Peace and war are two subjects upon which it is important to think clearly.

Generally, war is associated with armed conflict over political, economic, financial, or social issues, between two or more nations or within a single nation. In the same way peace is associated with a cessation or absence of a declared state of war among nations and the consequent ability of peoples to pursue their daily rounds without the threat of a major discord, or conflict, hanging over them. It is within this view of the subject that most statesmen and governments plan and act to grapple with problems relating to peace and war.

In so far as these efforts are constructive and actually serve to promote a better state of society, they receive support and encouragement from Christian Scientists. From the Christian Science point of view all political, social, economic, and other conflicts need the ministration of the healing Christ for their solution, as do all other erroneous states of the human consciousness. In this spirit does Christian Science support any just and right government wherever it may be found, or any system of rightly framed treaties, agreements, covenants, or pacts whose signatories bind themselves to live up to their provisions.

But the teachings of Christian Science can never be fitted to any ideology that meets error with error, since its dictum is Scriptural—that error or evil must be overcome with good. The so-called peace following destructive wars has generally proved to be an illusion; a transitory, false peace for which humanity has paid the price of suffering and unrest because of having blindly placed its faith in material ways and means.

Mary Baker Eddy gives us clear instruction on how to think about peace and war. In her volume "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" an illuminating chapter is devoted to "Peace and War." The chapter consists of a series of articles and statements which every Christian Scientist should often study. Great breadth of vision may well result, as this series shows a deep and lucid insight into the world's perplexities. The statements are loving, compassionate, and comforting in tone towards all nations, governments, and peoples. While they underline in no uncertain way that war is brutal and wrong, they also point out that had all peoples the understanding that there is one Father-Mother, God, as Christ Jesus taught, suffering, disease, death and war would end and the brotherhood of man be ushered in. These articles and letters bring out clearly that God's government is supreme, notwithstanding seeming evidence to the contrary. Stating the solution of human ills succinctly in the language of today, our Leader says (ibid., p. 283), "Right thoughts and deeds are the sovereign remedies for all earth's woe." One of the prime requisites for the establishment of peace is to begin by fully acknowledging and seeing that God's power over His creation is supreme, undisputed, harmonious, infinite, and eternal, and that men of themselves can therefore accomplish nothing good. Further, God should be understood as the one all-inclusive Mind governing all that exists in the one spiritual creation.

It is on the basis of right thinking that the issues of peace and war must be worked out. Warfare in Christian Science is seen as not merely a physical battle with guns, bombs, and shells. In "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 56) Mrs. Eddy writes, "War is waged between the evidences of Spirit and the evidences of the five physical senses; and this contest must go on until peace be declared by the final triumph of Spirit in immutable harmony." Here, indeed, is given the metaphysical sense of warfare, and also the character of the only true and permanent peace that can come to men. The armament requisite for this struggle consists of qualities such as moral courage, patience, fidelity, honesty, and, above all, spirituality. The certainty of victory rests with the great fact that God is Life, never killing or causing man to die, and that evil in all its forms exists only as a false claim of life and intelligence in matter. One must be sure to enlist on the side of Spirit or Mind—the one all-conquering force.

In this manner wrong concepts of God will be overcome by the right. The physical view of the universe must yield to the spiritual. The material concept of man must be replaced by the concept of man as God's idea. A material sense of being and life must be surrendered, and the true, spiritual nature of life be permanently realized. Discordant, mortal concepts of realtionship must give place to harmonious unity with the one Mind.

On this basis of waging war, men can squarely face with confidence every type of ill to be overcome in the world—such as disappointments, lack, unrest, dissatisfaction, injustice, and so on. These lies of mortal belief can be faced for final solution and healing by individual and collective true thinking and acting. The peace so attained ensures absolute security because it reposes on a spiritual foundation.

The distinction between so-called material peace and that founded upon spiritual understanding was voiced by Christ Jesus, when he said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." These truly comforting words addressed to those troubled about the chaotic conditions in many parts of the world, are greatly elucidated by the following statements by Mrs. Eddy (Miscellany, p. 283): "Human law is right only as it patterns the divine. Consolation and peace are based on the enlightened sense of God's government."