Men are Born Free and Equal

[ancient_paztriot]

Syamasundara dasa: Locke also say that all men are born free and equal in the state of nature and that they have formed a social contract; therefore the government must be based on and subject to the mutual concent of all the citizens.

 

Srila Prabhupada: That agreement can be reached when everyone is situated on the spiritual platform. On the material platform, people are subject to the three modes of material nature: goodness, passion, and ignorance. How can the vote of a God conscious man and the vote of a drunkard be equal? Equality is not possible unless everyone comes to the spiritual platform.

 

Syamasundara dasa: Is it true that all men are born free and equal?

 

Srila Prabhupada: yes, that is a fact. If we are not free, how can we commit sin? Committing sin means that we have the freedom to commit sins. And equality means that we all have small independence. We are equal in the sense that we can properly utilize or misuse our independence. Because we all have independence, we are equal. If we misuse it, we go downward, and if we use it properly, we go upward. In the use of our independence, we have equal rights.