This is a way of letting demagogues become dictators. I believe that we are drifting dangerously into political disengagement. It is more comfortable to shield ourselves from the evils of the world by hiding behind the curtain of individual goodness. The New Testament accuses the Pharisees of a similar attitude. I have plenty of personal sins to remedy, so I cannot take on the sins of my community.
Some people spend all their energy on their family's health and welfare.
But most of us middle-class people have the luxury of time and means to think about how Mother Earth's billions of individuals relate with each other. Evoking remorse for the misdeeds of our church or nation is certainly as justified as partaking in the glory of a winning sports team or pride in our flag. We have come a long way since the time of diehard individualism, when the West was thought to be an unlimited source of wealth to be harvested. We are becoming more concerned about our natural resources. We have also made progress in social injustice.