Is World Unity Possible?

IS OUR world on the threshold of peace or on the brink of disaster? It seems that a case could be made for either view.

On the one hand, some world leaders speak confidently of global peace as an attainable goal​—perhaps because the alternatives are too horrifying to contemplate. On the other hand, many tremble at such questions as these: Which nations have weapons of mass destruction? Would they dare to use them? What would happen if they did?

History shows that rivalry and prejudice have long stood in the way of any hope for unity, and religion has often done much to fan the flames of conflict rather than extinguish them. “Anything that divides people can spawn hostility, and religion is one of the strongest dividers,” writes journalist James A. Haught. “Despite the universal belief that religion makes people ‘good,’ it’s obvious that it makes some people commit heinous acts.” Author Steven Weinberg holds a similar view. “For good people to do evil,” he writes, “that takes religion.”

Is there any hope that our world will ever be united? Yes! But the source of world unity is not man or man-made religions, as we will see.

[Blurb on page 3]

Is the world like a grenade ready to blow up?