How to Share Krishna with my Family?

Question:  How to Share Krishna with my Family?

I have very recently started to follow Krishna Consciousness and already I feel its affects in my life. It has been a source of joy for me and so naturally I want to share it with my family. But I am uncertain on how to do this. Firstly I am more then a little scared of being alienated from them if I seem over-zealous. Secondly the people in my family are either atheist or very staunch Christians so ideas like reincarnation and karma could sound foolish or heretical to them. Lastly I am a little worried that if I don't represent my faith well that it might leave a bad impression of Krishna Consciousness.

Answer:  Melt Them with Sweet Words

Thank you very much for taking up the process of Krishna consciousness. This is the most wonderful news that you have joined us in practicing Krishna consciousness. The basic principle in convincing others about Krishna consciousness is humble persuasion by always speaking sweetly and politely. This is elaborately described by Srila Prabhupada in his Caitanya Caritamrita purport as follows:

"Impersonalist Mayavadis always try to defy Vaisnavas because Vaisnavas accept the Supreme Personality as the supreme cause and want to serve Him, talk with Him and see Him, just as the Lord is also eager to see His devotees and talk, eat and dance with them. These personal exchanges of love do not appeal to the Mayavadi sannyasis. Therefore the original purpose of the Mayavadi sannyasis of Benares in meeting Caitanya Mahaprabhu was to defeat His personal conception of God. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however, as a preacher, turned the minds of the Mayavadi sannyasis. They were melted by the sweet words of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and thus became friendly and spoke to Him also in sweet words. Similarly, all preachers will have to meet opponents, but they should not make them more inimical. They are already enemies, and if we talk with them harshly or impolitely their enmity will merely increase. We should therefore follow in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as far as possible and try to convince the opposition by quoting from the sastras and presenting the conclusion of the acaryas. It is in this way that we should try to defeat all the enemies of the Lord."

--from purport Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 7.99

Although atheists and Christians generally take issue with the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita, if we diligently follow example of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we will be able to gradually bring them to Krishna consciousness.