Confronting evil

This particular issue has been bothering me for some time. I like to consider myself a moral person, one who believes that there is good and evil and that we must choose to pursue the good. Additionally, my morals are more on the absolute side of the fence than the relative or circumstantial. An action is good or it is evil. The circumstances and consequences are of little matter. I readily admit that this is not a perfect system, that there are plenty ready to tear into me for this and that I do cheat on it, but these matters are not the subject of this post.

Rather, I would like to take this time to consider what I ought to do when those around me engage in acts I consider immoral. Were I to be following my moral code to its fullest, I probably should be voicing a strong objection, jumping on that person's back, whatever I can to stop them. Mix in a belief in heaven and hell, and there is all the impetus I need to take necessary actions to stop a person from doing anything I find evil.

But I don't. Perhaps its because I believe trying to impose my will on a person would be a good way to wreck whatever relationship we have. Perhaps living my entire life, barring a few vacations to Canada and Europe, in the United States has driven the undeniable primacy of individuality deep and irrevocalby rooted it into my skull. Could be simple cowardice too. Or what if I'm wrong? What if what I believe is right and wrong doesn't really matter? that they're simply arbitrary distinctions that mean nothing? That's not a mistake I want to be making.

It's an issue that's bothering me something fierce. Certainly deserves further thought.