The End of UnChristian?

Having covered 6 negative perceptions of Christianity, the last section of unChristian essentially pointed out that perception is reality. That it's not an image problem, its a subtance problem.

To shift our reputation from unChristian to Christian, it is suggested that "Christ followers must learn to respond to people in the way Jesus did". It sounds obvious, but if people can't see Jesus in our lives, we have a "hidden Jesus" problem.

When Jesus was on earth, people were changed by his example. Today it's our interactions with people that create people's image of Jesus. People "need to see Christianity rejecting self-preservation and insularity, and embracing true concern and compassion for others".

The chapter ends by noting:

the barriers to seeing Jesus are getting wider and higher. What image of Jesus do people get from your life? The unChristian faith is here in force. We have a choice of whether it is here to stay.

And the 'afterword' was interesting. The author, after being initially shocked and overwhelmed by the negative impression of Christians, was filled with hope for the future. What? Yes, he feels that it's a nothing-to-lose situation. That the only way to go from here is up. That the current generation has an opportunity to live lives that redefine 'Christian' as being someone that bears some resemblance to Christ.

unChristian - Judgemental

Chapter 8 of unChristian is about being judgemental.

Respondents to our surveys believe Christians are trying, consciously or not, to justify feelings of moral and spiritual superiority.

Our motives can be brought into question when we are more interested in condemning people, than in helping people become more like Jesus. As much as we talk about love, often we could show a bit more of it.

The author raises the question of whether we are "trying to please God, or polishing our holy credentials in front of fellow insiders?", whether "the reason Christians have lost their appeal to outsiders is they have lost passion for people outside the church?". With some shocking examples, he suggests that instead of seeing people's potential to follow Christ, we act as their spiritual judge and jury.

Tips for moving from rejection to respect included
- talk less, listen better
- don't label people
- don't pretend to be smart
- put yourself in the other person's place
- be genuine
- be a friend with no other motives

Another interesting quote came from Philip Yancey - "the opposite of sin is not virtue; it is grace".

So what's the opposite to Christians are prideful and quick to find faults in others. How about Christians show grace by finding the good in others and seeing their potential to be Christ followers.

unChristian - Too Political

Chapter 7 of unChristian (remember this book comes from America) is about being too political.

First up, the author makes it clear from the start that he is definitely not suggesting that Christians should withdraw from politics. It is an important arena to express a Christian worldview. It's more about being representatives of Jesus - reflecting him in our views, our conversations, our actions and our attitudes - otherwise we prevent people from seeing Christ.

..this message (the gospel) seems to have been lost in exchange for an aggressive political strategy that demonises segments of society.

..anyone who did not fit the (political) mould was judged not a good a Christian as everyone else.

I had been carefully nurturing a relationship of trust with my neighbour, and much of it was undone because of careless and offensive words (by other Christians) to his young daughter about an election

Christians don't even follow what the Bible says; why do they try to tell everyone else how to live morally?

They do not seem to prioritise the poor and needy in their political agenda, as Jesus commands

Some comments may be right, perhaps some not. But it's the author's opinion that if they are incorrect, it is because we don't provide sufficient evidence to the contrary.

Advice includes respecting our 'enemies', praying for our leaders, being vigilant against our own capacity for hypocrisy, and not placing too much emphasis on politics. After all, nothing is gained by winning an election but forfeiting our soul.

So what's the alternative to "Christians are primarily motivated by a political agenda and promote right-wing politics". The author suggests a better world would be where Christians are characterised by respecting people, thinking biblically, and finding solutions to complex issues.

unChristian - Sheltered

As i mentioned before, i'm currently reading unChristian. Chapter 6 is about being sheltered.

Christians enjoy being in their own community. The more they seclude themselves, the less they can function in the real world. So many Christians are caught in the Christian bubble.

It's a common perception, that Christians are out of touch, lacking spiritual vitality, insulated from thinking, and living in another world. But scarier still is that it's not just a perception. This from a 28 year old Christian...

So many Christians are caught up in the Christian sub-culture and are completely closed off from the world. We go to church on Wednesdays, Sundays and sometimes on Saturdays. We attend small group on Tuesday night and serve on the Sunday school advisory board, the financial committee, and the welcoming committee. We go to barbeques with our Christian friends and plan group outings. We are closed off from the world. Even if we wanted to reach out to nonChristians, we don't have the time and we don't know how. The only way we know to reach out is to invite people to join our Christian social circle

The bulk of the chapter is not about the why people are turned off a faith that seems sheltered. It's about why a faith that shelters itself falls so much short of what it is called to be. Why hiding out in a Christian bubble is the exact opposite of being the salt and light of the world.

