## Chapter XV How a Preacher Should Deal With Opposing Arguments ### 1. The main business of a preacher is to introduce saṅkīrtana: Although Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees in disciplic succession can defeat all kinds of learned scholars, scientists and philosophers in arguments, thus establishing the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead, their main business as preachers is to introduce *saṅkīrtana *everywhere. Simply to defeat scholars and philosophers is not the occupation of a preacher. Preachers must simultaneously introduce the *saṅkīrtana *movement, for that is the mission of the Caitanya cult. *— Cc. Ā*di *[[cc/adi/16/8|16.8]]* ### 2. The preacher should avoid "an argumentative attitude": ... one should not concern oneself with the conclusions of various logicians or philosophers. Of course, those who preach sometimes need to argue with the contentions of opponents, but as much as possible one should avoid an argumentative attitude. *— *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam *[[sb/7/13/7|7.13.7]]* ### 3. Those who are preachers should be prepared to defeat others' arguments: **The scriptures of the Buddhist cult are chiefly based on argument and logic, and they contain nine chief principles. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu defeated them in their argument, they could not establish their cult.** Those who are preachers in ISKCON will certainly meet many people who believe in intellectual arguments. Most of these people do not believe in the authority of the *Vedas. *Nevertheless, they accept intellectual speculation and argument. Therefore the preachers of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be prepared to defeat others by argument, just as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. *— Cc. *Madhya* [[cc/madhya/9/49|9.49]]* ### 4. ISKCON preachers should be expert in defeating atheists: Atheists may be very expert in mental speculation and may be so-called great philosophers, but they can be defeated by a Vaiṣṇava firmly situated in his conviction and God consciousness. Following in the footsteps of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, all the preachers engaged in the service of ISKCON should be very expert in putting forward strong arguments and defeating all types of atheists. *— Cc. *Madhya* [[cc/madhya/9/51|9.51]]*