The idea of peace in world religions

The history of religion has included wars, but the sacred texts and teachings of many religions value peace, justice and goodness; scholars describe these ideas by drawing on each tradition’s own sources. In the Jewish tradition the concept of “shalom” (peace) is widely used in greetings and prayer. In the Christian tradition some passages of the New Testament call for not repaying evil with evil and for living at peace with everyone. In Buddhism the first of the five precepts is not harming living beings, and peacefulness is linked to the idea of “ahimsa”; ahimsa is also an important principle in Hinduism and Jainism. In Zoroastrianism the formula “good thoughts, good words, good deeds” is cited as an ethical basis. In Islam the word “salam” means peace and is the basis of the greeting; it shares a root with the word “Islam”; according to Muslim teaching, peace and safety are blessings from God, and keeping society stable with justice is a responsibility. In modern times the United Nations (founded in 1945) serves to maintain peace between states, and 21 September (International Day of Peace) reminds people of the idea of peace. Responsibility for peace lies with everyone: resolving disputes through dialogue, respecting others, refraining from lies and hatred, and obeying the law.