Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook251 pages3 hours
I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith through an Atheist's Eyes
By Hemant Mehta
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
Unique insights from an atheist’s Sunday-morning odyssey
When Hemant Mehta was a teenager he stopped believing in God, but he never lost his interest in religion. Mehta is “the eBay atheist,” the nonbeliever who auctioned off the opportunity for the winning bidder to send him to church. The auction winner was Jim Henderson, a former pastor and author of Evangelism Without Additives. Since then, Mehta has visited a variety of church services–posting his insightful critiques on the Internet and spawning a positive, ongoing dialogue between atheists and believers.
I Sold My Soul on eBay tells how and why Mehta became an atheist and features his latest church critiques, including descriptions of his visits to some of the best-known churches in the country. His observations will surprise and challenge you, revealing how the church comes across to those outside the faith. Who better than a nonbeliever to offer an eye-opening assessment of how the gospel is being presented–and the elements that enhance or detract from the presentation.
Mehta announced prior to his churchgoing odyssey that he would watch for any signs of God’s existence. After spending Sunday mornings in some of the nation’s leading churches, what happened to the man who sold his soul on eBay? Did attending church change his lack of belief? The answers can be found inside.
When Hemant Mehta was a teenager he stopped believing in God, but he never lost his interest in religion. Mehta is “the eBay atheist,” the nonbeliever who auctioned off the opportunity for the winning bidder to send him to church. The auction winner was Jim Henderson, a former pastor and author of Evangelism Without Additives. Since then, Mehta has visited a variety of church services–posting his insightful critiques on the Internet and spawning a positive, ongoing dialogue between atheists and believers.
I Sold My Soul on eBay tells how and why Mehta became an atheist and features his latest church critiques, including descriptions of his visits to some of the best-known churches in the country. His observations will surprise and challenge you, revealing how the church comes across to those outside the faith. Who better than a nonbeliever to offer an eye-opening assessment of how the gospel is being presented–and the elements that enhance or detract from the presentation.
Mehta announced prior to his churchgoing odyssey that he would watch for any signs of God’s existence. After spending Sunday mornings in some of the nation’s leading churches, what happened to the man who sold his soul on eBay? Did attending church change his lack of belief? The answers can be found inside.
Unavailable
Related to I Sold My Soul on eBay
Related ebooks
Why I Quit Going to Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBrave Church: Tackling Tough Topics Together Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCompassion without Compromise: How the Gospel Frees Us to Love Our Gay Friends Without Losing the Truth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Love the Church, I Hate the Church: Paradox or Contradiction? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClergy Don't Shepherd: God 101 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTenderness: A Gay Christian's Guide to Unlearning Rejection and Experiencing God's Extravagant Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnstuck: Your Life. God's Design. Real Change. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Mormon's Unexpected Journey: Mormonism to Grace, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Return of the First Church Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Church on the Couch: Does the Church Need Therapy? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJoy: The Journey Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReasons to Believe in the Institutional Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rambles of a Wandering Priest Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFaith in Real Life: Creating Community in the Park, Coffee Shop, and Living Room Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Underground Church: Reclaiming the subversive way of Jesus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Troublemakers in the Church: Dealing with the Difficult, the Dangerous, and the Deadly Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHealing Rainbows: Embracing LGBTQIA+ with Scriptures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCalled to be Small: A Small Church Pastor in a Big Church World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsShrink: Faithful Ministry in a Church-Growth Culture Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thank God for Atheists: How the Greatest Skeptics Led Me to Faith Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJourney of a Worshiper: Exploring Matters of Faith and Leadership Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnswers For A Confused Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhy Do We Feel Lonely at Church? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLook and Live: Behold the Soul-Thrilling, Sin-Destroying Glory of Christ Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Letter to My Christian Family and Friends: Living Without God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSocial Justice Pharisees: Woke Church Tactics and How to Engage Them Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Mile Wide: Trading a Shallow Religion for a Deeper Faith Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seated with Christ: Living Freely in a Culture of Comparison Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Atheism For You
