Utopia here I come! There’s no place like Utopia

The Best Place in the Worldr
Imagine the most idyllic place your imagination can savor and luxuriate in?

Creating Utopiar
Imagine this place where people are always so fair, honest, kind, nice, helpful, sweet and generous. This is what Utopia is.

A Man For All Seasons

Have you heard of Sir Thomas More? If not, I would like to introduce you to him.

LONG LIVE UTOPIA

Sir Thomas More, a lawyer by profession, made a contribution to the English language by coining the word Utopia when he wrote the book of the same name.

WHAT IS UTOPIA?

This is an ideal or good place. In fact, is that not what we all want to have – a Utopian existence?

Is this Utopia to you?

In More’s Utopia there was religious tolerance and life was based on simple living. Most of the people were engaged in farming. That was Utopia to him. However, I doubt if that is Utopia to all people.

Origins
The word Utopia comes from the Greek language to mean a good place.

Communal ownershipr
In Utopia there is communal ownership of land.

No to Private Propertyr
Private property does not exist.

Equal Educationr
Men and women are educated in the same fashion.

Men and women will have to do the same work.

No Room for Atheists

The country tolerates different religious practices but does not tolerate atheistsrn(people who do not believe in God).

Trust in Godr
The attitude in Utopia is that if a man does not believe in a god or an afterlife he could never be trusted because he would not accept any authority or principle outside himself.

What is your Utopia?
Man wants to own private property and so More’s vision will not be acceptable to most people in the world. Society is more complex and has to grapple with many issues that people have great differences of opinion on.

The Reality of Lifer
There will never be a Utopia – the best you can create is your own Utopia – your own idea of what works best for you, using your resources as best you can.

UTOPIAN BLESSING

B: Believe that you can create the best life possible for yourself and loved ones.

L: Let your imagination run wild but then capture that image and work to make it real.

E: Energize yourself with plans, dreams and actions that lead the way to Utopian living.

S: Sometimes all we have to do is change our viewpoint and perspectives to see a good world. Successful living needs your input to create the success that is the most Utopian for you.

S: Simple joys can make life seem Utopian so do take the time to smell the roses.

I: Imagine the best life you can for you and then set out about achieving it, while enjoying the journey along the way.

N: New life is always possible. New and better ways to live are within your grasp so do look at your life with the nicest possible eyes.

G: Good living should be the aim. Good is a gorgeous place to be so see how you can be good and make life good and wholesome for you and your loved ones.

THE LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORE

At the peak of his career, Sir Thomas was the Lord Chancellor, one of the highest ranking officers in the Government during the reign of King Henry VIII. However, he refused to endorse the King’s divorce and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn.

SUPPORTER OF THE SYSTEM

Because Sir Thomas would not sign a document accepting the supremacy of the Crown (King) over papal authority (the Pope and head of the Catholic Church), he was tried for treason, found guilty and executed. His defense that he had never spoken against the law stating that the King was supreme was not accepted as a witness testified that he had, although Sir Thomas maintained he had not.

LOYAL THROUGHOUT TO THE SYSTEM

Even during this period, Sir Thomas showed his loyalty to the King in a number of ways. Sir Thomas always tried to work within the system and did as much as possible to respect the system.