Posted by Sharon Shriver, 28 January, 2009, Montreal, Canada: “Have you noticed that, despite the recession, atheists have money to burn? They can afford to take ads on buses questioning the existence of God. This campaign which began in the UK has come to Canada. “There’s probably no God” the ads say. That’s “hate” in my book. Believe what you want but don’t plaster it over buses. Everyone has their own conception of God. For me, God is synonymous with spiritual ideals like truth, beauty, harmony and love. So don’t tell me there is no God. We are all in touch with God whether or not we believe in Him. This campaign is an affront to the 72% of Canadians who, according to polls, believe in God. How do they get away with it?”
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Prabhupada, May 19, 1975, Melbourne: So practically the entire human society is now becoming godless. That is very dangerous position. And we have already come to that dangerous position. There are so many problems, and recently we have heard that New York City, the most important city in the world, they are in a problem, that they cannot keep the city very nicely maintained and clean, and they asked for help, some millions of dollars, and the federal government has refused. In this way the godless society will have to meet so many problems of life, and if they want solution of all these problems, they must take to God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that is our sum and substance of the movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. So we are trying to… It is very simple method. Anyone can accept it by chanting and dancing and eating. And if one does not like this method—he wants to understand the philosophy—we have got fifty books of four hundred pages, you can see all these books.
Bring some of them. It is scientifically, philosophically presented. We have got fifty books, four hundred pages each.
Journalist: What about other religion?
Prabhupada: Well, we are speaking of religion. There is no question of “other religion,” “your religion,” “my religion.” We are speaking of God. God is God. Just like gold is gold. Because it is in the hand of a Christian, you cannot say that “It is Christian gold.” The gold is gold.
Journalist: But do you accept the validity of other religion?
Prabhupada: Validity… Any religion which is seeking after God, that is valid. If any religion does not obey God, does not know God, that is cheating. That is not religion. Yes.
Journalist: How would you say this godlessness is…
Prabhupada: Godlessness is one does not know what is God. And just like you know me. You have come to me. You know I am a person, I am talking, I have written so many books. This is knowing me. Similarly, one must know what is God, what is His feature, what does He do, what does He teach, what law He gives. This is knowing God. Simply to understand, “Oh, well, that is God. Let Him remain at His place, and let me do whatever I like,” that is not understanding of God. You must know God just like you must know your father. If you are interested with your father’s property, then you must know your father, who is your father.
Journalist: How is this godlessness showing itself in our society?
Prabhupada: Godlessness means foolishness because…
Journalist: Is liquor… Too much liquor and self-indulgence?
Prabhupada: There are details. There are so many things. The total is rascaldom and foolishness. Godlessness means rascaldom and foolishness.
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