Monday, July 11, 2011

WM. ELLERY CHANNING QUOTE


"Every mind was made for growth, for knowledge, and its nature is sinned against when it is doomed to ignorance."

 ~ William Ellery Channing

2 comments:

Kindt said...

I couldn't help but take interest in the quote by William Ellery Channing. My son is named Channing after his Great Great Grandfather Ellery Channing Holcomb, whose name I also share (Kindt Ellery). I bet we get our names from William in some way. I've been researching his life and have to thank you for putting me on to him. What a thinker! Quite ahead of his time.

PSACHNO said...

You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it. That really IS interesting. Are you generally interested in geneology?

Channing was a romantic liberal and a Unitarian. I admire him for his intelligence, his free-thinking attitude (and, yes, ahead of his time), and the courage to challenge others beliefs that he considered harmful. The following quote I find especially insightful:

Channing was against "… proclaiming a God who is to be dreaded. We are told to love and imitate God, but also that God does things we would consider most cruel in any human parent, "were he to bring his children into life totally depraved and then to pursue them with endless punishment".

This doctrine obviously goes against our logic, but yet many, who have their "BS" filters turned off, continue to believe, including other doctrines that are heinous and illogical from religious leaders.

That is one reason I believe so strongly that, unless we use well-honed critical thinking skills, we will probably not overcome the conditioning of our own societies and of the past.

PSACHNO