For over two millennia, Christians have been comforted by the message that Jesus died for them to free them from the guilt of their transgressions. Accordingly, many of them, as well as Jews, are responding to the dramatically deteriorating global security situation with the expectation of a messianic redemption. In the moment of greatest need, however, God, who proclaimed non-violence through Jesus, is expected to intervene harshly to put a stop to evil – instead of showing people even more clearly how a non-violent strategy works.

In this questionable view, little more is demanded of people than humbly to believe and pray. Such a passive role of citizens does not meet the educational requirements for the internalization of a worldview. These consist of a continuous learning process. In the case of the message of peace, i.e., the replacement of violence with peaceful conflict resolution, this process must lead to a growing degree of judgment certainty, which can distinguish, in particular, a false peace-promoting facade from authentic avoidance of violence. Without such judgment and clear identification of the destructive forces on one side and their positive counterparts, values, and perspectives on the other, the interactions between individuals and between groups cannot develop sustainably for the better. This is the more the case as the........

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