There are different types of rebelling, I suppose. Often I come across various different people having their personal goals, and becoming a kind of activist, promoting their ideas, usually in opposition to something which is going on in the world. That's fine. But when we are surrounded by numerous such voices, the world can seem a hectic and stressful place. Taking a path towards inner peace is a form of rebellion, since it is rejecting all that clamour and noise in search for inner tranquillity. This doesn't need to imply being passive, it is still possible to engage with the world.
As for this, "others and their past lives, where once disgraceful actions are accepted or common place today. that doesn't make today any better or worse". I do get the feeling that there is a kind of belief system, "if only we could eliminate (preferably by severe punishment) such-and-such, then the world would be perfect". However, that desire to inflict punishment on others seems to me to be a form of deranged mentality, though it is something which is openly proclaimed. The one thing which remains the same is the extent to which people judge one another. I don't mean in the legal sense, there is a need for some sort of order in society, but as individuals we may condemn others for perceived or imagined misdemeanours. This trait seems as old as humankind. I do think there is a need for more compassion in our dealings with our fellows, though this is an individual journey, I don't expect society at large to change any time soon.
