What is Peace?

[MoseyWalker]

http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/TJP.CHAP2.HTM


Peace has always been among humanity's highest values--for some, supreme. Consider: "Peace at any price."1 "The most disadvantageous peace is better than the most just war."2 "Peace is more important than all justice."3 "I prefer the most unjust peace to the justest war that was ever waged."4 "There never was a good war or a bad peace."5

Yet, we agree little on what is peace. Perhaps the most popular (Western) view is as an absence of dissension, violence, or war, a meaning found in the New Testament and possibly an original meaning of the Greek word for peace, Irene. Pacifists have adopted this interpretation, for to them all violence is bad. This meaning is widely accepted among irenologists6 and students of international relations. It is the primary dictionary definition.

Peace, however, is also seen as concord, or harmony and tranquility. It is viewed as peace of mind or serenity, especially in the East. It is defined as a state of law or civil government, a state of justice or goodness, a balance or equilibrium of Powers.

more..............

[panader0]

1. Peace is the Golden Rule

[MoseyWalker]

3. Could you elaborate?

I think you probably have some good things to say!

[stellanoir]

2. Peace is found within.

n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. To find peace, be peace

You are so right, it starts within.

Those who are seeking, check out:

Eckhardt Tolle

Any Sufi order

Works of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Jeshua's Keys to the Kingdom

and many many more.

[MoseyWalker]

9. angels are us

right here, right now

we have to strive to understand. If we don't, then something else takes over.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. Yes, that indeed is true

we help each other achieve our dreams, as well.

om shanti shanti shanti

Shalom

Salaam

[izzie]

4. Lack of war?

--

[valerief]

5. Peace is when the obscenely wealthy aren't getting richer fast

enough.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Interesting site, but...

my own perspective on peace comes from Quaker tradition. Not all that different from some of what he says, but to us peace comes from an inner unity with God, the community and nature, perhaps the cosmos itself. We believe that this form of pacifism is where the earliest Christians were before it became the Roman state religion and Christians were suddenly required to do the bidding of the state-- including fight its wars.

Ignoring the theological and God-centered parts of it all, we first seek an inner peace and unity, and that eliminates, or at least reduces, our need or desire for violence. If enough people find this inner peace, then the problem is solved. Our Peace Testimony and witness is not a rule to be obeyed or a goal to be reached, but a statement of where we have come to.

Of course, enough people will never find this inner unity, so true peace will never exist. So, universal peace does end up being a goal, of sorts, and we spend as lot of time on alternatives to violence projects.

Our concerns for peace are completely bound with our other testimonies and witnesses for integrity, equality, justice, community and all such social and economic concerns. None can work alone and each depends upon our acceptance and living the others.

[MoseyWalker]

7. beautiful thoughts, and thanks

for sharing.

[leftofthedial]

10. the condition that naturally ensues

once Justice is in place

[Lars39]

11. "Peace is not an absence of war,

it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
Baruch Spinoza
Dutch Jewish philosopher (1632 - 1677)

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:hEjasy_6LzkJ:www.quotationspage.com/quote/29362.html+peace+is+not+the+absence+of+war&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=firefox-a

[opihimoimoi]

13. Our basic train of thought presently precludes PEACE..

Humanity is stuck on Level ONE...minutuea

we tend to think in terms of basics, the ME amd MY things...we hardly venture into the higher levels.

Humanity is missing the boat by not addressing Global Peace...there are those who INSIST/DEMAND WAR/CONFLICT

They have made Peace a DIRTY WORD

Too many will die needlessly in the future due to our dimwitted low level leaders in charge here and across the globe..

[Jade Fox]

14. Peace is also dynamic action.....

and even conflict which results not in destruction but in construction--making changes, problem solving, joy, creation, expression.

Peace is not (always) passive.