Compliance is a tool of criminals and the excuse of cowards.
Morality is the enemy of criminals and the energy of the brave.
Do not comply.
Do not obey.
Do the right thing.
Whatever they say.
In a previous post I pointed out the flaw in the human legal system that demands justice without mercy. Because criminals are unable to submit to the law, they are unable to uphold it. The very moment a criminal advocates for the law, they are at once summarily condemned. This paradox has plagued human society since the beginning of time. This paradox forces men into a predictable strategy of action, an arms race killing all things which may condemn him. This practice is the persistent avoidance of death in all its forms.
Consider, for instance, the case of Julian Assange, the reporter who exposed the immoral practices of the US military and CIA. He has been prosecuted by the US government for years. At the same time, the US government has uniformly advocated for and defended another reporter, Alexis Navalny who was an opponent of Russia, which the US considers to be a mortal enemy. The only essential difference between Assange and Navalny is their relative utility for those in power within the US. Assange threatens their power and exposes their corruption. Navalny threatens the power of their enemy and exposes Putin’s corruption. If the US were to advocate for justice, they at once would be summarily condemned. This is an example of illustrating human inability to live under the law.
Now I want to turn my attention to a common defense mechanism which allows men to justify compliance with evil, namely the threat of force. Simply ask anyone why they pay their taxes and they will say “I don’t have a choice.” I have noticed entire companies and institutions fail because of this compliance mindset. In these situations, people who know what is right will nevertheless do what is wrong because someone else told them to and made some kind of threat against them if they do not follow orders. As a result, an environment of disempowerment and differed responsibility takes hold where everyone is doing what they know is wrong but feel no responsibility for their actions. What can be said to combat such a compliance mindset and prevent the destruction it brings?
The answer is as simple as it is difficult. We must recognize that all action, no matter what circumstances, are voluntary. There is no such thing as involuntary action, so far as morality is concerned. Let us illustrate this with a common moral dilemma, the trolly problem.
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| The Trolly Problem |
In this common ethical trope, the actor must choose between a trolly that will run over multiple people or divert the trolly to run over just one person. The problem is set up to force a person to choose “the lesser of two evils”. Those who choose to engage in this problem do so with a compliance mindset. They accept the moral necessity to choose under the duress of the problem. Who created the problem? Who tied up the people on the tracks? Who is driving the train? Who is demanding you to be the one who chooses? These are the questions a person suffering from the compliance mindset does not ask. By not asking, they are forced to justify an evil choice, corrupting their own moral code in the process. Instead, these questions should be asked and the actor should reject the moral choice altogether. The actor should discover who is responsible for the problem, the circumstances, and the demand and pass appropriate judgement on them for creating the problem, the circumstance, and the demand.
In the novel Atlas Shrugged, Hank Reardon provides an example of this discovery and non-compliance. When Reardon understands that it is his sanction that gives the moochers and the looters power, he calls their bluff. Every time he refused to comply and forced them to take the looters action of stealing, they blinked. His court trial is a great example of exposing how small and weak the threats of the immoral are over the moral.
The same can be said of taxes and all other government demands. If a man obeys the government or any other authority, they are suffering from the compliance mindset. By obeying, they are transferring moral responsibility from the one who wants evil done to themselves who actually do evil. Instead, the man should question the morality of the person in government demanding taxes or obedience and reject such requests. If the government threatens physical violence, that is their sin. Only the compliance mindset considers threats as justifications for doing what it knows is wrong. We shouldn’t ask “what does the law say” or “what does the regulation say”. These are the questions that corrupt our doctors, our lawyers, our judges, our husbands, our generals, and our professors. We must not have a compliance mindset by asking these questions!
The moral mindset, however, rejects threats and preserves morality at all cost. The moral mindset is only concerned about what is right, no more and no less. It is true that the government and other criminals may carry out their threats, but they will do so by doing evil and thus immediately lose the protection of morality and the law. This is the moral person’s defense against immorality.
