I'm approaching 60 days on Steemit and learning a lot through the process. I've read many articles that shares how this blockchain is built for content, whether it be authors, musicians, artists, photographers, etc. The better the content the more value the cryptocurrency has.

As with anything that man creates, this platform is a tool and that tool swings both ways. We can use it to enrich the experience or it can also be used to diminish or even do harm. Programmers cannot program ethical or moral standards into a platform. Once they attempt to do that, users cry fowl and rebel. Facebook and other social media sites have been highly criticized for their attempt to impose moral and ethical standards.

Governments have attempted and failed for YEARS to do the exact same thing. Instead, we are confronted with the idea that the moral and ethical standards must be established within the individual. Having a solid foundation for what level of self-governance an individual will live their life has a profound impact on how the individual uses the tools at their disposal and the impacts that will have on their quality of life and enrichment.

I've read articles recently that speak of the excitement that the porn industry will be utilizing steemit and how that brings traffic, legitimacy and value to the blockchain. Sadly porn has driven technology for years, but is it a moral and ethical modality to get excited about?

I've decided to live my life on a simple principle, to love my neighbour as myself. It may be simple, but it is also extremely difficult to implement. I had to learn how to love myself first before I could explore what healthy, loving, respectful relationships even looked like. I spent most of my life being addicted to porn, pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, work, computers and other distractions to help me avoid how I felt. Porn is not loving or respectful despite the justification for the industry and the content!

I've come to realize that even though I'm not engaged in the sexual act itself, by watching it I drive demand which then encourages others to engage in violence, rape and other forms of coercion. But most importantly, I diminish my spiritual health and that of the individuals that I am watching. Even though the physical connection may be thin, the spiritual connection is very strong and when I engage in porn, I am lusting over other people, objectifying their bodies and harming all involved.

While I can appreciate the intent to bring industry into this platform, I cannot condone an action that involves violence, coercion, force, rape, adultery or any other action that does harm to another spiritual being. This is something that I AM NOT going to force upon other people. I'm not advocating programming moral and ethical subroutines into this platform. I will not stop people from welcoming the industry to this platform or watching the content. What I am doing is asking each of us to be consciously be aware of how our actions do impact others on a physical, emotional, mental or spiritual level. I will be vocal when I observe violence in any form.

The choice, as always, is left to the individual. I pray we can overcome the temptations and lust over the physical and contemplate the integrity and richness of the spiritual instead.