The Ethical Black Market: When Breaking the Law is the Right Thing to Do

Dear Mindful Leader,

The baby was dying.

A frail, blue-lipped infant, gasping for air, struggling against a disease that had a cure—but not in her country. Her mother, desperate, had done everything by the book.

She filled out forms.

She pleaded with officials.

She waited.

But bureaucracy moved at the pace of molasses, and every hour shaved another fraction off the baby's survival odds.

Then, one night, a man known only as “The Healer” knocked on their door. He carried a small vial of medicine that wasn't approved for distribution in her country. He didn’t ask for money. He didn’t care about laws. He cared only that a child was on death’s doorstep, and he had the power to change that.

The mother took the vial.

The baby lived.

But in the eyes of the law, “The Healer” was a criminal.

Illegal Kindness: When Crime Becomes Compassion

Laws are designed to maintain order, to set boundaries between right and wrong. But history is full of moments when the law itself became the villain—when standing idly by was legal, but acting with compassion was criminal.

The Underground Railroad was illegal.

Hiding Jews from the Nazis was illegal.

Breaking apartheid laws in South Africa was illegal.

And yet, those who defied these rules are now seen as heroes, moral titans who stood for something greater than blind obedience.

They understood a truth that many are too afraid to face: sometimes, doing good means breaking the rules.

The Thin Line Between Crime and Conscience

The idea of an forces us into uncomfortable questions. If morality and legality do not always align, then who decides which laws deserve to be followed? What rules are worth breaking?

Imagine a whistleblower who leaks classified documents exposing government corruption. They have broken the law, but they’ve also revealed crimes against humanity.

Are they a traitor or a patriot?

Consider a doctor who administers an experimental drug to a terminally ill patient, knowing it’s their only chance.

Does the law protect the patient—or ensure their death?

What about a hacker who infiltrates a cartel’s bank accounts, draining billions and redistributing it to orphanages, refugee camps, and struggling families?

Cyberterrorist—or modern-day Robin Hood?

The law calls these acts criminal. Ethics calls them necessary.

Machiavelli vs. God: The Ultimate Moral Showdown

Let’s start with Machiavelli, the patron saint of “the ends justify the means.” In The Prince, he famously argued that rulers should do whatever it takes to maintain power and stability, even if it means lying, cheating, or killing. For Machiavelli, morality was a luxury—a nice idea, but ultimately secondary to the brutal realities of power. His philosophy was a slap in the face to the idealists of his time, and it still stings today.

But then there’s God.

The Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is full of stories where Divine justice trumps human laws.

Take Rahab, the prostitute who lied to protect Israelite spies in Jericho.

By human standards, she was a criminal.

By Divine standards, she was a hero.

Or consider Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt in an act of mass defiance against Pharaoh’s laws.

Was it illegal?

Absolutely.

Was it ethical?

According to the Bible, it was God’s will.

This tension between Machiavelli’s pragmatism and God’s higher law is the beating heart of the Ethical Black Market. It’s the question of whether we serve the law or serve justice—and what happens when the two collide.

Real Stories of Ethical Crime

Let’s talk about the real-world rebels who faced the impossible choice: obey the law or follow their conscience. These aren’t just stories—they’re battle cries of defiance, proof that courage often wears the mask of crime. From rogue doctors to outlawed activists, these are the people who refused to bow to injustice and chose to act, no matter the cost:

1. The Policeman Who Helped a Shoplifting Mother

In 2013, Officer Mark Engravalle of the Roeland Park Police Department in Kansas responded to a call about a woman caught shoplifting. When he arrived at the store, he found a desperate mother, Sarah Robinson, who had stolen diapers, baby wipes, and some food for her six children.

Instead of arresting her, Engravalle did something extraordinary—he bought her the groceries.

Sarah had recently lost her husband in a tragic accident, and with no money and no support, she had resorted to theft just to keep her children clean and fed. The officer saw the situation for what it was—not a crime, but a crisis. His decision went against the strict interpretation of the law, but it upheld the higher calling of compassion and justice.

Sarah avoided jail, and a community fundraiser later helped her family get back on their feet.

The law saw her as a criminal.

The officer saw her as a mother doing what any mother would.

