Alienation from God and the Spiritual Restlessness of the Modern World
✍ A Critical Reflection on Nehru, Modern Thought, and the Need for Faith
❖ Jawaharlal Nehru’s Existential Confusion
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of the world’s third-largest country, India, attended an international conference of orientalists in early 1964. In his address, he remarked:
“I am a politician, and I seldom get the opportunity to think, but at times I do wonder—what is this world, what is it for, who are we, and what are we doing here? I believe that there are forces which shape our destiny.”
(National Herald, January 6, 1964)
These thoughts from Nehru reflect a deep spiritual unease, the kind that envelops all who deny God as their Lord and object of worship.
Worldly engagements may offer temporary satisfaction, but once these artificial settings fade, the inner voice cries out for the lost tranquility.
This unease is not merely a worldly issue—it is a forewarning of a far greater danger:
⛔ A terrifying existence in the Hereafter.
It is the smoke of the fire, meant to awaken the soul. But if one fails to awaken in time, that fire consumes completely.
❖ Moral Chaos and Ethical Directionlessness
In a conversation with Michael Brecher, when asked about the philosophy of society and life, Nehru replied that society needs moral standards, but he did not know how to implement them in modern life.
For him, religion-based morality appeared narrow-minded.
(Nehru: A Political Biography, 1959, pp. 607–608)
This attitude reveals modern man’s greatest crisis:
The rejection of religion’s role in upholding ethical standards.
In a godless civilization, personal freedom clashes with social values, and material pleasure becomes the sole aim of life.
This leads individuals to trample the rights of others to fulfill their desires, causing society to drown in dishonesty, theft, bribery, and crime.
❖ The Collapse of Godless Civilization
In the West, where material comfort is considered life’s highest goal, the family system is falling apart.
Parental separations have left children in quasi-orphaned conditions, often pushing them toward crime.
As Sir Alfred Denning observed:
“Most juvenile delinquents come from broken homes.”
(The Changing Law, p. 111)
❖ Material Progress and the Rise of Mental Illness
Despite material advancements, the modern world has seen a sharp rise in neurological and psychological disorders.
In highly developed countries like the United States, many suffer from anxiety, fear, and selfishness—the direct outcomes of a godless lifestyle, which strips the soul of peace.
❖ The Power of Faith and Spiritual Well-being
Experts agree that faith in God provides the confidence necessary to endure life’s hardships.
Sir William Osler called belief “a great motivational force”, a treasure for mental health.
Even modern psychologists like Carl Gustav Jung have acknowledged:
“After the midpoint of life, none of my patients recovered without adopting a religious outlook.”
(Science and Christian Belief, p. 110)
❖ The Contradiction of the Modern World
Modern society, while making rapid strides in technological development, is simultaneously abandoning religion, thereby creating conditions that worsen human suffering.
In the words of American physician Dr. Paul Ernst Adolph:
“That elderly woman didn’t die due to a fractured hip, but from a heart broken by grief.”
(The Evidence of God, pp. 212–214)
❖ Conclusion
The greatest tragedy of today’s world is its abandonment of God.
Despite unprecedented material growth, the dream of a truly fulfilling life remains unrealized.
This spiritual void has trapped mankind in problems that no scientific breakthrough can solve.
True peace and direction lie in returning to God, the source of all meaning and solace.
