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