"How we live our lives has significant spiritual implications." - White Walking Feather
"right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must." - Thucydides
I am deeply saddened by the escalation of the flag war. More and more friends are going where I refuse to go. I declared peace because my goal is very different than most other people. I stayed in the hopes of influencing others to declare peace as well. I've been unable to accomplish that goal and I am experiencing deep, profound sadness and pain as I witness the foundational shift that has taken place today. I do not share peoples excitement about the escalation that has taken place.
To stand on peace also demands that I not steal, covet, murder, commit adultery, give false testimony, and love my neighbour as myself. This Flag War may not result in murder like most other wars in the physical realm, but it does result in stealing and that has significant spiritual consequences.
Steal: The act of stealing; a theft; the thing stolen. - Oxford Unabridged Dictionary (1958)
When somebody upvotes a post, they give that individual a gift from the reward pool. Whether that gift is worth $0.01 or $500.00 is irrelevant. When somebody downvotes a post, they then take away that gift. To take away that which was given by somebody else is theft. I don't care how you choose to justified the act, we have no right to engage in violence in order to make our point.
When we do, we exercise the 'might makes right' idea and as a result only the strong dictates what is right or wrong.
Right is not the offspring of doctrine, but of power. All laws, commandments, or doctrines as to not doing to another what you do not wish done to you, have no inherent authority whatever, but receive it only from the club, the gallows, and the sword. A man truly free is under no obligation to obey any injunction, human or divine. Obedience is the sign of the degenerate. Disobedience is the stamp of the hero. - Leo Tolstoy
You heard Leo Tolstoy correctly: Right is the offspring of power! When we gain power it is amazing how that influences people. Lots of steem = lots of power and influence. How we choose to exercise that influence and power says a lot about the individual. Some choose to engage in greed, while others choose to swing it like a sword. Others choose to help others. I've seen it here and we have all seen it in the world around us.
It is up to each of us to self-govern if we want to make this common resource work for the benefit of all users. If we surrender to greed, violence, theft and abuse, that will destroy the spirit and intent of this platform and impact our own spiritual growth.
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. - Matthew 19:24
By building strong community we limit or even eliminate the influence of the greedy and powerful. The pay-it-forward program to give steem away to others is exactly what would allow a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 
What is required is that we work hard to build a strong community and when it grows big enough, it will take care of the greedy individuals within the community. But when we get distracted by the greedy and focus on them, we weaken our community.
I rebuke those who engage in this war. This is not the solution to the problem and only tarnishes the reputation and health of this community even more.
Our focus should be on those who need help. That was the spirit of the Stewards of Gondor. That is the spirit of the pay it forward program and it was doing spectacular work. I now must walk away from the Stewards of Gondor with sadness and much pain in my heart. I cannot participate with those who engage in violence like this.
Much like I did when I declared peace and left 'Canada', I too must declare peace and leave 'Stewards of Gondor'. I will go on alone as the world continues what it knows best; war. Might continues to be justified to make it right. I will stand against violence once again as I say good bye and walk my own path.
I love you all and that will never change. But I cannot go where you are headed. I cherish the gifts that were given me and I am grateful. I will never forget the generosity, which brings even more sadness to my heart as the world goes to war and I stand as a witness to the foundational shift that has taken place.
I care not about the steem. I do care about each and every beautiful spiritual being and that is what I concern myself with the most. Declare peace! End the violence! Don't get sucked into the war! UNGRIP!
