Virtue is Not a Matter of Convenience

If Father de Souza bills himself as a man of God, surely he would understand that “success with honour” is neither successful nor honourable if it comes at the expense of others.

I don't put much stock in an ethereal heaven or hell, but I do love this quote:

"When you stand before God you cannot say "but I was told by others to do thus" or that "virtue was not convenient at the time."

  - King Baldwin from Kingdom of Heaven

There is no justification sufficient for doing that which you know to be wrong, nor failing to do that which you know is right.  Confabulate all you want - and you will - but we all die a little when we allow others to come to harm from our own inaction, just as we are equally guilty when we cause harm to others, whatever the rationale may be.

And we all find new life when we give of ourselves to the benefit of others.  It's really just as simple as that.

Thanks goes to Warren Kinsella for bringing this to my attention.

UPDATE:  Other side to the coin - if a leader has a compelling arguement, he doesn't need fear to sell it.  Fear is tiresome, it physically wears on the body.  And frayed by the times as they are, people aren't willing to take much more of it.