Both Christianity and Islam are considered religions of peace. Every religion has an important element of peace in its beliefs. In both the Bible and the Quran there are elements of peace, which are considered a resource. For both Christianity and Islam, peace is more than just the absence of violence and conflict, but a general sense of well-being. Ultimately peace can be found in union with God. Christians and Muslims are taught to live at peace with themselves and others, both within their own communities and around the world. Christianity places a strong emphasis on peace and peacebuilding. The search for inner peace is one of the main messages of the New Testament. The New Testament offers Christian adherents some extremely helpful guidelines for people who wish to seek peace, both internal and external. The Gospel of Matthew states "blessed are the peacemakers", these words allow Christians to believe that if they follow the word of God and live a peaceful life they will be blessed. Adherents are advised to pursue peace by not reacting badly to one's enemies, following authorities, and obeying God. Christians are taught that they will achieve inner peace if they faithfully dedicate themselves to God. Peace is mentioned more than 90 times in the New Will. Many other passages also address the pursuit of peace without specifically using the word “peace.” Christians believe they can find individual peace by living their role as followers of Jesus Christ and guiding their lives in following his teachings. Jesus is considered the ultimate peacemaker and living in close connection with him and his teachings will allow those who adhere to them to experience peace. The life of Jesus is seen as the ideal way to achieve one's emotional and spiritual well-being. In addition to guiding its followers and contributing to individual peace, Christianity also contributes to world peace. There are various Christian groups and organizations that contribute to world peace. Interreligious dialogue aims to ensure that religious faith is not used to justify future violence. The Interfaith Encounter Association promotes interreligious study and dialogue among Christians, Jews, Muslims, Druze and Baha'is in Israel and the Middle East. In addition to groups and organizations advocating for world peace, there have also been public statements and Christian declarations advocating for world peace. For example, Pope John Paul II's 1996 World Peace Day message entitled "May violence never again be justified by appeal to religious reasons." Pope John Paul had an influential impact on the peace process.