Raising humans from the animal platform

[Bhakti Vikasa Swami]

Practically there is no religion. And without religion human society is animal
society. Dharmena hina pasubhih samanah: "Human being without any ideas of
religion, God, he is no better than animal." That is the difference between
animal and human being. Animals eat, we eat; animals sleep, we sleep; animals
have sexual intercourse, we have; animals also defend, we also defend. These
are common features. And what is the special feature? The special feature of
human being is that he can understand what is God. So if he does not understand
God, he is animal, because the distinction between animal and man is being
avoided. So far other activities are concerned, they are the same as of human
being and as of animal. But what is the distinction? The distinction is that in
the human society there is an endeavor to understand God, and the animal
society, there is no such endeavor. So when the human so-called human society
becomes devoid of God consciousness, it is animal society. Sa eva go-kharah [SB
10.84.13]. So this Krsna consciousness movement is meant for raising the human
society to the real platform of human society, not to keep them in the animal
platform.

Srila Prabhupada; Conversation, 1 March 1975.