Philosophies and religions run the gamut. Some people seemingly are torn between them. So, can you be a little bit Buddhist?

A St. Paul, Minn., woman decided she was going to sell most of her worldly possessions on eBay, as she embraced Buddhism and the concept of releasing attachment to worldly things.

She didn’t get the money she wanted, so she pulled the auction. Irony?

But if the Buddhists don’t think she’s genuine, she can always be a Baptist. We Baptists don’t have a big problem with having some worldly stuff. I also could name a few other denominations in that regard, but I am a Baptist, and I know too much about some of my brethren for them to say much about my commentary.

But don’t get me wrong, I like some of those worldly things myself. I won’t be hypocritical about it. I think the Baptist definition of worldly means those things that someone else has that you don’t have. You see our covenants don’t specifically list these things nor the degree of fancy where worldly kicks in.

For instance, at what point does a fishing boat become worldly? Is it somewhere between a 14-foot jon boat with a trolling motor and a 16-foot Pro Bass with a 75 hp Evinrude.

Someone will likely say that it’s not the boat but the philosophy of how one would use it. They might tell me that if that boat kept me from Sunday School, it would be worldly. But if I pulled it to church and went fishing immediately afterward, I might pass on the curve.

But someone might pose that if Roscoe stares out the window at my new bass boat and coveted it during the preaching service, then it would become worldly. So is this why we have stained-glass windows in a lot of churches?

Yet, some Christian denominations even promote a philosophy of financial success-based faith, or as some call it, prosperity religion. The harder you pray, the more your pay. Still, I’ve seen some mighty faithful poor folks.

Of course, success has been defined in many ways.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “The definition of success —To laugh much; to win respect of intelligent persons and the affections of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give one’s self; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm, and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — this is to have succeeded.”

Ralph came along before bass boats, but I can see a good day on the river in his assessment.

And, of course, the Holy Bible cautions us on this question, “What have we gained if we own the whole world but lose our soul?”

A fellow Baptist once told me that organizing a church softball team was not a good thing — that it was bringing the world into the church. My response was that he hadn’t seen us play — that we had infielders so bad, they would pray that the ball would not be hit to them. I told him a lot of spiritual stuff was happening on the field.

The church I go to doesn’t have stained-glass windows. However, the windows are high above the floor and they have wooden louvres over them. So if anyone wants to pull their boat to church, it won’t be a distraction. In my case, it wouldn’t really matter. I don’t have a bass boat. I have what I describe as a jon boat on steroids. I’ve caught bass from it and as far as I know, the fish don’t know the difference. I’m not saying someone might not stare at it, though, because I’ve got a sawed-off aluminum softball bat as a tiller extension. I guess I might be called “other worldly” in that respect.

Now back to my initial question: I still don’t know if one can be a little bit Buddhist. But I do think one can be a little bit Baptist, especially on Sundays.



Dwain Walden is editor/publisher of The Moultrie Observer, 985-4545. E-mail: dwain.walden@gaflnews.com.