Dante's Inferno treats neutrality just as harshly as actual sin.

People who took no side in life, the "uncommitted," land in the Vestibule of Hell. Since they fought under no flag, their punishment is to chase a meaningless, blank banner for eternity. This is the contrapasso that corresponds to their actions.

For sitting out the spiritual war (choosing neither good nor evil), Dante considers them people who "were never alive." He has them chased and stung by hornets, while maggots on the ground feed on the blood.

In other words, for refusing to risk shedding blood in life, the blood now spilled for their efforts is wasted in the dirt. The maggots evoke death, for these are people who never lived.

Dante, who was exiled for his own political life, saw wealthy families of Florence opt out of important issues because they had too much wealth and comfort to lose. Dante doesn't even give them the courtesy of mentioning them by name — the uncommitted are all nameless.

There is no neutrality in moral matters. If you stand for nothing, nothing is what you'll become.