Unveiled: How the West Empowers Radical Muslims Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Flying With the Spaghetti Monster; the Pastafarian Handbook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Darwin's Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The God Delusion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (and Maybe You Should Too) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican Crusade: How the Supreme Court Is Weaponizing Religious Freedom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Is Atheism Dead? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The End of a Road Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Atheopaganism: An Earth-honoring path rooted in science Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Why I Believed: Reflections of a Former Missionary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Manual for Creating Atheists Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Satanic Narratives - A Modern Satanic Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disproving Christianity: and Other Secular Writings Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The Age of Atheists: How We Have Sought to Live Since the Death of God Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of The God Delusion: by Richard Dawkins | Includes Analysis Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Homemade Atheist: A Former Evangelical Woman's Freethought Journey to Happiness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThere Is No God and Mary Is His Mother: Rediscovering Religionless Christianity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhy We Believe in God(s): A Concise Guide to the Science of Faith Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inside the Atheist Mind: Unmasking the Religion of Those Who Say There Is No God Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Deceptions and Myths of the Bible Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCaught in the Pulpit: Leaving Belief Behind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Oh, Your God!: The Evil Idea That Is Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for I Sold My Soul on eBay
Rating: 3.499999871111111 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
45 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I read Hemant's blog, friendlyatheist, so when I saw this book at a friend's house, he let me borrow it.It was interesting to read about so many different kinds of church services and what he thought of them from an outsider's perspective. On the other hand, especially in the beginning of the book, there were some poorly phrased sections with common stereotypes and generalizations about atheists. The writing is mediocre at best and the book could have used a good editor. I expect if Hemant wrote it now, with all the experience he's had writing and writing about atheism, it would be much a better book.I'm glad I read it and I'm especially glad it exists, because I like Hemant's blog and it seems he initiated the blog because of the book or at least because of the ebay auction, but the book itself is a pretty weak overall.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Could be read by Christians or atheists. Questioning teens might like this.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Interesting concept in which an atheist sells his time to the highest bidder, and at said bidder's request, attends several different churches & critiques the services. Mehta, I think, is sincere but he cuts the charlatans and fools in these churches too much slack.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mehta is “the eBay atheist,” the nonbeliever who auctioned off the opportunity for the winning bidder to send him to church. Since then, Mehta has visited a variety of churches, from the cozy to the mega churches, and written about his experiences.If you’re looking for comedy, this is not. The subtitle is “Viewing faith through an atheist’s eyes,” and Mehta, who stopped believing as a teenager, never crosses back over the line.He begins his book by explaining what it is the nonreligious believe. He touches on prayer, suffering, child raising, and points out that atheism is not merely the denial of a supernatural being; it is a lifestyle. Then he narrates his journey from church to church, describing the events, the rituals, the music and more from an outsider’s viewpoint. At the conclusion of the book, Mehta offers suggestions for making the church experience more attractive and how to reach out to unbelievers.What would it take for Mehta to become a believer? A miracle. A real miracle, not some “God helped me find a roommate” type of miracle. And I suspect Hemant speaks for a great number of atheists.In a recent forum, someone made the statement that the believer will never understand the atheist’s mind, and the atheist will never understand the believer’s mind. I’m not sure I entirely agree, because many people grow from believers into atheists and vice versa. But the typical Christian suggestion that atheists work to suppress an inherent belief in God is no more true than the atheist idea that Christians are easily deluded. I have met many incredibly intelligent people on both sides of the line. Mehta’s book bridges the gap and breaks down the stereotypes.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In his book, Mehta talks about his eBay auction in which Jim Henderson purchased the ability to send Mehta to churches of his choosing for a specified length of time. Hemant posted his experiences and findings on a website and then eventually wrote this book as a follow-up (money-maker?) to the entire experiment.The only big surprise I had through reading the book was that Hemant admitted his love for the mega-church experience. I think I expected him to be turned-off to the large, impersonal-ness that is often associated with the mega-church situation.I don’t know if I agree with Mehta’s consistency of writing that “he is at the center of every church’s target-audience”. As an atheist, his belief (or disbelief, rather) that there IS no God places him in a category of NOT the kind of person I would expect for a church to minister to on a Sunday-morning. I might add that Hemant visited churches in a geographically-similar area (surrounding his Chicago address) with some mega-church visits in other locations. I can’t help but wonder what experience he would’ve had smaller-sized churches in other areas of the country, too…All in all, I enjoyed the book - I was challenged even as a youth pastor to realize the importance of keeping in check the idea that not everyone in my ministry is from the same background or has the same knowledge-base as me or any other student peer!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Unusual book, looking at church services from an unbelievers point of view. Entertaining and enlightening. Mehta visits a variety of Christian churches and gives a critical assessment of their services, outreach, sermons etc. Also contains a good overview what it means to be an atheist in practical terms. Interestingly, this was published by a Christian publisher, but can be read by believer and unbeliever alike. Mehta has no axe to grind.