By contrast, the author also gives some examples of some young Christians who are actively engaged outside the Christian sub-culture. "The motivation of these young leaders is to redeem rather than condemn" - is just one of many pieces of helpful guidance offered for those who wish to break the stereotype and fulfil our calling.

So what's the positive alternative to being sheltered? How about Christians are engaged, informed and offer sophisticated responses to the issues people face.

unChristian - Antihomosexual

As i mentioned before, i'm currently reading unChristian. Chapter 5 is about the tendency to be antihomosexual:

Even though the author is of the view that homosexuality is a sin, he finds the hostility to be very unChristian.

1. It's out of step with Jesus
Christians are statistically more likely to disapprove of homosexuality than of divorce (for example) despite the latter being specifically condemned by Jesus in Matthew 5:32

2. It belittles the effect of Jesus
No one goes to hell for what they do or don't do. Every human sins, but Jesus freely offers everyone his grace.

3. It prevents Jesus' greatest commandment
Of 600 people who said the homosexual lifestyle is a problem, only 1 offered "love" as a potential solution. Whatever happened to "love you neighbour"?

Probably the best summary comes in this quote from the book. Speaking about young adults:

..they are very attuned to people's hearts and motivations. If they sense that Christians are being inconsistent, unwilling to learn, or uncaring, they are quick to conclude that Christians are just plain wrong. Christians who show no compassion, kindness or grace make them feel at odds with who they want to be as people. Because it feels so condemning of gays, the unChristian faith does not offer significance and relevance to them. If Christianity is not the mixture of grace and truth that Jesus represents, they find it hard to reconcile

So how about replacing condemnation with a new paradigm - Christians show compassion and love to all people, regardless of their lifestyle.

unChristian - Get Saved!

As i mentioned before, i'm currently reading unChristian. Chapter 4 is about the perception of Christians just being out to get converts:

There's nothing wrong with wanting people to find Jesus. But as one interviewee put it "somehow I don't think Jesus would be happy about being turned into a gimmick." It turns out people are wary of Christians' motives in much the same way we as one might be sceptical of Mormons knocking at the front door.

People see Christians as being purely out to score conversions - with no interest in actual people. Scarily, Christians are often blissfully unaware of this. 64% of Christians believe they come across as sincere - but only 34% of people think that Christians genuinely care about them. So by my maths, at least 30% of Christians are really bad at communicating their interest - or are just really bad fakers.

The chapter also exposed some of the myths that lead well-meaning Christians to add to these unhelpful perceptions of Christians. Also, it points out that "most young people come to Christ because of people they know very well, usually in the context of "everyday" interaction."

This is not new news. In Galatians (6:15) Paul writes "What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation." The chapter suggests three areas of transformation for our own lives - Thinking, Loving and Listening. By this we can influence those around us, being salt and light (Matt 5:13-16).

So to replace insincere 'get saved' attempts, how about this for an alternative? Christians cultivate relationships and environments where others can be deeply transformed by God.

unChristian - Hypocritical

As i mentioned before, i'm currently reading unChristian. Chapter 3 is about being seen as hypocritical - and 4 problems with that:

1. Plastering over our own faults and flaws reinforces the 'image-is-everything' view of the world.

2. For all the trumpetting of a moral lifestyle, as a group we don't measure up. Gambling, porn, stealing, fighting, drunkeness, drugs and lying were about the same in christians and not christians. Christians were slightly less likely to swear in public or to buy a lottery ticket - but also less likely to recycle. Overall, we're in no position to point the finger.

3. Telling others what they should and shouldn't do serves to perpetuate the 'rules and regulations' view of religion. This endless striving to measure up to God's standards is exactly what Jesus releases us from.

4. A comdemning attitude prevents us from actually being of help. Probably best summed up in Matthew 23:4 (talking about pharisees) "They crush people with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden"

So what is the alternative? Christians are transparent about their flaws and act first, talk second.

UnChristian (The Book)

I'm currently reading the unChristian, by David Kinnaman. After the two introductory chapters, there is a chapter on each of 6 negative perceptions of Christians / Christianity - along with more desirable (and biblical) alternative to each.

The introductory chapters are confronting enough on their own. In the surveys that form the basis for the book, people described Christianity as judgemental (87%), hypocritical (85%) and insensitive to others (70%). Meanwhile, just 30% ticked 'relevant to your life'.

Surely this is a sign we're doing something (or at least 6 things) wrong.