God Is Dead - Refuting the Atheistic Propaganda
In modern society, it has become fashionable for speculative philosophers and materialists to declare that the Absolute Truth no longer exists. Śrīla Prabhupāda completely shatters this atheistic illusion, explaining that the "God is dead" philosophy is simply a foolish excuse fabricated by those who wish to engage in sinful, unrestricted behavior without facing the consequences of universal law.
The Motive Behind the Propaganda
The denial of God is not born of advanced scientific research, but of deep-rooted envy and a desire for unrestricted sense gratification. Śrīla Prabhupāda exposes the demonic mentality behind the assertion that God is dead, explaining that atheists want to kill the concept of a supreme controller so they can falsely claim the position for themselves.
- The current propaganda that "God is dead" is spread because people want to continue being rascals without restriction. This is the basic principle underlying the denial of God's existence. But however much we deny His existence, He will not die.
- Why these rascals, they deny there is no God, God is dead? Because they want to continue their rascaldom without any restriction.
- These atheistic vultures want to see God dead so they can take pleasure in thinking - Now God is dead, and I can do anything I like.
- A demoniac preacher tells his followers: "Why are you seeking God elsewhere? You are all yourselves God! Whatever you like, you can do. Don't believe in God. Throw away God. God is dead." These are the demoniac's preachings.
The Evidence of a Living God
The perfect organization of the cosmos directly contradicts the idea of a dead or non-existent creator. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out the sheer lunacy of claiming God is dead while simultaneously relying on the flawless movements of the sun, the moon, and the daily supply of necessities provided by His management.
- How I can say God is dead? Because if God is the law-giver, by His order everything is moving nicely. The sun is rising exactly at the time, the moon is rising exactly at the time, the seasonal changes are taking place exactly in due course of time.
- How you can say God is dead? If there is some mismanagement, you can say there is no government, but if there is nice management, how you can say there is no government? So God is there. You do not know God.
- God is supplying us everything, although we think, "There is no God, God is dead," and all nonsense you may say. But it is due to God's grace that you are eating daily. That's a fact.
- If we are praying to God, "O God, give us our daily bread," and the bread is supplied to us, how God is dead? God cannot be dead.
His Laws Are Never Dead
Even if one stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the Supreme Person, they cannot escape His jurisdiction. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that just as the laws of a state continue even if a king dies, the stringent laws of material nature continue to punish the conditioned soul, proving that God's authority is very much alive.
- Suppose a king dies; does it mean the government dies? The government will go on. You can say, "God is dead." God is not dead, neither you are dead. But if you foolishly say that God is dead, that does not mean His law is also dead. The law will go on.
- There are 8,400,000 species of life, forms of life. You have to accept one of them. That is our real problem. If we forget the real problem and blindly or foolishly say that "God is dead . . ." God may be dead, but God's law is not dead.
- We are concerned with the laws of God. God may be dead or alive - it doesn't matter. Suppose by law we are prisoners, we are in the prison house, and all of a sudden the president or the king dies. Does it mean you shall be free? No. You have to rot.
- They're being punished every moment, every step, "No, God is not there." All right. Wait a few years more, God will show either you are dead or He's dead.
The Supreme Living Being
The ultimate cure for atheism is pure spiritual knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement exists to dispel the darkness of the "God is dead" philosophy, proving that the Lord is an eternal, affectionate person who can be directly approached.
- Because materialists cannot imagine or conceive of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they may think that God is dead, but factually He is always existing in His sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), His eternal form.
- Our Krsna is not a dead God as with other things. He is the supreme living being and very affectionate to His devotees. He is the responsive cooperator with our activities. So stick to His lotus feet as advised by Lord Caitanya.
- So far we are concerned, we cannot accept this philosophy, that God is dead. But we preach on the other hand, that God is not only not dead, but He can be approached finally face to face.
- Someone wrote an article in the newspaper saying that "In America people had the idea that God had either died or gotten lost, but Bhaktivedanta Swami, within three months, has explained to the atheist sampradaya that God is existing within Hari-kirtana."
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda vigorously dismantles the modern, atheistic propaganda that claims "God is dead." This philosophy is not the result of advanced scientific or philosophical inquiry; rather, it is a deliberate, demonic attempt to banish the supreme lawgiver so that conditioned souls can engage in sinful activities without fear of restriction or punishment. This "owl philosophy" willfully ignores the blazing evidence of a living, intelligent creator. The perfect management of the cosmos—the punctual rising of the sun and moon, the precise changing of the seasons, and the daily supply of food—scientifically proves the existence of a supreme, active controller. Even if a foolish person stubbornly insists that God is dead, they cannot escape His authority. Just as the laws of a state continue to punish a criminal even if the king dies, the stringent laws of material nature (karma) will continue to punish the rebellious soul at every step. Ultimately, God is never dead; He exists eternally in His sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha form. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was established specifically to cure this atheistic lunacy. Through the chanting of Hari-kīrtana and the distribution of absolute Vedic knowledge, the movement proves that God is the supreme living being, responsive, affectionate, and fully capable of being approached face to face by His sincere devotees.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is Dead. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.