Everyone wants peace. They just disagree on how to get there.

An Australian newspaper article today, titled "Is Peace That Difficult?", laments that -- instead of learning a lesson from the Cold War -- nations are modernizing their nuclear arsenals. And Pakistan's Daily Times yesterday said that Israeli president, Shimon Peres, believes political negotiations and economic incentives may be the keys to Mid-East peace.

Disarmament ... diplomacy ...  dollars --- here are three plans. Still, one 86-year-old Jewish man thinks giving surfboards to Palestinian youths is the answer. Read about it here.

But when it comes down to it, there are really only two paths to peace, according to the Bible -- the path of unrighteousness and the path of righteousness. Most of the world has chosen the first path.

Of course, modern humanity doesn't call it unrighteousness; they call it "tolerance." Adam and I saw an example of this path several days ago when we were returning from a road trip.

We stopped in a small city to eat lunch at a bagel shop and saw the August issue of a New Age magazine, called Vision. Its articles speak of a shift in human consciousness that will bring in world peace. One article features an interview with Benjamin Creme -- founder of Share International, a New Age organization -- about the "Maitreya," a spiritual leader who Creme claims is leading the shift in consciousness. Another article -- that urges parents to accept their homosexual children -- says acceptance of alternative lifestyles is crucial to this shift. It says:

Besides, isn't it about time that we as a species learn to accept ourselves and others? Isn't a positive and loving reality better than one that perpetuates violence, war, and division? We all deserve a new family paradigm. And this paradigm includes love, whatever the source.

And a third article says the shift will occur when people stop "arguing about 'right and wrong' and judging others for their actions."

The magazine's message is clear: calling certain actions unrighteous is intolerant, hateful and blocks peace. This contradicts the Bible's teaching that God's laws -- such as the one against homosexuality -- are loving and promote human harmony. But tolerance isn't just a New Age or Eastern religious belief (New Age teachings are simply Eastern teachings repackaged for Westerners). Tolerance is also the mantra of secular humanism -- the philosophy guiding both the United Nations and the European Union. Both defend homosexuality and abortion as human rights. The European Neighbourhood Policy, for example -- specifically designed to bring peace to Europe and the surrounding nations -- requires participating countries to tolerate sexual orientation.

Sadly, a growing number of Christian churches also see "tolerance" as the path to peace. It's ironic that the same Lutheran denomination that's considering boycotting God's nation of Israel -- in an attempt to bring peace to the Middle East -- is also considering allowing its church leaders to be practicing homosexuals. (Read the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's recent decisions here.)

Yet, false religion and immorality have always been flip sides of the same coin. The apostle Peter spoke of false teachers in the church who flaunted their sexual perversion (2 Peter 2). And, Christ warned the church of Thyatira about their toleration of the false prophetess Jezebel who was leading them into sexual immorality (Revelation 2:18-29).

But, righteousness and peace are also flip sides of the same coin. In Hebrews 7, we are told of Melchizedek, king of Salem, who met with the Jewish patriarch Abraham. The name "Melchizedek," in Hebrew, means "king of righteousness" and "Salem" means "peace." Melchizedek was a picture of Christ. The Bible teaches us that only the King of Righteousness can be the King of Peace. 

But, the Bible also tells of a counterfeit Christ -- the "Antichrist" -- who will bring in a time of false peace allowing Israel to return to her temple sacrifices (Daniel 9:27). His methods will be those of wickedness (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). Not coincidentally, followers of non-Christian religions are awaiting a messiah-like figure, variously called the "Maitreya" (by New Agers and Buddhists), the "Mahdi" (by Shia Muslims) and the "Messiah" (by Jews).

But out of all the religions, only Christianity's Savior -- Israel's true Messiah -- can bring peace because only He offers righteousness. Through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, unrighteousness has been punished and its power defeated. And through the indwelling Holy Spirit, Christians are increasing in righteousness and will be perfected in Christ's presence. All those who reject this righteousness will be quarantined for eternity -- where they can't disrupt heaven's harmony.

That's the real path to peace.