Can religious leaders, priests, imams, rabbis, pastors, etc., accept positions other than those of servants of God?

No, religious leaders, priests, imams, rabbis, pastors, etc., must never accept positions other than those of servants of God, nor accept a salary.

Leaders will reject the principles of spiritual wisdom and prefer to govern without placing themselves under God's authority, relying on materialism and sensual pleasure, and so-called wise scholars will be bribed by these unscrupulous leaders.

We will even see philosophers, writers who have authored numerous works on the principles of religion, and even priests accept high-level positions within various governments, which goes against all the codes of ethics contained in the Holy Scriptures, which specifically state that wise scholars must never accept such positions. The priest, the imam, the rabbi, the pastor—in short, the spiritual guide—must under no circumstances accept ministerial duties, for their sphere of activity is not material but solely spiritual. As such, they must intervene for the good of all citizens without exception, not just for a few, placing them all on the same level, on the same footing, on an equal footing. Religious leaders must cultivate knowledge and guide the entire society. They favor and privilege no one, for they are impartial toward all. This is why they must live alone, chaste, in simplicity and humility.

But in the current dark age, not only will priests, imams, rabbis, pastors, etc., accept such duties, but they will do so even for insignificant positions. These are some of the characteristics of the current age that threaten the general good of humanity.

Do humans really rule their nations, the world?

No, because it is God who rules the world and on earth in particular, not man.

Truly, man can do nothing without the consent of Lord Krishna.

Truly, within every living being (in every celestial being, in every human being, in every terrestrial and aquatic animal, and in every plant) there are two spiritual entities: the individual and distinct soul of Godhead, each of us, and the Supreme Soul, Krishna.

This Supreme Soul is Krishna, God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Lord, and the distinct soul is His eternal servant. It is the Lord who inspires the distinct soul to “create” what He has already created, and it is through His goodwill that a seeker, for example, will be given full credit for his discovery. Along the same lines, no one can create or do anything without the Lord's consent, since each person possesses a vision that is commensurate with their abilities, and these abilities are also granted by the Lord in proportion to one's desire to serve Him.

Therefore, one must voluntarily offer oneself to serve Krishna; He, in return, will empower us according to the degree of our surrender to Him.