It’s this sad fact that drew me into the worlds of staunch Atheist Hemant Mehta and former Evangelical preacher, Jim Henderson. When Henderson bought the chance to change Mehta’s beliefs for $504 on eBay, they set a precedent for the future that I can’t even come close to defining.

I’d hoped by interviewing them I’d find what most intrigued me about their experiment. Was it the implications of technology becoming a type of new-age oracle for the self-proclaimed “lost”? Or was it most intriguing that, after all that they had been through, they each remained firmly planted in the same ground they started in?

To tell the truth, it is all so wonderfully bizarre that I won’t attempt to summarize. Instead, I’ll let you into their minds and their semi-souls and leave the conclusions up to you!

We’ll start with Hemant Mehta:

Before you embarked on this journey of spiritual swapping, you were very active in Atheist advocacy groups. Can you tell me what the term “Atheist” means to you?

Someone who doesn’t believe in a God. That is NOT to say “There is no God.”

Isn’t an Atheist selling his soul a bit contradictory? To sell one’s soul shows that you believe that you have a soul to be saved. Do you really think you need to be saved?

I agree completely. Which is why I didn’t sell my soul. If you read my eBay post, you’ll see I sold my time and my willingness to go to church. The media, I guess, found it sexier to say I sold my soul. And you’re right in that I don’t believe I have a soul. Certainly not one that needs to be saved. What would I be saved from?

What has fascinated me the most about you is that, not only did you “sell your soul”, but you did it on the itnernet which is about as impersonal as it gets. Weren’t you worried that it would get bought by the wrong person?

I was at first…but when I saw how serious peopel were taking the auction and I saw how people were hoping I would find God in the emails I was getting, I knew that the high bidder would be genuinely intertested in getting me to go to church without any ulterior motives.

What was the initial response? Did you find people of some religions were more interested in saving you than people of others?

I was expecting a lot of nasty comments. Instead, I ended up getting a lot of philosophical questions!

What was it like to meet your soul’s new owner, Jim Henderson?

I was nervous at first, but Jim let me know early on what he wanted from me- to go to shurch and critique them and write about it. He let me know he wasn’t interested in converting me. That put my mind at ease.

Tell me about your experiences going to church. What did you like and dislike?

I love the music and the sermons (most of them) and teh communities. I never feel like I’m out of place. I like knowing that I feel safe when I go into a church…the idea that nothing will go wrong when I’m there.

I dislike the curches that preach “us” vs. “them”. Even if the Bible were right, there’s no need to say everyone else who believes otherwise is evil. Many of them just analyzed passages in the Bible without going over its importance. Many seemed to pray for anything, including things that could be fixed by taking personal action and responsibility. It’s one thing to pray for a sick relative. It’s another thing to pray because you want another few parking spaces at the new church.

What religion were you raised?

I was raised Jain, which is an ancient Indian religion.

What turned you away from God? I read you became an Atheist at 14. So young!

It may seem young, though many of the Atheists I know went through a similar “conversion” at nearly the same age! What turned me away from God was a pretty hasty thing. My family had to move right before I began high school. I had to leave my friends in Knoxville and start over somewhere else. At the time, I thought this was the worst thing to happen to anyone. Ever. Which is obviously not true. (In hindsight a religious person could say that God did this for a reason.) But the seed of coubt was planted in my head and I began to think that maybe God didn’t exist. I went online and researched those thoughts and Atheism made the most sense. Why didn’t I search for other religions? Once God is out of the picture, all the other faiths just fall down…

What do you think happens when we die, or do you care?

I do care, but in the sense that, since I think nothing is going to happen, how can I still make a difference? There are a few ways to do this: Donate organs, give my body to science.

You mention in anotehr interview that you encourage Atheists and non-Atheists to try walking in the other’s shoes. What are an Atheists shoes like?

They’re like sandals. They give you more freedom, but you find yourself limited in terms of when you can wear them. You want to wear them all the time, but you see people looking at you, judging you. Everyone enjoys the shoes they’re in and see no reason to change. They try to tell me about their shoes and they don’t understand how much I like my sandals.

Aside from looking at religion from an analytical perspective, is there anything you have learned about “true believers” that surprised you?

Many of them have raised a lot of questions I had as a child. and they found answers which led them to Christ. I always figured no one asked themselves those questions at all (otherwise the would’ve become Atheists!) I’m glad my preconception was wrong.

Do you think you will ever change your beliefs?

I don’t…not anytime soon. But I am open to change. And if I ever see evidence for God, I’m not afraid to change my beliefs. This is why I did the auction in the first place. The beauty of it is that I have nothing to lose by doing this! Either I remain an Atheist, which is fine, or I get saved. It’s a win-win situation!

Now Jim Henderson’s Interview:

How did you first find out about Hemant Mehta? Do you normally search for lost souls on the internet?

I’ve never searched for a lost sould on the itnernet before. I usually go looking in person- lots of lost people gladly open up to me and tell me their views on spirituality, religion and their favorite kind of coffee. I have been interviewing people Christians refer to as “lost souls” for the past five years. I have a large group of friends scattered all over the world who know about my strange hobby and one of them sent me the link to the eBay auction for a guy’s soul. He knew I would like it and he was right.

Isn’t buying someone’s faith like buying someone’s love? Doomed for failure?

Yes- but I didn’t buy his soul- I’m only “renting” it. Think of me as his “soul landlord”. (Sounds like a good name for a blues song.)

Why were you so drawn to Mehta?

I lived in India for short perionds of time over the past 20 years. It is the most intriguing place I have ever traveled to. I am utterly taken by it and the peoples that live tehre. After getting into the bidding I realized Hemant was Indian- that took his stock way up for me.

So him being Indian helped?

Yes. I have a number of young Indian friends in India with whom I regularly correspond. I think very highly of them. Because of my predisposition and experience I was able to quickly ascertain that this was not a scam. When he said he would go to church with an open mind- I knew he meant it. I don’t think I would have bid if it was a White person.

Tell me about your first encounters with him.

I flew to Chicago to meet Hemant within about 3 days following the bidding. I thought the whole project we were embarking on was pretty funny and would be a hoot no matter how it all turned out. Hemant was more than I hoped for. He was curious, passionate about his cause and genuinely open to the possibility of being converted if “something happened to him” on his journey into church. I don’t think this project would have played out as well as it has if it weren’t for Hemant’s kindness and humility toward those who were often unkind and dismissive toward him. He frankly models many of the best kinds of behaviors I hope to get Christians more interested in.

Why did you put so much effort into someone who seems so staunchly Atheist?

Who better to critique you than your fiercest enemy?

Did you feel like your efforts to save him worked?

I am not trying to save Hemant. I am trying to save Christians. I am hoping that hearing the critique of an Atheistr will shock, stimulate, humble and provoke Christians to become better human beings, better listeners, more human, real and interested in others. If Hemant gets “saved- converted or transformed” it’s going to have to be “off the clock”. Off the Map’s mission is “helping Christians not to be jerks” or more politely, “helping Christians be normal.”

I asked Hemant whether he thought he would ever change his beliefs and start believing in God. Do you think you will ever do the opposite and lose your faith?

I did not become a follower of Jesus to become moral, religious or right. I did not join a church, I joined a community of followers. I had an experience with Hesus that was compelling enough to sustain em.

I have never doubted and am now too old to consider quitting. Jesus is the definition of reality for me- I could care less about religion and am heartbroken to know that millions of people connect Jesus with Christianity when I know that he never intended his movement to become a religion. All I can do is love the person in front of me and do my best. Jesus is the freest person who ever lived.