Thinking spiritually

One of the first things a religious reporter learns is that there are more approaches to spirituality—and more religious experiences—than are dreamed of in any philosophy. In this case, we have a “sort of” skeptic’s haven at Killing the Buddha, where people who are interested in belief but not necessarily believers can engage with the subject. Co-founded by Jeff Sharlet (author of the best-selling The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power) and Peter Manseau, Killing the Buddha is made up of really good writing that thinks critically about religious issues and experiences. The name comes from the old Buddhist proverb about what to do if you meet the Buddha on the road; the point is that believing one has found the answer will stop the search. Killing the Buddha is all about the search, and fortunately for the rest of us, it’s full of really, really good writing.