Article July 21, 1986 Issue

Defusing the fear of nuclear annihilation

FRANCES L. WEST

The well-known violinist and humanitarian, Yehudi Menuhin, has written: "Fear is the basis of all the suspicion and enmity in the world today. Unless we can cast it off, no country's economy will ever recover, nor its people know a happier life or a better standard of living, but be left with bullets instead of barley and bombs rather than butter."^{"Against another Final Solution," The Times (London), August 10, 1982 .} It is vital to overcome fear, for it would paralyze our ability to reason clearly and to take the prayerful and practical steps so important to the future of mankind. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, writes: "We may well be perplexed at human fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts its hydra head, showing its horns in the many inventions of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness?"^{Science and Health, p. 563.} This does not mean we can ignore a threat—whether it seems small, or global as with the threat of nuclear annihilation. We should not stand aghast at it, paralyzed with fear to the point where we do nothing about it.

What can we do, practically, now? First, perhaps we need to look more critically at this belief that we are helpless, that there is nothing we can do. The Bible teaches that we have some very wonderful weapons at our command. It adjures us: "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."^{Eph. 6:10, 11.} It goes on to say that the armor of God includes truth, righteousness, peace, and faith. God, divine Love, directs us to use these weapons with intelligence and wisdom, thereby cherishing and safeguarding us. Using these weapons, we can break the mesmerism of fear surrounding the nuclear arms race.

While we should neither ignore the nuclear threat nor be frightened by it, we do need to affirm vigorously that Mind, God, is in complete control of His universe. God is All, the only real power. Therefore what appears to be the power of evil has neither place nor reality in the omnipotence of Mind. Man, God's idea, is intelligent and wise because he reflects these qualities of God. He never could be angry or vengeful. Because man is governed by Love, he has infinite patience, understanding, and love. His actions are God-controlled; they are not angry human reactions. This is in total accord with the teachings of Christ Jesus, who overturned the doctrine of "an eye for an eye," instructing his followers not to react in anger but to love and forgive.^{See Matt. 5:38, 39, 43, 44 .}

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