International Peace

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 17, 1914

International Peace

MR. CARNEGIE recently said that "the foulest blot remaining upon so-called civilized man, beyond question, is the killing of each other." Then he expresses the conviction that "there are influences at work which inspire the belief that this must soon cease," and announces himself as "strong in the faith that international peace is soon to prevail through several of the great powers agreeing to settle their disputes by arbitration under international law, the pen thus proving mightier than the sword."

We will all unite in affirming that peace is the desirable thing, and that war comes as the result of wrong-doing and wrong aggressions on the part of some nation or nations. But while agreeing to all these things, is there any prospect at all that we will ever have universal peace in this world? The question is not one of what we may desire, but of what we may expect.

The tendency is, when a line of thought becomes popular, that the people will seek to make themselves believe that the thing called for in the popular teaching actually exists. The doctrine of universal peace is becoming very popular. We have, in the Old World and the New, something above a hundred regular peace organizations, each one seeking to create sentiment in favor of world-wide peace. But it is one thing to create sentiment in favor of a world-wide peace, and it is quite another thing to make the change in our human, selfish hearts that will destroy the spirit of fighting. The power that comes to the individual heart from the Prince of peace is the only thing that can produce this desirable result.

It seems quite clear that the doctrine of universal peace, regardless of all-prevailing human depravity, is to be preached until it becomes so popular that the people all around the world will have been hypnotized into the unwarranted claim that we actually have peace. For, speaking of the days when the coming of Christ is at hand, the apostle says:

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief: for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." 1 Thess. 5:2-5.

It is "when they are saying, Peace and safety," that "sudden destruction" comes upon them.