True we’re not going to convert without them bringing the evidence, but if they no longer act like self-absorbed pushy morons, then we’ll probably stop being militant.

I don’t fully agree with that. Sure, a committed atheist is more likely to be resistant barring some kind of evidence…

But I rather think that most people choose the religion that is made up of the people that they most admire.

An atheist, if they are what I’d call a skeptic rather than a mere non-adherant, has come to that point in their life where what matters most to them is empricism. They’ve come to that point in their life by following role models, reading certain books, taking to heart certain thinkers. The priorities are a function of their environment and what they’ve been exposed to.

I Guarantee you that if the ONLY exposure someone had had to Christians is high-pressure salesmen jerks, nobody would become Christians. Ditto atheists.

But if Christians are the nicest, friendliest, genuinely cool, caring, smart, funny, passionate, dynamic people you know… that will shape what you think is important, and you’re much more likely to be a Christian too.

If most of the people you admire are Christians, chances are very, very good that you’ll also be a Christian.

This is where I see Jim Henderson’s form of evangelism appealing and very likely to bring far, far more people to Christ than the high-pressure sales tack. It seeks to find people where they are at, and have a RELATIONSHIP with them that doesn’t begin and end at conversion.

I value my friendship with Jim, and I have to say he’s probably the Christian I most admire in the world. Better than that, he’s on my list of the people I most admire in the world.

I don’t “believe” in the supernatural at all, but I wholeheartedly believe in Jim’s style and gift of communication and humility and charity of spirit.

I really hope that God does exist, because I want it for him. More than anything else, I want him to be right.

decreepyfication? Wow nice word, and I agree we can be creepy. How is it that both sides have creeped each other out so deeply?

So, it isn’t really about truth but rather about marketing??? Most atheists I know aren’t your typical mindless consumer. They demand good solid evidence before they are going to change their beliefs. It isn’t anything particular about evangelistic efforts that keep people from believing in a god. They could offer free food and all the beer you can drink at church and most atheists are still not going to convert. The problem is not in the way their message it delivered, it’s the message itself. And when you’re dealing with a group of people who take great pride in their intellectual honesty in pursuit of reality, it’s going to take a lot more than a friendly smile to convince them to believe something that isn’t even close to being self-evident.

You want to know how to market your product better? Try producing solid evidence to back up your claims. But I suppose when you can’t do that then your only alternative is to try and convince people they need you anyway.