Prabhupāda: Well, when one has got faith in God he must have the necessary activities. Otherwise, what kind of faith it is? Just like if I say that, "I have faith in you, but I don't trust you," what kind of faith I have got? If I say: "My dear friend, I have faith in you," and if you want me to do something, I don't do it, then if I say, "How can I do it?" then what kind of faith that is? So this sort of faith is not required. Faith means real faith.
So whenever there is real faith, there is activity also. That is faith. When there is real Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness, then there is activity for pleasing the God. Simply I believe in God simply for exacting things from God, that is a different type of faith. That is in the lowest stage. Just like a small child, he has got faith, but if a learned, educated child, he has got different faith, "Oh, my father, my mother, they have done so much for us," oh, he wants to repay. He wants to oblige the father. That is also another faith, the same faith.
So somebody is trying, "O God, give us our daily bread." This is also faith. But somebody is trying how to please God. He is not asking . . . because he knows that "If God is father, then he is supplying bread to animals, to birds and beasts. Why not to me? So my bread is already guaranteed. So let me serve the father." This is higher type of faith. "Why shall I ask, bother, my father? If he is father, then he has already made arrangement for my eating."
That is natural. Does it mean that every day the child asks father, mother, "Mother, father, give me my bread"? Oh, the father is already preparing bread for you. He'll call you. But he is lacking the faith. He is asking. Another is not asking; he is confident that, "Father will give me bread. Now let me serve my father." This is higher type of faith.
So the faith, there are different standards of faith. One faith is trying to exact, and one faith is trying to give everything. So these two types of faith. So which one is better? Anyone can judge. Just like Arjuna, in the beginning he had faith in Kṛṣṇa. He said: "Kṛṣṇa, please give me instruction. I am not talking any more as friend. I accept You as my spiritual master." So he had faith, good faith.
Otherwise, how he accepted Kṛṣṇa as spiritual master? But that faith in the beginning, and in the last faith, after learning Bhagavad-gītā, he said: "Kṛṣṇa, by Your grace I have got my memory." That means, "In the beginning I was thinking that I should give more importance to my grandfather, my teacher and my family, but I have learned that my only duty is to serve You. Therefore whatever You say, I'll do." This is another faith. The same man, the same Kṛṣṇa—in the beginning, one faith, and at the end, another faith.
So beginning faith is that God, understanding God. But unfortunately, at the present moment they don't believe in God, so there is no question of faith. They have lost all faith. This is the condition of the present society. What to speak of this faith or that faith, they have no faith. They have lost all faith, just like animal. Animal has no faith in God. That is the distinction between human being and animal. The animal has no faith, but in human society there is a kind of faith, either it is Christian faith or Hindu faith or Buddhist faith or Muhammadan faith. But when we give up this faith, then our position is just like animal.
The present society is just like animal. They have no faith, what to speak of this faith or that faith. That is the position. They are simply after sense enjoyment. That's all. Don't you see? The Pope says that it is not good, it is not God's law, that you should use contraceptive method. But they are so mad after sense enjoyment, they say: "Oh, we don't care for your instruction." Just see how much they have lost their faith.
So at the present moment it is very difficult position, no faith at all.
(break) . . . have no good qualification. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇa (SB 5.18.12). Oh, their education, their scientific advancement, their so-called civilization . . . don't you see? The everyone is expected to have national feeling, but the postal strike, mail strike, went on for twenty days. The whole nation become disturbed and harassed. Why? They wanted money. "What is this? Go to . . . your national feeling go to hell! You pay us, then we work."
So nobody has any faith. Simply he has faith in sense gratification. That's all. "You satisfy my senses, then you are very good. Otherwise, go to hell." That's all. This is the position. And therefore they are denying the topmost head of Catholic Church, "We don't care for your instruction," because they have become faithless. And that is not their fault. It is fault of the heads of the churches. They did not teach them properly. They were satisfied simply by money. That's all. They did not try to teach them. Now what is the use of teaching? They have gone out of hand. The same thing: if you want to bend bamboo, do it while it is green. And when it is dried, oh, it is not possible. So now the whole society is faithless, godless, very precarious condition.
So this process, our process, we don't impose any difficult rules and regulation. Please come here and chant with us and dance with us. At least, there is no loss on your part. If you think there is no gain, but at least there is no loss. So I should request you to come and join with us in our kīrtana. Then everything gradually will be clear.
Any other question?
Devotee (2): Does ārjavam, or simplicity, does that include making the truth palatable to someone who will not understand the truth directly?
Prabhupāda: Hmm?
Devotee (2): Does straightforwardness, that ārjavam quality, does that include making the truth palatable to someone who will not understand the truth directly?
Prabhupāda: Yes. When you speak of higher truths, you don't care whether it is palatable to others or not. In social formality you can see. That has happened actually. Because the Pope, he was not strong enough in the beginning . . . because some other Pope, he thought, "It may be unpalatable," he did not speak the truth. Now the other Pope is speaking the truth, they are not accepting.
But from the very beginning the priests should have preached in every church, "My dear Christian brothers, you cannot use these contraceptive methods." They were never told in the churches. They were satisfied to get fees. That's all. Everywhere, not only in the Christian world. In the Hindu, in Christian, they don't care for any rules and regulation any more.