If you had the power to enforce what seems right to you right now, would you enforce it against the will of the majority? Why? Why not, if it seems right to you?

The majority is not always right. If you are really convinced that your action is “right”, then in some situations it can be good to get your way. When your action benefits a large number of people (not just you), for example, or when you want to help someone who is the victim of discrimination by the majority. In such cases, it would be cowardly to let the judgment of others hold you back.

Sometimes there are reasons to join your environment. If going against the majority would sow so much discord that it leads to quarrels, violence or other misery, you may wonder whether the benefits of your action outweigh the negative consequences. Of course, the fact that the majority thinks differently than you can also indicate that you are mistaken or that your motives are selfish. You have to think about that first, and not just stubbornly hold on to your right.

But what I especially want to emphasize is that in moral questions like this there is no right answer. With such a question, your religion teacher gauges your personal ethical insight. If you pass them on to someone else, you’ve actually already answered them badly. You can of course ask for advice, but you absolutely have to think about your answer yourself. Do not ask yourself which answer your religion teacher would think is right or wrong, but what you think of it yourself! If you write down your reasoning clearly, your teacher will probably be pleased too.

Robrecht Vandemeulebroecke