Religious commitment should unite people, not divide them. Sometimes zealous faith builds walls of distrust instead of bridges of understanding. Hateful clashes between antagonistic religious groups are well documented. In such cases suspicion, intractability, and emotion commonly dictate the actions of adherents, often directly contradicting the teachings of their faith. Numerous wars have had their genesis in religious disputes.
Many believe that conflict among people of faith is inevitable. But is it? While people may have clear-cut theological differences, harmful clashes are not a foregone conclusion. Discord arises when we allow the divisive, materialistic arguments of so-called mortal mind to guide us. This fraudulent mentality would have us believe that man is a superior or inferior mortal rather than God's child. And it would have us abandon God's government instead of yielding to His loving will, the will of the one Mind. Belief in a multitude of minds attempting to assert their dominance leads to friction. Acknowledging man as the spiritual idea of divine Mind, and valuing all of God's children as the offspring of Mind, of pure Love, replace tension with harmony. Science and Health says: "When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded; whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man's normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels where selfishness reigns.
"Selfishness tips the beam of human existence towards the side of error, not towards Truth. Denial of the oneness of Mind throws our weight into the scale, not of Spirit, God, good, but of matter." Science and Health, p. 205.
