[General Guisan to the Swiss Army, as quoted in the Feuille d'Avis de Neuchatel, Switzerland (translation)]

There is still much to be done to prepare ourselves mentally. . . . Beyond and above material prepardness, even mental preparedness, is the need for Spiritual preparation. Our fathers knew this, and on bended knee they turned to God before going forth to battle. . . . Religious feeling must be kept alive in our hearts. The soldier must join in the prayers of his wife and children and family. The spirit of good humor, of mutual help, of trust and sacrifice, must also be a living force every day in each unit. For in times like these . . . the sense of solidarity is a national necessity. . . . In this way only will our country be truly strong, and the army truly prepared.

[Bishop William T. Manning, as quoted in The New York Times]

As Christians, and as Americans, we pray that the present war may speedily end, and that it may be so ended that justice and liberty, truth and honor, may be preserved and maintained in this world for the sake of all the nations, for the sake of our own land, and for the good of all mankind. We pray for repentance and forgiveness for all the nations, our own included, for whatever share we have had in bringing this great evil to pass.

We pray that all the nations, our own nation among them, may join in establishing a true and righteous peace, a peace free from any spirit of vengeance or vindictiveness, a peace in accordance with the teaching of . . . our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

May our prayers, and the prayers of countless others in all the nations, be heard. . . . May Almighty God, to whom we pray, so rule our hearts and minds as a nation that we may be willing to do whatever will most truly serve the cause of peace with justice, righteousness, and human freedom for the good of all men everywhere.

[From the Times, London, England]

The common argument that while the provision and supervision of education must be the business of the state, religious instruction must be considered as altogether the affair of the churches, is not only worthless but michievous. It is mischievous because it encourages the fallacy that essential education can be completed by secular instruction alone, and that the teaching of religion is merely a kind of optional supplement. The truth, of course, is that religion must form the very basis of any education worth the name, and that education with religion omitted is not really education at all. . . . It is a right purpose of national education on produce men and women with healthy bodies and intelligent minds, and the immense sums devoted to this purpose are well spent. Yet the highest educational aim is to produce good citizens. The basis of good citizenship is character, and a man's character depends upon his beliefs. How, then, can the state afford to ignore these simple truths, and to view the teaching or religion as a task with which it has no direct concern? . . .

More than before it has become clear that the healthy life of a nation must be based on spiritual principles. . . . Christianity cannot be imbibed from the air. It is not a philosophy but historic religion, which must dwindle unless the facts upon which it is founded are taught, and such teaching made the center of our educational system. . . . The highest of all knowledge must be given frankly the highest of all places in the training of young citizens. It will be of little use to fight, as we are fighting today, for the preservation of Christian principles, if Christianity itself is to have no future, or at immense cost to safeguard religion against attack from without if we allow it to be starved by neglect from within.

[President Roosevelt, as quoted in the Boston (Massachusetts) Evening Transcript]

We need a new and better peace; a peace which shall cause men at length to lay down weapons of hatred which have been used to divide them; and to forego purposeless ambitions which have created fear—ambitions which in the long run serve no useful end.

We seek a language in which neighbor can talk to neighbor; in which men can talk to men; and by which the common and homely and human instincts which are found everywhere may reach expression through the elimination of fear.

[From the Journal-Herald, Dayton, Ohio]

Now when a threatening cloud hangs over the earth—a cloud as black as that whose storm wind brought a thousand years of night, known as the Dark Ages, to civilization—we must remember where our strength lies. And those who so remember will have peace whatever may befall.

Earthly possessions do not bring a lasting happiness. . . .

Those who, resting secure in God, come to realize with an ever-increasing intensity that He is Love, and that whatever small manifestations of love we see upon this earth are but the small promises of His lasting radiance—those who so rest shall know calm whatever may happen.

They will be ready to take whatever role the drama of the earth may give to them, and they will not hide themselves away in fear, but will have courage. For not hide themselves away in but will have courage. For in the darkness of war and clamor, hate and greed, they will know the security of those who have built themselves houses on rocks. They will know that in all reality the forces of time cannot prevail against the strength of eternity on which they are housed.

[From the News-Press, Santa Barbara, California]

When Jesus tells us that the narrow way is the way that leads to life—to success, to happiness, to harmony and heaven—he is saying in effect that this narrow way is the only way to realize these blessings; every other way leads to failure and disaster. In all things there is but one right way—God's way—to reach the end desired—all others are wrong. Let us find His way and be sure to walk in it.

[Rev. Samuel A. Wright, as quoted in the Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona]

It is wonderful and remarkable that more than twenty-sex hundred years ago there lived a man who saw that there is no place in the ideal world for war; that war is not after the mind of God and will some day be banished.

Isaiah tells us that the method by which we are to achieve a warless world will come through religion. We can never achieve a warless world through the fear of war, nor by piling up instruments of slaughter.

Only when nations are ready to submit all their disputes to reason will swords be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. The church, said Isaiah, will be the instrument through which the instruction will come that will usher in a warless world.

What a privilege it is to belong to the Church of Christ, and what an honor and a responsibility it brings! Today, with war all around us, let us not forget that a warless world is an achievement, something to be achieved by man.

It is not something handed to us by the Almighty, but something we ourselves must win. Do not allow this vision of a warless world to be blacked out by what we see today. Keep it always before you as a goal yet to be won. And remember, you are fighting with the Almighty in this great fight to banish war from the face of the earth.

[From the Herald, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada]

The spirit with which the individual is imbued has a great bearing on his and her life. To call oneself a Christian is not enough. It is the spirit of Christianity which counts. Without the spirit of Christianity within us, our Christianity, however much we may follow the outward observances of Christianity, is nothing worth. Christianity is a battle between the spirit and the flesh. Where the true Christian spirit dominates the flesh, we get the exemplification of that Christianity which comes as light through darkness, ennobling our lives, bringing that peace "which passeth all understanding," filling us with that inward strength which helps us to bear with patience and fortitude whatever ills of life with which we may be confronted.

[Dr. Charles W. Sheerin, in the Record, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]

The world today is similar to the one faced by the New Testament Christians—a world of power politics. . . . The Roman legions thundering about the world had swept all before them. Religions were tolerated, but no if they declared man's liberty of conscience or man's essential dignity. The only dignity was the dignity of the force of the empire. To such a world Christians must have seemed fools indeed. . . . To appeal to pride and racial superiority has been used by despots since time immemorial. . . .

We must relive and relearn Christianity. We have had many religions in recent years—religions that really have had our faith and our devotion. One of these is [physical] science. Another is our native belief in our own economy.

We should be learning today that science is just another material thing, with neither moral nor spiritual values. Its use will depend upon the religion and spirit of the users.

I am not opposed to science as such. I accept scientific findings and do not find them in conflict with my faith. It is only when men try to replace God with science that I find reason to protest.

Science enables us either to have a better or worse world. In enables us either to benefit mankind or destroy man. Unless the world of men becomes religious, from all present indications we will throw our world into a turmoil worse than the present, and the advance of the ages will be totally destroyed. Christian stewardship involves everything, even our scientific discoveries.

[From the Evening Sentinel, Holland, Michigan]

Reverence for God is a powerful factor in producing good citizens. That is where and how good citizenship begins. One cannot expect obedience to human laws if men do not have regard for God, who is the inspiration and meaning of all orderly life.