Today we live in a world that is being destroyed by the compliance mindset. Unless we individually adopt a moral mindset and take responsibility for everything that we do, regardless of the circumstances, we will continue to see evil destroy our companies, our countries, and our lives.
I can hear someone saying “But it’s the law!”. Morality is the basis of the law and it’s your responsibility to be moral at all times, no matter what human law says. I don’t care who wants you to do something, you are not to do it if you think it’s wrong. If you do it, you will condemn yourself. There will always be people who want you to do things that go against your better judgement. For an example of this, study the life of Martin Luther who opposes the Holy Roman Catholic Church. He was a hero for refusing to comply with the edicts of the Pope. Like him, you can dismiss these people and institutions out of hand because they are not responsible for your actions. Only you are. Appealing to the compliance mindset will not absolve you of responsibility.
I also hear someone asking “What if they actually can kill you?”. Let me first answer this by saying that this is the problem with murder. What justice is possible for the one being murdered? Can anything make murder right? Can anything bring justice to the one murdered? Of course not. They are dead! If this life is all there is and if there is no such thing as perfect divine justice, then we are all cursed to avoid murder and death at all cost, knowing that the power to kill is the ultimate power. When you ask “What if they actually can kill you?” are you willing to say that the ability to murder is the source of all power? Are you willing to advocate for murder and justify people who seek to obtain it and exercise it? Of course not! The question “What if they actually can kill you?” is simply the compliance mindset seeking a justification for doing what it knows is wrong while avoiding responsibility. Instead, you must adopt a moral mindset and judge the one who kills by a standard beyond this mortal life. You must understand that there is a divine justice that will not only condemn murderers but will also hold everyone accountable for their actions, regardless of the circumstances. If you had a gun to your head and were commanded to murder someone, you must believe that you will be raised from the dead to judge your murderer when you don’t comply.
We could also consider the question of loved ones. If they kill you, what will that mean for your family? What if they threaten your kids? Then are you morally free to do what they command? The answer is no. You must always force hostage takers and other types of terrorist to own their own actions by calling their bluff, entrusting your entire life to God who rules with perfect justice. You must never transfer their evil onto yourself for any reason, no matter what the cost. You must believe that God will avenge everyone who suffers at the hands of the evil.
I am not suggesting that this is easy. It is so hard! It’s normal to be concerned about your family and to be outraged that someone would threaten them. Instead of allowing this concern to compromise your morality, let it drive you to prosecute the immoral. Channel your outrage into bravery and a purifying fire, burning away the evil within your own heart and demanding others do the same. If you care about your family or the things that you love, this is how you preserve them, not by becoming evil for their sake but by being committed to justice for the sake of the One who provides all things. Anything less than this will cost you all that you might love.
Without this commitment, the world is cursed to become the land where everyone commits evil, pays taxes, obeys human laws, and where no one takes responsibility for what they do. In the name of morality and in the name of God who judges the living and the dead, reject this curse! Tell the truth, even if it condemns you. Disobey, even if people threaten you for doing what you know is right. This is the story of Jesus Christ, the perfect man who refused to comply with the edicts of the religious or the rules of the government. For this he was tried and crucified. For this he died. For this he was raised from the dead. And for this he will reign over the whole world with his followers. Follow Christ in your non-compliance and trust his words when he says “Vengeance is Mine! I will repay!”
In conclusion, let us remember that history is shaped not only by the actions of the powerful, but also by the choices of the moral. The path of compliance may seem convenient or safe, but it leads only to the erosion of our values and the perpetuation of injustice. We must stand firm in our commitment to morality, rejecting the tyranny of unjust laws and the threats of those who seek to exploit our compliance.
As we navigate the complexities of life, let us never forget that our actions are always voluntary, and our moral compass must guide us even in the face of adversity. It is through our refusal to comply with evil that we truly assert our humanity and honor the divine justice that transcends this mortal realm.
So let us embrace the courage to disobey, the strength to endure, and the faith to trust in the ultimate triumph of righteousness. For in the end, it is not compliance that will define us, but our unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the pursuit of a better world for all.
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