Helping a stranger to find Christ?

[draven616]

Hi everyone. I'm new here, but I've been finding help in this site for a long time before I registered. I've found someone who I think could use your help too, but I found him in a rather strange place. I do a bit of buying and selling (very little selling) on ebay, and I came accross a fairly new but quite odd listing. I don't really know what to make of it, but I'd like to help this boy open his eyes. Would any of you be so kind as to give your opinions on this for me? Thanks. Personally I think only good can come of this. If you search for: "Make me a believer--Religious, Atheist, Convert?" you should find it. Location USA. Sorry I couldnt post the link.

God bless.

 

[drich0150]

I'll post what he wrote:

I’m an 18-year-old Atheist from Ireland. I stopped believing in God when I was 14. Currently, I am an active member of the Atheists Society at my university. I don’t take my non-belief lightly. However, while I don’t believe in God, I firmly believe I would immediately change those views if presented with evidence to the contrary. And at 18, this is possibly the best chance anyone has of changing me.
So, here’s my proposal. Everytime I come home, I pass my parish church. I promise to go into that church every day– for a certain number of days– for at least an hour each visit. For every €10 you bid, I will go to the Church for 1 day. For €50, you would have me going to mass every day for a week.
My promise: I will go willingly and with an open mind. I will not say/do anything inappropriate. I will respectfully participate in service, speak to priests, volunteer with the church if possible, do my best to learn about the religious beliefs of the church-goers, and make conversation with anyone who is willing to talk. (Though I do reserve the rights to ask the person questions about the faith.)
I will record my visits through a journal, pictures, or whatever other method of proof you’d like– I will uphold my promise.
Will I become religious? Well, I don’t know. I really do have an open mind, but no one has convinced me to change my mind so far. Then again, I have also never attended a real church service. Perhaps being around a group of people who will show me “the way” could do what no one else has done before.
If this Church doesn’t work for you, we’ll just find some other place local to me. I’ll go to any place of worship– a Protestant Church, a Catholic Church, a Mosque, a Synagogue, etc. They’re all nearby. Makes no difference to me, but perhaps it’s your faith that could change the mind of this Atheist.
I also assure you that if you bid on this, I will write an article about my experiences in the newsletter of my society. The article would reach over 1,000 college students who share my current views. Even if you don’t end up changing my mind, perhaps you can change theirs.
If you have any questions about this auction, I’d be glad to answer them.

The kids highest aspiration is to become religious.. Religion and God have little to do with each other. On top of which we have to buy his religious efforts. None of this speaks of God. Or a desire to start or maintain a relationship with God.. Truthfully the boy is better off in his atheist club than he is being paid to sit in a church. At least in his atheist club He may wonder from time to time about God, where as in the church he may actually fill himself with pomp and ceremony mistakingly identifying the activities of christians, as true Christianity.

Besides He/She is looking for "proof" which futile exercise in a faith based religion. This kid is not looking for God, he's looking for a handout.​

 

[Wedjat]

As an atheist I'll let you in on what he's doing.
Drich is partially right, he'll probably just going to go through the motions, and he probably doesn't foresee his mind being changed by doing this. However he has decided previously that he is going to attend a church as if he were a believer and write an article on it for his groups newsletter. The money is an incentive for going for longer periods of time, and like Drich said, mostly looking for a handout. He's probably looking for someone who thinks that he will really find god in church to donate a bunch of money. He's probably sincere about his promise, if you donate a thousand dollars, he'll be going to church for about five months, but I doubt that will change his mind a bit, and his article to other people will change their minds just as much. At least, that's exactly what I'd be thinking if I had posted this on e-bay.
My advice, don't waste your money or his time. Someone will end up biding, he'll go for a few days and write his article, just don't promote this and let it get out of hand or the first half of his article will be about how "silly christians will do just about anything to get their converts, even pay xx dollars"
There are shameless money makers in every bunch. If he was really being open minded he would just go.

 

[salida]

Wedjat-

Its ashame christians will pay someone to go to church at all. I didn't know they would go to this extent. Wow! Eternal life isn't for sale or to be mocked. As a christian, I believe God is being mocked here. Yes, he would be better off in his athiest club and would at least ponder about God some.

 

[Wedjat]

Just out of curiosity, how is that a response to my post? We seem to be in agreement.

I didn't know they would go to this extent.

They? This is one person we're talking about. And like I said, there are shameless money makers in every group.