loodshed continual among them, no tribe free from the menace of attack
and destruction by another,--at such a critical time Mohammed appeared. He
gathered these wild tribes of the desert together, reconciled, united and
caused them to agree so that enmity and warfare ceased. The Arabian nation
immediately advanced until its dominion extended westward to Spain and
Andalusia.

From these facts and premises we may conclude that the establishing of the
divine religions is for peace, not for war and the shedding of blood.
Inasmuch as all are founded upon one reality which is love and unity, the
wars and dissensions which have characterized the history of religion have
been due to imitations and superstitions which arise afterward. Religion
is reality and reality is one. The fundamentals of the religion of God are
therefore one in reality. There is neither difference nor change in the
fundamentals. Variance is caused by blind imitations, prejudices and
adherence to forms which appear later, and inasmuch as these differ,
discord and strife result. If the religions of the world would forsake
these causes of difficulty and seek the fundamentals, all would agree, and
strife and dissension would pass away; for religion and reality are one
and not multiple.

Other wars are caused by purely imaginary racial differences; for humanity
is one kind, one race and progeny inhabiting the same globe. In the
creative plan there is no racial distinction and separation such as
Frenchman, Englishman, American, German, Italian or Spaniard; all belong
to one household. These boundaries and distinctions are human and
artificial, not natural and original. All mankind are the fruits of one
tree, flowers of the same garden, waves of one sea. In the animal kingdom
no such distinction and separation are observed. The sheep of the East and
the sheep of the West would associate peacefully. The oriental flock would
not look surprised as if saying, "These are sheep of the Occident; they do
not belong to our country." All would gather in harmony and enjoy the same
pasture without evidence of local or racial distinction. The birds of
different countries mingle in friendliness. We find these virtues in the
animal kingdom. Shall man deprive himself of these virtues? Man is endowed
with superior reasoning power and the faculty of perception; he is the
manifestation of divine bestowals. Shall racial ideas prevail and obscure
the creative purpose of unity in his