We (you) are a group of curious folks who gather together occasionally for nourishment and
inspiration. We share food and conversation, laughter and questions. We leave all the personal
and worldly problems and worries at the door, and savor community and connection. Who
knows? This may be the solution to all our problems after all!

Each meeting convenes around a specific topic and suggested questions to explore and
seed the conversation. No required reading. Just bring an open mind and heart. And a dish to
share. Vegetarian options encouraged! Join us to nourish and be nourished by others, in body,
mind and spirit.

Past topics: Religion, Resilience, Livelihood, Anger, Magic, Desire, Success, Home, Impermanence, Hope,
Soul

The upcoming topic for our Inquiring Minds Casserole Brigade is RESPONSIBILITY.

Etymologically, the word "responsibility" comes from the Latin word “respondere”—from re
“back” + spondere “to pledge”— meaning to respond, answer to, promise in return. The
meaning of “accountable for one’s actions” first appears in the 1640s and that of “reliable and
trustworthy” is from the 1690s. It retains the sense of obligation from the Latin root word.
The notion of a personally responsible agent dates to line 32 of Homer’s Odyssey, where Zeus
asks people to stop blaming their bad choices on the gods. A responsible person keeps their
promises and honors their commitments. They are accountable for their behavior.

• Who can we hold responsible for their choices?
• At what point does a child become responsible for their actions?
• Can we hold a person who is mentally ill responsible for their actions?
• Audrey Hepburn once quipped: “I don’t believe in collective guilt, but I do believe in collective
  responsibility.” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said, “In a free society, some are guilty, but all
  are responsible.”
• Do “we-the-people” bear collective responsibility for historical wrongs, like slavery and land
  theft?
• What would you say to those who claim “I didn’t own slaves, I didn’t steal land, that is history, let
  bygones be bygones and move on”?
• What is the connection between freedom and responsibility?

Please RSVP to Bonnie Shulman.