Christian Unity - Can We Eat the Meat and Spit Out the Bones?

There are several places in Scripture that call for God's people to be unified; but what exactly does that mean? Are we to put unity above everything else, or are there parameters professing Christians need to stay in to be considered part of the church of Christ? Are we as individual Christians supposed to, "eat the meat and spit out the bones," to preserve unity? How do we achieve unity in the church while at the same time not compromising our core beliefs?