Penwil,

The phenomenon you describe led, in extreme, to Holocaust and Gulag.

They happened because lots of people like your friend who were ìvery much a truthful and honest person in (their) own lifeî suspended their rational and moral judgment for a belief in ìHigher Truthî. Once people convince themselves their message/idea is more important than truth, morality, or real people and the message has to be promoted by any means necessary, all sorts of things can be rationalized: one may start, say, with denying employment to the people who hold ìincorrectî views, and end up with re-education camps.

I agree with chuck that for this to happen there must be something also missing in the morality department. Alas, as we observe there are alarming numbers of people who see nothing wrong perpetrating all sorts of dishonest acts just to advance their agenda.

I am frightened.