I am okay to some degree with self analysis and church bashing. But be careful when the proposed answer is to toss out Scripture..

Matthew Helmke: unchristian

from Planet Ubuntu by matthew

I’m reading a book that I just picked up called unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman. It is an analysis of exhaustive research by the Barna Group and details what people outside of the Christian faith think about it and its adherents and why.

The book is fascinating, not so much because I found the results surprising, although some Christians may, but because of how honest people were in responding to the questions. That gives me some hope that perhaps those at whom the criticism is directed may be able to hear it and do something about it. As a member of the group being critiqued, I both agree with almost all of the criticisms and I think massive change is needed.

In general, the research shows that Christianity is perceived like this:

1. Hypocritical, that Christians try to portray themselves as morally superior, with a polished image that is inaccurate, and that churches convey an image that they exist only for virtuous and pure people.
2. Too focused on getting converts, and not actually caring about people or loving people as they are. Instead, people feel treated only like targets for conversion and (often rightly) question Christians’ motives in interaction with them.
3. Antihomosexual, bigoted and fixated on “curing” homosexuals while also leveraging political solutions against them.
4. Sheltered, old-fashioned, and out of touch with reality, preferring simplistic solutions and answers to a genuinely complex reality.
5. Too political, overly motivated by a political agenda that puts personal beliefs and preferences above valuing others, preferring to represent issues and fight over them instead of engaging in dialogue and working with others to find workable and acceptable solutions to real problems.
6. Judgmental, not honest about attitudes and perspectives about others, and it is doubted whether Christians really love people as we say we do, at least those who disagree with us.

There it is. And you know what? I agree.

Reading through the research, these opinions did not arise in a vacuum. They were not caused by media portrayals. Almost everyone questioned had experience with Christian friends or acquaintances. Most had spent at least one month regularly attending a church. Almost all who expressed a negative opinion said that they did so because of one or more personal bad experiences with Christian behavior or attitudes. Only a small percentage had anything other than a neutral opinion of standard Christian doctrine. Hmm.

I am encouraged by reading that the majority of Christians under the age of about 30 also agreed. This could bode well for some needed changes in behavior and attitudes.

What I would like to see is a Christianity populated by people who are kind, gentle, loving, compassionate, consistent in their words and actions, honest, friendly, and who place a greater importance on serving others than on political action designed to fight against the world. That is also the main thrust of the book, which is mainly intended for a Christian audience, to look for ways in which the overall Christian community is poorly representing what it believes and recommend ways to change, so that behavior lines up more directly with stated doctrine. Here’s hoping the book finds a wide audience.