2. The Doctor Who Smuggled Medicine to Save Lives

Dr. Kelli Sainsbury wasn’t looking to become a criminal. She just wanted to save lives.

When Venezuela’s healthcare system collapsed, medicine became nearly impossible to obtain. Insulin, chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics—basic necessities—were suddenly rarer than gold.

People were dying not because their diseases were untreatable, but because the government had made medicine inaccessible.

Dr. Sainsbury couldn’t stand by and watch. She joined a network of doctors who smuggled life-saving medicine into the country, bringing insulin to diabetics who would otherwise die and chemotherapy drugs to cancer patients who had run out of options.

Her work was illegal. If caught, she faced imprisonment. But she did it anyway.

Because to her, breaking the law was a small price to pay for keeping people alive.

3. The Hacker Who Took Down a Child Trafficking Ring

In 2017, an anonymous hacker known only as “Argus” infiltrated the dark web and uncovered an international child trafficking network. He found evidence of thousands of children being bought, sold, and abused across multiple countries.

He took matters into his own hands.

Argus hacked into the traffickers’ systems, extracted detailed records of their operations, and handed the information over to law enforcement. His work led to dozens of arrests and saved countless children from horrific futures.

But here’s the kicker—hacking is illegal.

The government never publicly acknowledged Argus’s work, and some in law enforcement even suggested that his actions could have “compromised investigations.”

Yet, without him, those children would have remained in captivity, and the criminals would still be in business.

The law might call him a criminal — but to the children he saved, he is a hero.

4. The Whistleblower Who Shook the World: Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden didn’t just break the law—he obliterated it.

In 2013, he leaked classified documents exposing the NSA’s mass surveillance programs, revealing that the U.S. government was spying on its own citizens.

Overnight, he became a traitor to some and a hero to others.

But here’s the thing: Snowden didn’t do it for fame or money. He did it because he believed the public had a right to know. Was he wrong to break the law? Or was the law wrong to allow such a gross violation of privacy?

Snowden’s story forces us to ask: When is it ethical to betray your country to protect its people?

5. The Underground Railroad of the 21st Century

In the 1800s, the Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to freedom.

It was illegal, and those who participated risked imprisonment or death. But it was also one of the most morally righteous movements in history.

Today, the spirit of the Underground Railroad lives on in unexpected ways. Activists helping refugees cross borders, doctors providing life-saving medication in countries where it’s banned, and hackers creating secure communication channels for dissidents in oppressive regimes. These people aren’t just breaking the law—they’re dismantling systems of oppression.

And they’re doing it because they believe in a higher law: the law of human dignity.

5. The Hacktivists Fighting for the Planet

Imagine this: a group of hackers infiltrates a major oil company’s servers and leaks documents proving they’ve been covering up environmental violations. The hackers are criminals, no doubt about it.

But they’re also exposing crimes that could destroy the planet. Is what they’re doing ethical?

Or are they just vigilantes with a keyboard?

This isn’t hypothetical—it’s happening right now. Groups like Anonymous and others are using their skills to fight corruption, protect the environment, and defend human rights. They’re the Robin Hoods of the digital age, and they’re forcing us to ask: When is it okay to break the law to save the world?

The Bible’s Take: When God Breaks the Rules

If you think the Ethical Black Market is a modern invention, think again. The Bible is full of stories where God’s people break human laws to fulfill divine justice.

Let’s break it down:

