swords into ploughshares

make love, not war

cliché A slogan promoting peace and love in opposition to war and violence. A: "I say we go in and bomb them back to the Stone Age!" B: "Come on, man, make love, not war!"
See also: make, not, war
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

swords into ploughshares

Make peace, not war. This expression comes from the Bible, when the prophet Isaiah has a vision in which people “shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks” (Isaiah 2:4). O. Henry played on this cliché (The Moment of Victory, 1909): “His bayonet beaten into a cheese slicer.” Opponents of the Vietnam War in the 1960s abandoned it altogether and invented the slogan, Make love, not war.
See also: ploughshares, sword
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • strong silent type
  • strong, silent type
  • the strong, silent type
  • be careful what you wish for(, it might (just) come true)
  • do not try this at home
  • a sight to behold
  • (it's) (all) Greek to me
  • Greek to me
  • Greek to me, it's
  • it's all Greek to me
References in periodicals archive
We appeal to all parties in Afghanistan to set store by the greater good of the country and the people, seize the major opportunity for political reconciliation settle differences through dialogue, beat swords into ploughshares, and join hands to push open the door to peace.We call on the international community to give firm support for the Afghan led, Afghan owned reconciliation process, and play a constructive role from the sidelines to build a momentum for dialogue.
However even in their fight against social inequalities Christians shall be guided by Christ who said, "love those who hate you," "pray for those who persecute you" and "you shall not curse your brother." Christians are to work for a kingdom where its citizens "shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks" (Isaiah 2:4).
This is where world opinion must go aggressive in turning 'swords into ploughshares' as one Bible message says.
Obiano said as true followers of Christ, Nigerian Christians 'should provide leadership in our country's quest for peace, turning their swords into ploughshares in the truest traditions of Christianity.'
It's time for the Welsh Government to beat swords into ploughshares. In the 1970s visionary trade unionists from Lucas Aerospace produced detailed plans to build road rail buses, kidney machines and renewable energy systems instead of weapons.
"Yes, pounding swords into ploughshares is less costly but we must know the exact figures."
In the aftermath of World War II, the EU was established as "Project Peace", to turn swords into ploughshares.
Ramos chose to hold it at the former Subic Naval Base - to show how we turn swords into ploughshares. (Also to avoid Metropolitan Manila traffic.) Drawing from that experience, FVR wrote a two-part commentary on how to get more bang for bucks from APEC again.
And let us continue to turn swords into ploughshares.
If war-wariness has taken the toll and the Afghans across the national divide want to beat their swords into ploughshares that may be the case.
So I asked the Dutch foreign ministry if we could look forward to a time when the West would, in the words of the Bible, turn its swords into ploughshares, and attempt to resolve conflicts through peaceful means, rather than military violence?
Mitchell observes that his purpose is to question why many scholarly studies in religion have been done on the subject of media and violence, yet why few have unpacked the mystery of how documentary film and new media might constitute one of the creative narratives that could lead to conflict transformation and turn "swords into ploughshares" (p.
The most hopeful vision of all is in Isaiah 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-4 that says that they will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and will not hear war any more.
It would also show that we as a society are prepared to turn swords into ploughshares when the opportunity presents itself.
WHILE THEY AREN'T BEATING swords into ploughshares, First Presbyterian, Dallas, is grinding pistols and semiautomatics into recyclable metal.