I just started reading a book by the president of the Barna Group titled UnChristian. The book is a presentation of over 3 years of research investigating what people between the ages of 16-29 think about Christianity. The research focuses on 6 broad themes that are often times cited by "outsiders" (the term adopted in the book to refer to those outside the church) as their major problems with Christianity and Christians. The 6 common themes used to describe Christians are:
Hypocritical
To focused on getting converts
Antihomosexual
Sheltered
Too Political
Judgemental
To tell the you the truth, the 6 areas didn't surprise me all that much, as there have been times I have felt the same way and I am an "insider" (as opposed to an outsider). But I want to know what you guys think? Are these common opinions about Christianity at your schools? At your workplaces? Please post and let me know what you have experienced. . .
hypocritical and judgemental are definetly ones i hear at school. most people assume that all christians are the same, and some people even treat me different once they find out, like they are a lot more careful about what they say. i haven't really heard the "too political" view though. we have an assignment in english to write about a topic that is "controversial" or that will change the world, and i'm writing about how people need to view those who are differnt, i.e. homosexuals, people with AIDS, stuff like that. so it's not only christians who ignore people in need. we all need to look inside and examine ourselves, regardless of what we believe. because together we can solve the problems that plague earth today. sorry, i got really fired up bout this thing, and i thought you guys would too. anyway, that sounds like an interesting book.
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