“If, however, anyone has any material desire to be fulfilled, he had better pray for it to the Supreme Lord (although that is not pure devotion), and he will thus achieve the desired result.” (Bg 9.24, purport).
I find it difficult to criticize pious materialistic devotees. At least they are honest about their motives (e.g., Dhruva Maharaja) and they approach the Lord rather than demigods. Even as a young boy, Dhruva had the wisdom to stipulate that he wanted to obtain a kingdom using legitimate means. In contrast, ISKCON’s fundraising schemes were often illegal. Apparently, it is better to steal for Krishna than to pray to Krishna for money and resources. So these things are going on, in the name of purity and adherence to higher laws/principles.
ISKCON has not responded constructively when pious sakama devotees openly admit their material desires. On the other hand, individuals who project an image of complete surrender are rewarded. In this way, ISKCON created a class of pretenders that have encouraged unethical financial strategies. After public opinion and law enforcement turned against ISKCON, the temples in North America and the rest of the Western world opened their arms to wealthy Hindus, who in turn opened their wallets. Consequently, some reports of demigod worship have surfaced within ISKCON temples.
This chain of events—illicit money-making schemes, legal and public relations problems, followed by heavy reliance on Hindu support and some tolerance toward demigod worship—is attributable in no small part to an incentive structure that rewards pretenders at the expense of pious materialistic devotees of Krishna. The varnashrama system, which does not exclude materialistic devotees, is the proper support structure for the movement and a breeding ground for pure devotees.
The materialistic devotee is not austere, but he or she has the advantage of knowing he is dependent on the mercy of God. Krishna will treat all of His various devotees in whatever manner He sees fit. Sometimes a materialistic devotee will become pure, and therefore it is important to avoid sending the following message: “Unless you are pure, you have no place in the movement.” If an organization ostracizes and disparages devotees for being honest while rewarding pretenders, a class of pure devotees will never emerge.
Although pure devotees are almost nonexistent, materialistic devotees are also rare and worthy of some respect. “It is not that other devotees who are less complete in knowledge are not dear to the Lord. The Lord says that all are magnanimous because anyone who comes to the Lord for any purpose is called a mahatma or great soul.” (Bg 7.18, purport)