“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong . . . Do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and d

Contrary to what politicians who win government like to say (that the voters always get it right), the crowd is a fool. Worse, the crowd is self-serving and without a conscience. Crowds have been known to riot, causing mayhem and death; crowds lynch and crucify the innocent. Scripture reminds us that the crowd is not a reliable guide for truth and justice. There’s something else: The crowd is fickle. Sometimes the crowd will take the part of a perceived underdog even if he is clearly in the wrong. It is not enough for the conscience of the majority to be our guide. Conscience itself needs guidance.