In October, Killing the Buddha (aka KtB), an online literary magazine about religion, invited readers to share their spiritual journeys. Maximum word count: six. The idea came from Smith magazine’s “Six-Word Memoirs,” now collected in a book.
KtB was founded in 2000 by Jeff Sharlet, Peter Manseau and Jeremy Brothers. Sharlet and Manseau co-wrote Killing the Buddha: A Heretic’s Bible (2004).
Many people weighed in with mini-memoirs, some religious, many not. It’s scary to think that Stephen was being serious with “A foul sinner saved by grace,” but that’s what religion does to some people. Here are some escapees:
Chris Wonders: Was Catholic, asked questions, now free.
Jon Lennon: Was a Christian now believe nothing.
Todd: All you need is love, love.
Elizabeth: Stand. Sit. Kneel. Confess. Search. Namaste.
Jax: Sought God. Found life. Pagan now.
Austin Schaefer: Ex-Christian meets pantheism, feminism, Darwin.
Mary Valle: Catholicism like herpes: flaring or dormant.
Ismat: Love for all, hatred for none.
Scott: Wanted free pizza; got Jesus instead.
Michael C: My education increased, my belief disappeared.
Lauren: Daughter of Preacher. Child of Science.
Evan: Subjective religious experiences exist. God doesn’t.
Roger: Indoctrinated child, searching adult, atheist senior.
Louise: Lutheran reads becomes Spinozist ecstatic rationalist.
Brad: Born atheist, will die the same.
Al Carp: “reformed” Jew turned atheist questions everything.
Amanda: Traded inherited answers for living questions.
Don J: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. Where’s God?
sk8eycat: Read buybull twice.
