The authenticity of the moon landings has been challenged both in general and in the ISKCON devotee community for decades. It is a topic that is hard to discuss in public within this community, because the reactions are usually
dogmatic and predictably unpleasant -- despite, or perhaps
because of, devotees' general lack of knowledge of the topic.
I have not found many other topics that meet with more vicious ridicule and dogmatism than this one. Of course, there are loaded spiritual issues as to the origin of the soul or the system of disciplic succession, but these can be debated
ad infinitum on the basis of scripture alone. What is remarkable about the moon landings is that most hoax proof offered by devotees -- even in seminars and lectures -- either comes from outside the tradition or consists of cut-off statements
à la "Prabhupada said..." Blind following, however, has never been encouraged, not even by Bhaktivedanta Swami, and sadly, to anyone who has taken the trouble to delve into the matter a bit deeper, devotees who merely parrot so-called hoax proof look foolish and devoid of critical thinking. Not so much because they don't speak from a level of faith or understanding of their own scriptures, but because they use bad science to refute good science in a field they mostly know nothing about. The arguments aren't scientific, scriptural, or even emperic. Virtually all the so-called proof comes from pseudo-scientific sources and is strangely accepted whimsically as conclusive, without any scrutiny.
In my opinion, to dismiss the overwhelming amount of proof for the authenticity of the moon landings that has been available in the public domain for the last 40 years without even looking into it, yet whole-heartedly accept almost anything that challenges it purely on face value, shows a hypocritical double standard.
I am offering this material here for those open to some clarity, especially because many devotees have left ISKCON as a result of inadequate answers about the moon landings.
Prabupada Said...
Here you'll find the most obvious references to the moon landings from the
Vedabase in chronological order. What becomes clear immediately is that Bhaktivedanta Swami appears to be somewhat ambivalent. Sometimes he is adamant that the landings were faked, sometimes he makes a concession for the possibility that they could have happened. Some gray areas with references to the landings having taken place elsewhere can be found as well. In addition, it shows how poorly informed, insecure and confused his disciples were when trying to deal with this obviously difficult issue.
The Hoax Advocates
Some words about the main hoax advocates, their history and motivations. Practically all so-called "hoax proof" available nowadays is based on the misconceptions and financial motivations of these individuals. These are the people you parrot if you raise issues like wrong shadows, multiple light sources, and missing stars.
Some Often Quoted Reasons
These are likely the most often quoted quick reasons why the USA would have faked the moon landings, besides the presumed technical anomalies.
Hoax Arguments Analyzed
Here you'll find most of the hard-core arguments on how and why the moon landings were fake addressed. These include both the common arguments about missing stars and craters, as well as many lesser known arguments. If you want to talk about the moon landings with people who claim they were faked, or you think they were faked yourself based on these arguments, I suggest you familiarize yourself with them and their lack of validity.
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