confronted an institution reliant on the blood of innocent animals. By quoting the Old Testament prophet Hosea and declaring, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13), Jesus signaled a departure from blood rituals toward a higher path of compassion and spiritual purity.
As explored in depth in the article “Eating Meat is not for Spiritualists”, genuine spiritual advancement requires stepping away from violence and recognizing that unnecessary slaughter is contrary to spiritual growth.
In original biblical creation, humanity was given a compassionate, plant-based diet:
“And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.'”
— Genesis 1:29
Similarly, the Srimad Bhagavatam (1.17.24) identifies daya (mercy/compassion) as one of the essential pillars of spiritual life, warning that cruelty toward animals destroys this principle at its root.
In the Bhagavad Gita (3.13), Lord Krishna further underscores the spiritual responsibility tied to what we consume:
“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.”
When we support slaughterhouses, commercial fisheries, and factory farming, we actively participate in an industry built on violence against innocent living beings. To claim we cannot stop causing this harm, yet expect Jesus to absolve us while we continue doing it, misinterprets the very nature of Christ’s mercy.
A Call to Align Faith with Action
Jesus Christ called His followers to a higher standard of love, mercy, and righteousness. True faith is not a passive insurance policy; it is an active commitment to live in harmony with divine law.
When abundant, wholesome, plant-based alternatives exist to fully nourish us, choosing to eat meat or fish in the presence of other food is a deliberate preference for sensory gratification over the life of an innocent creature. If someone knowingly chooses violence over peaceful, compassionate food, how can they genuinely be accepted as a Christian? To truly follow Christ is to embody His divine mercy; choosing unnecessary bloodshed when other nourishment is readily available directly contradicts the heart of His teachings.
We urgently call upon church leaders, pastors, and clergy to rise to their sacred duty. Stop turning a blind eye to slaughter and appeasing congregations to fill seats and coffers; lead by example and teach what souls need rather than what they crave. It is time to end the abomination of meat eating in churches, church functions, and community halls once and for all. A pulpit that preaches love while serving the flesh of slaughtered innocents is a tragic contradiction of Christ’s message.
Let us stop treating grace as a license for cruelty or compla.cency. If we profess love for Jesus Christ, let us reflect His mercy in every choice we make, starting with what we put on our plates.
Say no to slaughterhouses, meat, fish, and the exploitation of innocent animals. Choose a path of universal compassion and harmlessness (ahimsa).
Hare Krishna.
