Why do people make fun of the Hare Krishna movement?

Question

They just want people to be happy! The Vedas do not contradict any other Holy book, they are sufficiently ambiguous to be in agreement with all religions! A group of people out in the streets saying people should avoid the self-destruction of your bodies and try to seek happiness and fullfilment for your SOUL not for you BODY, and yet people make fun of them. I don't understand it.

Answer 1

Because of misunderstanding Hare Krishna movement with some sectarian isms like Hinduism, Christianity, Islamism, Jainisms, Buddhism etc... Since all sectarina isms have some funny teachings, people also make of Hare Krishna movement. Actually, the Vedas teach eternal religious principles, known as Sanatana Dharma, God or Krishna Consciousness. Hare Krishna movement is universal and not sectarian and as you said Hare Krishna movement wants everyone to be happy eternally.

As far as equating Hare Krishna movement, this misconception can be cleared by quoting the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, Srila Prabhupa himself;
Sometimes Indians both inside and outside of India think that we are preaching the Hindu religion, but actually we are not. One will not find the word Hindu in the Bhagavad-gita. Indeed, there is no such word as Hindu in the entire Vedic literature. This word has been introduced by the Muslims from provinces next to India, such as Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and Persia. There is a river called Sindhu bordering the north western provinces of India, and since the Muslims there could not pronounce Sindhu properly, they instead called the river Hindu, and the inhabitants of this tract of land they called Hindus. In India, according to the Vedic language, the Europeans are called mlecchas or yavanas. Similarly, Hindu is a name given by the Muslims.
From the book Science of Self Realization.
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
Founder-Acharya of ISKCON
International Society for Krishna Consciousness

As far as your statement that pople make fun of the Hare Krishna movement due to not understanding the teachings of the SOUL is true. Most of the people are materialistic and therefore cannot understand the spirit soul, how to attain perfecton etc. . .
Spirituality is almost post graduate study. A student of lower mathematics delaing only with ordinary arithmatic or algebra may not understand higher mathematics may think funny about it and may even mock fun of Ph.D. student in mathematics.

Lord Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita(7.3), "Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth".
Few excerpts from the Purport;
There are various grades of men, and out of many thousands, one may be sufficiently interested in transcendental realization to try to know what is the self, what is the body, and what is the Absolute Truth. Generally mankind is simply engaged in the animal propensities, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, and hardly anyone is interested in transcendental knowledge.

Answer 2

Hare Krishna movement is like a fish out of water.

Answer 3

Because Hare Krishna sounds funny to us westerners. Besides the Lord God Jesus Christ is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Answer 4

People often make fun of what they dont understand and what is different from themselves. Ignorance is apparently not only bliss but a laugh a minute as well!

Answer 5

one of the rappers i liked ' KRS - ONE ' was part of the hare krishna movement . ppl disrespect it coz dey dont repect themselves.

Answer 6

People probably think it's funny! Why do you care about what the mainstream thinks?/do what you want to do.
The future of our world is very uncertain.

Answer 7

Doesn't Krishna have 6 arms?! There you go!!

Answer 8

16,108 wives of hare krishna infatuate much

Answer 9

Because to the normal world its a joke they think.

Answer 10

yea really, i don't think the haire krishnas are any more wierder than like assembly of God.