"Saying no to death therefore starts much earlier than saying no to physical violence, whether in war or entertainment. It requires a deep commitment to the words of Jesus: 'Do not judge.' It requires a no to all the violence of heart and mind. I personally find it one of the most difficult disciplines to practice. Constantly I find myself making up my mind about somebody else: 'He cannot be taken seriously. She is really just asking for attention. They are rabble rousers who only want to cause trouble.' These judgments are a form of moral killing. I label my fellow human beings, put them in some fixed category at a safe distance from me. By judging others, I take false burdens upon myself. By my judgments I divide my world into those who are good and those who are evil, and thus I play God. . . .

"A peacemaker never judges anybody. Neither a neighbor close by, nor a neighbor far away. Neither friends nor enemies. It helps me to think about peacemakers as persons whose hearts are so anchored in God that they do not need to evaluate, criticize, or weigh the importance of others."