• Rahab the Prostitute: In the book of Joshua, Rahab lies to the king of Jericho to protect Israelite spies. By human standards, she’s a traitor. By God’s standards, she’s a hero. Her actions not only save lives but also play a crucial role in the Israelites’ conquest of the Promised Land. Rahab’s story is a powerful reminder that sometimes, breaking the rules is the most faithful thing you can do.
• David and the Holy Bread: In 1 Samuel 21, David and his men are starving, so they eat the sacred bread reserved for priests—a clear violation of religious law. But Jesus himself references this story in Matthew 12, saying, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” In other words, human need trumps religious rules.
• Jesus and the Sabbath: Jesus was constantly breaking religious laws to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and challenge the status quo. When the Pharisees criticized him for healing on the Sabbath, he shot back, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Translation: Rules should exist to serve people, not the other way around.
• Peter and John: Preaching Against the Law: After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter and John are spreading the gospel, performing miracles, and gaining followers. But the religious leaders aren’t happy. They arrest the apostles and order them to stop preaching about Jesus. Their response? “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29). They are beaten, imprisoned, and threatened—but they keep preaching. Their defiance sparks a movement that spreads Christianity across the world.
• Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery: In John 8:1-11, a group of Pharisees drags a woman before Jesus. She’s been caught in adultery, and according to Mosaic Law, she must be stoned to death. They challenge Jesus: “What do you say?” Now, by all legal accounts, this should be open-and-shut. The law is clear. The punishment is death. But Jesus doesn’t pick up a stone. Instead, he says: “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” One by one, the crowd disperses. No one dares to throw the first stone. Jesus didn’t just forgive a crime punishable by death—he publicly overturned the law in front of its enforcers. This wasn’t leniency. It was rebellion.
• Jesus Flips Tables in the Temple: Committing Holy Vandalism: In Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus walks into the Temple—the holiest site in Judaism—and finds it overrun by corrupt money changers. These merchants are exploiting the poor, exchanging currency for Temple offerings at outrageous rates. Jesus doesn’t just call them out—he makes a whip and drives them out. He flips over their tables, scatters their money, and throws them out of God’s house. Jesus didn’t just preach against corruption—he turned over its tables and shattered its grip on faith.

When human laws clash with Divine truth, faithful rebels refuse to be silenced.

These stories aren’t just ancient history—they’re a blueprint for the Ethical Black Market. They show us that there’s a higher law, a moral law, that sometimes requires us to break human laws.

Jesus: The Ultimate Rule-Breaker for Justice

Jesus wasn’t crucified for being "gentle" — he was executed because he was a threat to corrupt power.

He was executed because he was dangerous. He threatened corrupt religious leaders, oppressive laws, and unjust systems.

• He touched the untouchable.
• He forgave the unforgivable.
• He destroyed the tables of corruption.

The Ethical Black Market didn’t start with modern rebels. It started with Jesus.

When the Ends Justify the Means

“The ends justify the means” is an idea that makes people uneasy, and for good reason. It can be used to excuse dangerous behavior. But what about when the ends are saving a life, and the means are breaking a law written to preserve order, not morality?

A billionaire dodging taxes? That’s criminal. A struggling father using a fake address to get his kid into a better school? Also criminal—but is it truly wrong?

The difference is intent.

The difference is ethics.

We celebrate those who resist oppression. We romanticize rebels in movies, idolize historical figures who defied authority for a greater good. But in our own time, are we willing to acknowledge that those who break rules for moral reasons today might be the heroes of tomorrow?

What’s YOUR Ethical Breaking Point?

If you knew a refugee family would be deported to their deaths and you could hide them in your home, but doing so was illegal—would you?

If feeding the homeless was against the law in your city, would you still do it?

If you had access to classified information proving a massive government cover-up, would you leak it, knowing you’d go to prison?

We all like to believe we'd be the hero—but when the moment comes, would we really have the courage to break the rules?

History doesn’t remember the silent. It honors those who dared to act.

The Ethical Black Market: The Future of Justice?

What if we stopped pretending that morality and legality were always the same? What if society created “ethical loopholes” — legal gray zones where acts of conscience are protected?

If laws are meant to serve people, then maybe it’s time people stopped serving laws that don’t deserve to exist.

Because in the end, the people we call heroes today were, at some point, criminals in the eyes of the law.

The only difference between a crime and a revolution? Who dares to rewrite history?

?? Now the question is—what rules would YOU break to do good?

Until Next Time!

Stay well. Swim strong!

Warmly,

Warmly,

David

Mentor, Writer, and Faithful Servant of God

P.S. ?????? If you don’t know who I am, my name is David Vogel, retired CEO turned LinkedIn influencer and Founder of the Church of Unity Society. Six mornings a week Live at 7 AM, I preach to the C-suite, igniting their spirits with the power of God. As the publisher of Mindful Ethics, the unapologetic voice of ethics on LinkedIn, I challenge leaders to elevate their game, lead with heart, and redefine what it means to live with purpose.

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? Published by: David Vogel, in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire