Article September 28, 1987 Issue

Why moral courage?

Sometimes we need to say "no" when everyone else is saying "yes."

Rosemarie Bürstenbinder

[Original in German]

In a world where anything that suits one's fancy at the moment seems to be allowed, where almost everything that doesn't seem to hurt others is tolerated, moral courage does not appear to be much in demand. But certainly it is a necessary quality for all people whose goal is to spiritualize their lives, to be better followers of Christ Jesus, and to find freedom from evil and the limitations of mortality.

How is moral courage expressed? Isn't part of it the ability to say "no" when everyone around us is saying "yes" and expecting us to say the same? Isn't it the readiness to stand up for what is right, for what is true and good, even if this seems to entail personal sacrifices or disadvantages? Moral courage demands that we think before we decide on our actions, that we stay calm in the middle of uproar and unrest and not allow ourselves to be swept along by the suggestions and emotions of general thought. But moral courage also demands that we countermand wrong decisions if we realize that we have set off on a wrong course.

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