Thou Shall Not Kill: An Interfaith Model in Peacebuilding

Abstract

The paper, “Thou Shall Not Kill: an Interfaith Model Towards Peacebuilding” is an effort directed at laying bare the challenge(s) of violence that results in the destruction of man the specie confronting the universal humanity. It is equally an examination of the role played by a “few good men” to confront this menace with the weapon of truth as bequeathed across every human civilization through the ages - fine breed of men from the Judeo Christian and Islamic monotheistic traditions and their counterparts, comprising the trinity of the ancient dharmic faiths- Jains, Buddhist and Hindu orientations who are united in their consciousness that religions do not sanctify lethality – In addition, this effort reveals the quality of, and the triumph of the human spirit as men of will and daring war against evil sometimes imperiling their own lives in the defense of the lives of others. The study depends on, but is not limited to the secondary source including the humanists historical approach. Findings established that indeed just as good men exist to ensure civilizational stability and eventual survival, evil men abound too, and are equally thriving to breed disharmony through the manipulation of religious tenets and the concoction of heresies. The article recommends that to undermine evil, a potent instrumentality for interfaith dialogue must be conceived of and adapted in human relations involving multiple belief systems. The education of adherents of different religions in the truth of their faiths must become a core matter in religious studies and the content of mediums of mass communication.