Aggression is out of date

Talk of return to a cold war atmosphere in world politics is suddenly common. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the inability of the United States and the Soviet Union to reach arms limitation agreements at this date are two key developments behind the cold war talk. Another is the continuing internecine hatred in the Middle East.

Metaphysical thinkers, however, must apply the truth of God's all-power to today's troubling events if aggression is to be halted. Escalation of hostilities is not inevitable. The realization that God is the supreme authority in the universe instates His government on earth, bringing with it conditions of peace, honest prosperity, and concern for the rights of others. Neither military aggression nor the political and economic tremors of religious resurgence need pull the world into wider conflict.

Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of this newspaper, n1 was a foe of war. She writes, "War is in itself an evil, barbarous, devilish." n2 Yet she recognized that nations devoted to peace might have to arm themselves to prevent war.

n1 Mrs. Eddy is also the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science;

n2 The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,m p. 278.

The destruction of aggression through scientific prayer is the only way the human race will be rid of it permanently. The assault mentality must be seen -- and proved -- to be out of date. Those who demand peace have behind them a winning tradition that has been gathering force since Christ Jesus defeated his enemies through divine Truth and Love alone.

What was his method? He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." n3 Jesus made this statement in response to Pilate's charge that Jesus' own nation had accused him. The Master's answer showed that he separated himself entirely from culture or ideology. Although loyal to friends and humanity as a whole, Jesus turned to God as the one and only Mind, the all-powerful Principle who rules through love. He didn't ignore evil, however. He knew it claimed to be incarnate in individuals and expressed by certain ideologies. But he also recognized that one power existed, one real kingdom -- God's.

n3 John 18:36;

We must not shrink from our duty today to recognize that, though evil would still claim to be incarnate in individuals and false doctrines, God is almight. While the Father is tender in respect to the need s of mandkind, He is stern in respect to isolating and destroying the basic claims of evil, which incite aggression. In infinite being, the true universe, evil has never begun.

Some systems hold mortal man as the ideal. Such systems shut out the Christ and its life-preserving compassion. Man is God's reflection, the glory of infinite Spirit. Do we turn daily to Christ, God's idea, as our only model of manhood? To help destroy the world's evils, we must be sure in our own lives that we have pure goals and ideals. when we are clear of this point, we can pray unselfishly to separate beliefs of antheism and religious idolatry from our view of every individual in the world. God's redeeming love is universal and embraces all, including so- called enemies.

Tyranny and repression are being opposed as never before. There is a worldwide network of observers, commentators, and nations to spot and publicize violations of human rights. It is a network of freedom. Human rights are God-derived and, so seen, they will prevail over aggressive attempts to contorl through inferior motives. God is the only power, and men and women are being lifted as never before to see and prove this fact.

Mrs. Eddy writes, "We live in an age of Love's divine adventure to be All-in-all." n4 Our realization of the facts of true being has an effect. The human network of freedom is tied to man's divine rights as the offspring of God. All humankind are included in these rights because Love rules over all. Aggression is out of date, and we can prove it. We can help the world toward universal freedom.

n4 Miscellany,m p. 158.