Major Religions on War and Peace

Buddhism

WAR: Intentional killing of any living being is condemned. Peace, and not war, is the ideal and should be sought by all who are truly religious.

PEACE: True happiness comes to those who live at peace with their fellows. The aim of all should be to learn peace and live peacefully with all men.

Christianity

WAR: The peacemakers, and not the warmakers, are blessed. Those who take the sword shall perish by the sword. War is the road to destruction, while peace is the road to happiness and prosperity.

PEACE: Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He came to this earth to bring peace to all men. The peacemaker is blessed and shall be a child of God. We should seek the ways of peace and finally come to peace with God.

Hinduism

WAR: Injury to any creature is wrong. The wise man will seek always to avoid strife and will dwell in peace. The ideal for life here on earth is peace, not war. No one should seek to extend his power through war.

PEACE: If one would find happiness and security, he must seek for peace. The peaceful mind will become established in wisdom. God is God of peace and desires peace for all people.

Judaism

WAR: Only fools give way to war. The wise seek peace. The peace loving, the meek, shall inherit the earth. The Lord will judge between nations, and wars are of no avail.

PEACE: Judaism looks forward to an ideal time when peace shall reign throughout the world. God commands peace and urges all His followers to work for peace. The peaceful life offers the greatest opportunity for happiness and prosperity.

Islam

WAR: Peace is to be sought by all. If there is war, the religious man will seek to establish peace. The Lord has ordained peace, and no one can engage in war without endangering the stability of the world.

PEACE: God will guide men to peace. If they will heed him, he will lead them from the darkness of war to the light of peace.

Source: Topical Index, The Sacred Writings of the World’s Great Religions, edited by S.E. Frost, Jr. McGraw-Hill, Paperback edition, 1972.

Printed on the back cover of “Peace in Action” magazine.