Indians and Americans read about a severe crime committed by a man against a woman in the presence of his group of friends. The social order and the resulting public protest against that crime were manipulated. Participants indicated punishment goals they pursued. As hypothesised, public protest amplified the pursuit of the goals of retribution for the offender and omission by the group when the social order was deteriorating. Moreover, public protest affected the pursuit of the deterrence and retribution goals by Indians as if they acted as pragmatic politicians, but not by Americans as if they acted as principled theologians.