I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes

A book about Christianity by an atheist? Another hatched job, right? Actually no. Hement Mehta is not an angry atheist. Yes, he's a nonbeliever, but he's seeking answers. He auctioned off the opportunity for the winning bidder to send him to church,and got more than he planned. He ended up attending a lot of worship services covering a wide range of denominations, and both large and small churches. He plays fair, giving a serious critique of what he saw, what worked for him, and what didn't. Since we approach the subject from different perspectives we don't always agree. I'm coming at it from a basis of faith, while he admits he doesn't have faith in much except himself and what he can prove from logic. We did agree on several things though, and I came away with a stronger conviction of what I have believed for some time, that we Christians need to stop and evaluate what we are doing to show Jesus to nonbelievers. We've come a long way from the simple teachings of the Savior we claim to follow, sometimes going in the wrong direction. Menta asks a lot of questions, and I didn't always have the answer. He made me think about what I believe and why. Sometimes it's good to see what the other side thinks, and we need to remember that people who don't believe the way we do are not always our enemies. I recommend I Sold My Soul On eBay for both believers and nonbelievers.

You may have read about Hemant Mehta in the Wall Street Journal as the "eBay Atheist" who offered to attend church for the highest bidder on his eBay auction. Well, Hemant has now written a book about his experiences visiting churches as an atheist. Think of Hemant as kind of a Mystery Shopper for churches. Most churches these days claim to want to be "seeker-friendly" and try to be welcoming to outsiders, so Hemant is there to tell us whether our attempts are actually working I have to say that as soon as I started reading the book I could not put it down. It is engagingly written and deeply insightful about the pros and cons of Christian churches. Even as a Christian pastor myself, there were so many times I found myself agreeing with Hemant's assessments of contemporary churches. At other times I was amused at his bewilderment at some of the stranger things that we Christians tend to do in church (like the lady in the more charismatic church who kept shouting out random phrases like "Thank you Jesus" right over his shoulder the whole time, or the unenthusiastic liturgical responses from the congregation at the Presbyterian church.) The book is actually written in three parts. The first four chapters are an introduction to Hemant, his eBay Atheist story, why he is an atheist even though he grew up as a Jain, and a couple of chapters about what atheists are and are not really like (we religious people tend to have a lot of false stereotypes about atheists). The middle four chapters are his reviews of the 14 different churches he attended, and the last two chapters are his summary of what works, what doesn't, and what it would take to actually convert him. The thing that I've appreciated most about Hemant's approach is that he doesn't see himself as an antagonist to people of faith. While holding true to his own convictions, he nonetheless is open to exploring other options, and especially to helping Christians become better than we currently are. For instance, in his introduction he says: "I am an atheist, but I don't fit the common stereotype held by so many in the religious community. I am not angry with God, and I don't want to rid the world of religion. In this book, as we talk about matters of belief and nonbelief, I hope you will think of me not simply as an atheist, but rather as a person with questions about faith, an openness to evidence that might contradict my current beliefs, and a curiosity about Christianity and its message. Please don't assume I am the enemy of religious belief. I'm not trying to tear down anyone's religion, and I don't pretend to have all the answers... I'm a friendly atheist. I'm serious when I say that in this book I'm going to do my best to help improve the way churches present the Christian message." I think that's an admirable goal and I appreciate Hemant's open and friendly spirit. After all, I share his goal of wanting to help Christians become better at actually displaying Christ's message of love. I

Unlike some other atheist authors, Hemant does not write in a way which is insulting to Christians - he is respectful, friendly and fair. For that reason I'm pleased to recommend this insightful, informative book to Christians as a window into how one atheist views church and life in general. Christians, if you read this book it will help you understand how to have better conversations with atheists. Instead of relying on what other Christians tell you about atheists, why not 'go to the source'? No-one knows better what atheists think than an atheist. You may also be surprised how much you agree with Hemant's observations about church. Hemant asks great questions throughout the book about why churches and Christians do things the way they do. I hope you will think seriously about them. Atheists, I hope you will follow Hemant's example in engaging with Christians in a respectful friendly way. Given all the misconceptions non-atheists tend to have about atheists, can you really afford not to? Friendliness opens doors; Hemant is proof of that. After all, how many other atheists do you know who have had a book published by a Christian publisher?

The unique aspect of Hemant going to various churches is that he has little knowledge of Christianity. You can see that by the questions he asks while attending church services. Anyone that is familiar with Christianity will enjoy answering the questions Hemant asks throughout the book. One theme throughout the book is Hemant wishing for sermons to be relative to everyday living and not just scripture reading with no elaboration. I also think Hemant has a good idea that dialogue needs to be more frequent concerning atheists and christians. On page 142 he really hits a personal aspect to why I'm am an atheist. He even gives a chapter to what it would take for him to believe in god. I think it's a well rounded book and very objective. I think the target audience for this book is Christians who want to see what it's like for someone to enter a church and unaware of what is going on.

Let me first begin by saying that I have been a pastor for nearly 21 years. I believe Hemant Mehta's book is a must read for every pastor and every Christian that cares for unchurched people. It is an easy read that most will knock out in just a few sittings. His writing style made it seem like I was sitting across the table from him at lunch. He is an honest and brilliant young man who raises some legitimate and thoughtful questions about the Americanized Church. I thoroughly enjoyed his reviews of the churches he attended. Since I was raised in the church it's difficult for me to view our liturgy and traditions through fresh eyes. Hemant helped me do just that. His blatant, and at times humorous, critiques lend valuable insight that most church goers will appreciate. Most churches espouse in their mission statements that they desire to reach the unchurched, but few, including my own church, take consistent and proactive measures to do so. We fall into the trap of thinking that if we have a hot band and a funny speaker, people will line up for life change. Those days are over. I hope that "I Sold My Soul on eBay" will open dialogue between Christians and Atheist for years to come. I think we all could learn from one another's perspectives. I know Hemant has already taught me some priceless lessons. This book is a good reminder that people, even those who disagree with our beliefs, are not the enemy.