the ebay atheist

In February of this year, self-professed atheist Hemant Mehta put himself up for auction on eBay. For every $10 in the winning bid, he would spend an hour in church and keep a journal of his experiences. (He didn't do it for the money: He donated the entire winning bid to the Secular Student Alliance.)

The winning bid, submitted by Jim Henderson of Off the Map ministries, was $504. Off the Map seeks to redefine evangelism in terms of being authentic, making genuine connections with people, and valuing them as real human beings. Henderson chose Mehta because he believes it is important for Christians to know how their words and actions are perceived by nonbelievers.

By all accounts, this partnership has been a positive experience for both. Mehta has challenged many Christians' stereotypes of atheists, while learning to appreciate some things about church. The story of Mehta's experiences can be found at Off the Map and at Mehta's own blog, Friendly Atheist.