Odds and ends , nuts and bolts

In 1996  the Barna institute released a study entitled "Christianity has a strong positiuve image despite fewer active participants " .  The study showed that Americans ," possed widespread resp[ect for Christians even those the Book ( UNchristian ) call outsiders . Among outsiders ..Atheists , agnostics , those of faiths other than Christian or unchurched individuals or people with nop firm religious convictions - we found that 85% were favorable toward Christianities role in Society ..the perceptions of the youngest generations mirrored this finding ..that was then "

The study we will be talking about was aimed at an age group between 16 and 50  . For the purposes of  more precise study this group was broken into two groups . Mosaics ( born between 1984-and 2002 ) And Busters ( born between 1965 and 1983 ) .  

There is a significant amount of Data in the study ...but the bullet point is this ..now 38 %  of this target group no longer believe Christianity deserves their respect .  That is a significant change in less than two decades .

Even more significant is these numbers increase when the target group is speaking about either " born Again " or "Evangelical " . Although the study did point out there was considerable confusion as to what these two terms meant to the study group .

One last area of study was comparing the Data from the Target group of  Non Christians to a Target group of  Young people going to church .  Let me leave you with these numbers for tonight I am sure there may be some questions and comments :

In this study the questions were ased to  440  Non Christians between the ages of 16-29  and 306 Christian Churchgoers of the same Same age .

                                                                                           Outsiders                          Churchgoers
Is the Christian Church Antihomosexual                                91 %                                   80%
                                       Judgemental                                      87 %                                   52 %
                                       Hypocritical                                       85 %                                   47 %
                                        Old -fashioned                                  78%                                     36%
                                        Too Political                                      75 %                                   50%
                                        Out of touch                                       72%                                    32%
                                         Insentive to others                             70 %                                   30 %
                                         Boring                                                68 %                                   27 %
                                         Not accepting of other faiths             64 %                                   39 %
                                          confusing                                          61 %                                    44 %

Chapter two of Un Christian ends with this comment :
You have choices , you can deny the hostility , you can refute its causes , you can harass those Christians who are trying their best to represent Jesus in a completly new contect , or you can deal with the increasing hostility of outsiders in ways that Glorify God . Jesus pioneered this approach . He listened to the Holy Spirit so that He could point people to His Father . He engaged His culture , and its people with respect and love . He was in not of the world .   That does not sound like  unChristian Faith at all .

                                                                               
                     

Introduction

" Christianity in America has an Image Problem " this is the opening of a book called  UNChristian..written by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons :  The book is the result of research by the Barna Group . Its purpose is to discern and understand the perception of Christians in this country by non Christians ( a group the book will reffer to as outsiders )  .  I am very much interested in this topic , many of my friends in person and online are nonChristian / Outsiders .  And I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time discussing the difference between Jesus Christ as what He taught and the perception of Christianity that my friends have .  The purpose of the  book , and this blog series is not to drag the Christian Faith through the mud ..it is to examine why we have an image problem , and what we can do about it so we can as believers present to our non Christian Friends the Jesus that first brought us to the cross . ( our first love ) .  There is also a very good chance that I may be encouraged to teach on this subject in the upcoming months ..and I want as much feedback as possible .  As I began reading the book this one comment hit me full in the face so I Plan to post the comment and wait for a response from whoever is interested in responding ..there is an interesting sub text to this comment something that really caught my eye ..hope it catches yours . 

" Outsiders most common reflection to the faith :  they think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind, that Christianity in our society is not what it was meant to be " .