Imagining on Ben Baughman

How to Make the World A Better Place

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 16:43:31 +0000

I will be content to die if I know I have sung my whole song.

Our songs are the lives we are designed to live so the world will be a better place after we have passed.

We are often told to face our fears, but when it comes to determining that we want to leave the world a better place, there is a larger foe than fear.

It is selfishness.

Reasons For Leaving!

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 09:19:43 +0000

(I wrote this in response to recent blogs written by Thom Schultz about why people are leaving the church. His blogs are thought-provoking. Even though they are written from the “inside” of Christianity, he tries to address issues openly and honestly. His blog can be found at: Holy Soup.)

Many people are leaving.

It’s a cultural thing.

Religion, politics, corporate, education; they’re all bullies.

Power jockeys and control freaks that have forgotten how to listen.

It’s Too Bad Paul Didn’t Have Facebook

Wed, 27 May 2015 03:41:40 +0000

Frustration brings out the vocalist in us. A few of you quiet type B’s may not understand this, but those of us Type A’s that need to brush our tongue once in a while to clean up what we said that day, do. (Someone should probably come up with a brush for middle fingers and other body parts too. :) )

Sometimes, frustration clarifies things, and in the middle of saying things I hope don’t make it to Facebook, I say some really profound things. They may be said with exaggeration, but they’re good.

Religious Muddling

Wed, 13 May 2015 09:07:24 +0000

I struggle being religious.

Maybe I never grew up. Maybe being a youngest child messed with my need to be disciplined and responsible. My older siblings are shaking their heads yes about now. :)

In general, people were kind to me. I grew up with good people around me. I’m sure there were a few bad apples, but I have selective memory. You have to be uncommonly bad to make it into my long-term memory. But if you are basically good, I probably have a story about how you impacted my life.

Faith for The Non-Religious

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 15:41:13 +0000

I’m not an atheist. I’m not even a good agnostic. I guess that makes me a believer.

I’m not religious. I don’t attend a church.

I did. In fact, I pastored churches for over three decades.

I tried to make them non-religious.

It was like trying to make Congress not political.

The nature of institutions is as strong as the DNA that makes a mouse a mouse and not a lion.

The Baseline

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 15:33:44 +0000

If I’m an atheist, I make it clear that I don’t believe in the existence of God.

If I’m an agnostic, I make it clear that I don’t know what I believe about God’s existence.

If I’m a follower of any religion, I make it clear what I believe about The God or Gods according to the writings that have been passed down in that religion. Generally, those writings have been elevated to infallible status.

Refurbishing Old Hiking Boots

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:00:58 +0000

Now, when I was a kid, I was raised with a 90% mentality. We were pretty good conservative Christians who believed it our duty to support the local church. We gladly put 10% of our income in the offering plate along with several others who interpreted the Bible to say that’s what every good Christian did. Now I don’t mean in any way to disparage this, even though I’ve changed over the years in how I view this voluntary tax we called tithing. We taxed ourselves so we could support something we viewed as essential to life and given by God Himself.