The title of this chapter, "Un-Christian", was borrowed from a book by the same title, which was published in 2007 and authored by Kinnaman and Lyons. UnChristian is a book that every Christian ought to read. This introductory chapter relies heavily upon that revealing work. The publisher’s description of the book, UnChristian reads:
This is an extremely revealing study to say the least. But why is the Barna research reported in UnChristian worthy of comprising the entire Introduction to a book on Christians and government? Simply put, the research shows that Christian conduct in the political realm is the root cause of the negative view that non-believers have about Christians. In other words, most of the negative perceptions that they have about Christians either can be traced directly back to our political behavior, or are significantly magnified by our political conduct.Christianity has an image problem.
Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” young Americans share an impression of Christians that’s nothing short of . . . unchristian.
Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of sixteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. The surprising details of the study, commissioned by Fermi Project and conducted by The Barna Group, are presented with uncompromising honesty in UnChristian.
But did this new 2007 research actually reveal anything new at all? Aren’t non-believers always hostile to Christianity?
What is particularly shocking about the results of their research is that in 1996, the same Barna Group put out a similar report, which revealed the good news that 85% of non-Christians had a positive view of Christians.
Oh how times change.
In the 2007 study reported in the book UnChristian, 55% of respondents ages sixteen to twenty-nine have a “bad” or “very bad” impression of Christians! And as one would assume, the name and reputation of Jesus, himself, has likewise diminished.[1]
And the facts continue to boggle the mind. Only 3% of respondents have a positive view of “evangelical” Christians.[2] Three percent. Practically nobody has a positive view of evangelical Christians. This fact alone ought to make Christians take a serious inventory, asking ourselves why people view us so negatively.
So…why is this? Why do only three percent of non-Christian 16-19-year-olds have a positive view of Christians?
Another question would be, “what is it about the word ‘evangelical’ that elicits the disapproval of nearly all American young people?” Notice that it’s not Christians, per se, who have this image problem. For example, we do not see in the survey results a similar disdain for Christians when the survey questions refer to us as “born again” Christians? The impression that non-Christians have of “evangelicals” is far worse than the perception they have of “born again” Christians.[3] In fact it’s not even close! Non-Christians view evangelicals negatively in a ratio of 16-to-1, whereas, for “born again” Christians, the negative-to-positive ratio is only 3-to-1.
Interesting. Why is the view of evangelicals many times worse than the view of “born again” Christians?
The answer is clear. The perception of “evangelical” Christians is so negative because the term “evangelical” is the term that is commonly used in reference to the voting block known as the “religious right” or the “evangelical Christian vote.” The study confirmed this. The term “evangelical” translates in the minds of those surveyed to mean “somebody who is a political activist.”[4]
There we have it.
There can be no doubt that our political zealotry has contributed tremendously to our image problem, likely more than any other factor.
Much of the “image problem” that Christ has been given can be traced directly back to our conduct, views, and attitudes in the world of civics over the last 20 years. Young people (Christian and non-Christian like) have a pessimistic view of the church and a distorted view of Jesus because of our failures in these areas.
That is what, above all else, inspired the writing of this book.
According to the study, evangelical Christians, in particular, are known for being anti-gay, angry, not being able to get along with people we disagree with, being violent, and being empire-builders. These impressions have, in no small part, been imparted to non-Christians through the political face that we show the world. Also, we are famous for what we are against. Again, these are the descriptions of evangelicals (i.e. Christians when they enter the political discourse), rather than “born-again” Christians, a phrase that brings up the imagery of Billy Graham and evangelism. [5]
Our witness in the political realm is doing more harm to the Gospel than anything.
The study revealed six negative impressions that non-Christians have of Christians, generally. The authors of UnChristian devote six chapters to these six impressions. Notice that five of the six have come directly from, or are directly related to, our misguided emphasis on political power:
1) That we are anti-gay and that we are fixated on the quick-cure of punitive political solutions to be meted out against gays…
2) That we are hypocritical and yet we still have a morally superior attitude (no doubt this impression comes in no small part from our political morals crusades)…
3) That we are judgmental (again, this impression would be either rooted in or magnified by our political morals crusades)…
4) That we are sheltered (this likely is rooted at least in part in our attempt to engineer the culture from the top down with political solutions, while remaining aloof to the struggles of real people)…
5) And in case we had any doubts, we are… “too political”
Additionally, it’s not only what we’re doing wrong that has tarnished Jesus’ reputation, but it is what we aren’t doing that contributes to the low opinion of Christians that non-Christians maintain. The study revealed that those surveyed rarely see Christians who embody service, compassion, humility, forgiveness, patience, kindness, peace, joy, goodness, and love.[6] This is tragic.
