Book 10... I Sold My Soul on Ebay

I just finished the book "I Sold My Soul on Ebay." The book is about a young man named Hemant Mehta, an atheist, who set out on a journey to understand Christianity. The journey began when he sold himself on ebay (he didn't sell his soul like the news reported) to a person named Jim Henderson. As a result of the sale, Hemant would travel around the country and visit numerous churches(both large and small), attend their worship services, and write up a report about the church.

Reading this book opened my eyes to what people, who have different opinions than mine, think about church, the purpose of church, and if churches are doing a good job reaching people. Here are some interesting things I found in the book...

• "It is clear that most churches have aligned themselves against nonreligious people. By adopting this stance, Christians have turned off the people I would think they want to connect with.”
• “I’m aware of the good that churches can do. Churches can enrich people’s lives in ways that everyone, including atheists, can support. Why would anyone oppose something that helps people live the best life possible?”
• “Talk to us, have a conversation with us about a broad range of topics, and initiate a friendship. Don’t go through life overlooking your neighbors and co-workers who are not religious.”
• “For teenagers and others who seek concrete answers to their spiritual questions, the biblical story alone is not enough. If it’s not possible for Bible teachers to cross-reference biblical explanations with nonbiblical stories, many teens will reject their faith as they grow older.”
• “A period of questioning one’s faith can lead a person to have an even deeper connection with God. The preteen and teenage years are some of the most volatile for religious identity, and which side a child lands on depends largely on what he or she experiences at this point in life. Parents can’t control their children’s life experiences, of course. But they can do more to help answer their children’s questions.”
• “In all these discussions, the goal was conversation rather than conversion. And that was the key to our success.”
• “The incredible range of views and beliefs among Christian groups is mind-boggling. It intrigues me and sometimes confuses me. I have often asked Christians why there is such a diversity of thought among them concerning their religious views, and the response I get often is dismissive: “That other person isn’t practicing the right kind of Christianity.”
• “Does Christian faith answer the big questions of life in a more satisfactory way than non-supernatural explanations do?”

After going to a bunch of churches, he gave this list of what churches are doing right: Topnotch Preachers and Speakers, Community Outreach, Energy Level and Passion, Dialogue Featuring Opposing Viewpoints, and Relevant Sermons.

Here is where he said Churches were missing the mark: A Lack of Sensitivity to Nonreligious People, Too Much Time Devoted to Singing, Not Paying attention in Church, Distracting Behavior During Worship, Lack of Opportunities to Ask Questions, Religious Extremism, Confusing Rituals and Traditions, and Intrusive Projection Screens.

One final note - After his journey this is what Hemant concluded about churches that were doing a good job - “I did gain a new found respect for some churches, though, especially those that make a difference by helping all people, Christians and otherwise. These are the churches that practice Christianity instead of just preaching it.”