“I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”

Edward Everett Hale

Friday 17 January 2014

A Unitarian Place of Mind

Lots of us seem to have been doing a quiz on Facebook today - "What City Should You Actually Live In?" and several of us got the same answer - Portland, Oregon, which caused my friend John to comment whether it might be "an Unitarian place of mind."

image: worldwithoutend.info
I find this concept intriguing. What is a Unitarian place of mind?

Is it somewhere that Unitarians would feel at ease, relaxed?
Is it somewhere that we would be allowed to think Unitarianly, and share those thoughts with others, without fear or favour?
Is it somewhere that champions freedom of belief and honest doubt?
Is it somewhere that the supreme authority of the individual's reason and conscience is recognised and respected?
Is it somewhere that embraces the whole spectrum of human diversity and is inclusive and welcoming?
Is it somewhere that has room for the heart as well as the head, for intuition and imagination, as well as reason and logic?
Is it a literal place, such as a church /chapel building?
Or is it a virtual place, such as a Unitarian congregation or other group?

And then I wonder - are all actual Unitarian congregations and church / chapel buildings Unitarian places of mind, as I have defined it? And if they aren't, should they be?

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