U.S. News tries to provide humanity a service this week by devoting a lengthy article to examining the “root causes” of war.
The logic of the piece follows these lines: We know that human beings are inherently good. However, they cannot live at peace with each other for any extended period of time. Therefore, something must happen to turn turning people from nice, peace loving creatures to brutes who kill and maime each other. If we can figure out what these things are and eradicate them, peace would result. The author lists several possibilities, from poverty to tribalism.
It’s a nice theory and the logic is sound. Unfortunately, the initial premise is false, so it will never work. The problem is not temporal, external forces. It is an internal condition of the heart.
As I’ve said before, perhaps the most verifiable assertion of the Biblical worldview is that we live in a fallen world. Although this planet was certainly created good in the beginning, our anscestors screwed up and mankind is now born into a state of sinful rebellion against God. This nature is the real root cause of war and the road to peace goes only One Way.