Srimad Bhagavatam 03

I quote from the preface: 'The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Srimad Bhagavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay,  of the entire energy of the living beings'.  An interesting combination! Wonder how it works?

Nice that the author has acknowledged that humans are now better off, but are still prone to large scale quarrels. He thinks that Bhagavatam will guide us towards peace, the respiritualisation of the entire human society and says that the ancient  King Prahlada advocated.that Bagavatam be taught to the very young (in schools and colleges!)  in order to change the demoniac face of society.

There is the usual dig at us humans and science. The disparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a godless civilization. There is God or the almighty One, from whom everything emanates....Material science has tried to find the ultimate source of creation very insufficiently....

 A recent study states 'You wouldn't believe it… but having no religious affiliation is now world's third biggest 'faith' after Christianity and Islam'. At 1.1 billion the numbers are significant,  'but overall, 84 per cent of the world's inhabitants, which it estimated at 6.9 billion, identify with a religion, according to the study entitled 'The Global Religious Landscape' issued by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life... The 'unaffiliated' category covers all those who profess no religion, from atheists and agnostics to people with spiritual beliefs but no link to any established faith.'

Certain findings in the study are significant:
 Many of the religiously unaffiliated do hold religious or spiritual beliefs, .......

'Belief in God or a higher power is shared by 7 percent of unaffiliated Chinese adults, 30 per cent of unaffiliated French adults and 68 percent of unaffiliated U.S. adults,' it said. 

'An age breakdown showed Muslims had the lowest median age at 23 years, compared to 28 for the whole world population. The median age highlights the population bulge at the point where half the population is above and half below that number.

'Muslims are going to grow as a share of the world's population and an important part of that is this young age structure,' Hackett said.

So we can say that it is not a godless civilization, but the multiplicity of faiths that is the problem. Faith seems to be the culprit. I go back to the preface, which speaks of an unlimited Supreme Lord ....such transcendental literature, even though irregularly, is heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.

We all know the flock in any religion are quite happy to believe, sing in praise and are normally peaceful. They are reasonably tolerant. So what is it that pushes humans towards large scale quarrels as the author terms it?  Hopefully this ancient purana has the answers!

And why is that most, say 9 out of 10, need to believe in god or higher power. I suppose it is much easier and we are built or evolved that way.