Talked to a Street Monk Today

          I was approached by a street monk today, on my walk home from class. Apparently this guy was from one more popular Hare Krishna movements here in the U. S. Well, I didn't mind hearing what he had to say for a moment because sometimes I find these kooky types somewhat amusing, also he was offering a copy of the Bhagavad Gita (while asking me if I was interested in knowledge, lol) that looked like a decent quality copy, and I've been meaning to get one to add to my collection of holy books. I like to have as many religious texts on my bookshelf as I can find for both novelty purposes, and for reference when some religious person wants to use a particular text in an argument.
          Well, moving on, unfortunately, the guy asked for a donation for the book. I gave him a few dollars, which I don't feel to bad about because it's a decent quality hardcover, and like 870 pages with good color pictures of famous paintings in the center, information on sanskrit pronunciation, glossary, etc. But, what I found very funny, after I got home and flipped through it, was when I noticed that there was a little ribbon bookmarker tucked in the middle. I opened to the marked page and had a bit of a chuckle to the idea that these guys must have marked this place on purpose, being that they were giving these to college kids.
          And the text where the ribbon was placed, which is Text 15 of the Bhagavad Gita, states:

"Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto me."

Ha, ha, ha, and the page explaining this verse goes on to explain that those philosophers, politicians, scientists, educators, administrators, etc., who do not surrender to the lotus feet of the supreme god, are not actually philosophers, scientists, etc., but only pose as such for material gain! Ha, ha, ha, I do find this insult to be quite amusing. It doesn't stop there either, it goes on to explain the "atheistic planmakers" are the ones referred to as miscreants in the verse, and that there are 2 classes of miscreants. 1), the mudhas, are those who are grossly foolish, and 2) the naradhama, or the "lowest of mankind". These naradhama are explained to be "socially and politically developed, but have no religious principals". So, us atheists, skeptics, and otherwise rational thinkers are, according to the Bhagavad Gita, the lowest form of mankind.

          I got a laugh out of this because lots of these older religious ideas, although kooky and silly, have poetic nature in their texts, and also are relics of our evolutionary history as we, as human beings, evolved our morals, values, and knowledge about the world around us. However, it's funny how all theologies, no matter how innocent and seemingly peaceful they look on the surface, all encourage and teach that it is wrong to use your brain and critically examine their doctrines, teachings, and the rest of the world around you. If you do, you would find  that the natural world functions fine by itself, without all these fairy tales. Not only that, but the endless discoveries of the natural sciences reveal a world so many more times more amazing, beautiful, fascinating, and awe inspiring, than anything that primitive man had ever dreamed up with our ancient ideas of golden clad gods and mythical spirits.