And in case the reader is thinking, “they just feel this way because they’re told to feel this way by the anti-Christian media,” be assured that they derive their negative opinions of us from experience and personal contact, not from the media. Their views are rooted in actual experiences at churches and relationships with Christians.[7] This is a key point. We cannot simply brush these facts aside.
Understandably, not all Christians want to accept this bad news. To illustrate this point, consider a certain Christian “worldview” expert that I listened to in the fall of 2008, who actually stated that the negative reputation that Christians have in the world is rooted in “nothing we’ve done wrong.”[8] What an amazing statement. Given this negative reputation that discourages people from seeking the Lord, shouldn’t we prayerfully and thoughtfully consider whether or not we are in any way responsible for the view non-Christians have of us? And if so, repent and change our actions? If we cannot admit our faults, we will not be able to repair the image of Christ in the world. Repentance is a prerequisite for sanctification.
And in case there is still doubt that political Christianity is the primary face of Christianity that outsiders experience, when asked to identify well-known Christians, respondents identified political ones. With President Bush being number one.[9]
What motivates Christians above all else, according to those surveyed? A political “right-wing” agenda.[10] How would a Christian define “success” according to those questioned in the study? Legislative victories in that “right-wing” agenda.[11]
Not love. Not the Great Commission of teaching disciples to live like Jesus. Not forming authentic community where we put the resurrected Jesus on display in self-sacrificing generosity. Legislative victories. That is how we are perceived as defining “success.” Legislating our viewpoint is what is perceived as being the focus of our faith.
Interestingly, outsiders do not call on Christians to disengage from politics. They recognize political activism as a legitimate endeavor that all human beings ought to be involved in. They simply resent the methods and attitudes that we take into the political world.
Only 9% say that Christians are “people I trust a lot.” And the number one reason given as to why they do not trust us? You guessed it: our political agendas.[12]
Simply put, non-Christians view our action in the political realm as being un-Christian and self-serving.[13]
And it’s not some double-standard that they have. It’s not simply an anti-Christian axe to grind. This generation, as a rule, is skeptical of anybody who wants to employ political power to advance their own viewpoints.[14] Christians and non-Christians alike. In this vein, they question whether Jesus, himself, would use political power to push his way.[15] Maybe in certain ways these non-Christians understand Jesus better than we do.
This point is extremely important to grasp. They are on to something here. We need to re-think our politics in light of the Scriptures.
After seeing all the animosity created toward Christians due to our attempts to acquire power, the authors of UnChristian conclude that,
Even if we could ‘win’ every legal, legislative, and political battle—a reality that will become increasingly difficult as [those in their 20s and 30s] take center stage—the chasm between Christians and outsiders will only deepen.
Legislative “victory” could come at the cost of many souls that would be alienated from the Gospel.
Our civic sins are hindering our Christian witness and our ability to engage, evangelize, and disciple non-believers. The extensive Barna study shows that, without a doubt, this is the reality of the situation.
But before we explore the troublesome world of civics in Part II and Part III, let us now turn our attention to the Christian worldview. A strange way to start out a book about a “new Christian civics”? Perhaps. But we will not faithfully represent Christ in the civic world, unless we understand the nature of truth and fully grasp what it truly means to be a Christian.
[1] Kinnaman and Lyons, UnChristian, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids: 2007), p. 24
[2] Ibid., p. 25
[3] Not that there is a real difference between the two, in reality.
[4] Kinnaman and Lyons, UnChristian, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids: 2007), p. 26
[5] Ibid., p. 26
[6] Ibid., p. 37
[7] Ibid., p. 31
[8] The reason the world hates us, he said, is because God created man and woman as distinctive, separate entities.
[9] Kinnaman and Lyons, UnChristian, (Baker Books, Grand Rapids: 2007), p. 154
[10] Ibid., p. 154
[11] Ibid., p. 154
[12] Ibid., p. 169
[13] Ibid., p. 165
[14] Ibid., p. 157
[15] Ibid., p. 166
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