Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters

unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons ISBN: 978-0-8010-1300-3 ISBN-10: 0-8010-1300-3 unChristian is not your typical Christian book. It did not need to be. Neither should one expect it to be. unChristian is unSettling. unChristian will either humble or anger the Christian reader. Research has shown that Busters and Mosaics (Terms that are used to specify young people aged 16-29) do not have a good opinion of Christians. That should not really be surprising. I'm a pastor and I know that I don't have a good opinion of Christians in general. Oh, people are nice to me and I enjoy the ministry. I pastor a group of people who treat me as family. My experience has shown me, however, that Christians can be very unChristian. This book tells us that people on the outside of the church see us that way, too. Having read the book, I don't have a very good opinion of myself. I have a long way to go in learning to show grace, mercy, and compassion. Many of those who were interviewed were not always on the outside of the church. Their experiences on the inside drove them out, however. It is commonly known that the Christian church is the army that shoots its wounded. As a pastor I have battled legalism. I am all for grace. I did not realize how much legalism was still in me, however. In seeking to stand for righteousness I have been less than gracious and accepting of people who sin. We Christians are unChristian because we are a self-righteous, arrogant group of people who do not listen because we are convinced that we (though we say that the Bible does, we act as if we do) have all the answers. We give advice where it is not requested. We condemn when we should be helping. We complain about the state of the world, but do little to change it. We say that we hate the sin, but love the sinner. Our actions declare that we hate both. We are unChristian in our attitudes because we are often obnoxious and rude to those who don't believe or live as we do. The unChristian church is characterized by what they are against instead of what they are for. We are negative and hostile to those who don't fit our mold. While telling us all of these things the authors maintain a very gracious attitude toward the church (after all, they are part of the church), and do not call for moral and theological compromise. They do call for us to seek to understand people. They call for us to seek to empathize and sympathize. They call for us to recognize the fact that all sexual sin is sin; not just homosexual sin. They remind us of the fact that kindness and compassion will do much to help those who commit these sins, but that picketing their funerals and their parades will do little to help them. The research of the authors demonstrates to us the need to hold to traditional Christian beliefs, but to let go of or unChristian attitudes and methodologies. After all, w

In his book The Heart of Christianity (2003) Marcus Borg of Oregon State University describes how his university students have a uniformly negative image of Christianity. "When I ask them to write a short essay on their impression of Christianity," says Borg, "they consistently use five adjectives: Christians are literalistic, anti-intellectual, self-righteous, judgmental, and bigoted." Christians might object, rather defensively, that it's unfair to draw sweeping conclusions based upon the report of one person. If you think that way, you'd be right in your logic but wrong in your conclusion. A new book called unChristian (2007) by David Kinnaman of the Barna Group presents objective research that supports Borg's subjective anecdote. Kinnaman's three-year study documents how an overwhelming percentage of sixteen to twenty-nine year olds view Christians with hostility, resentment and disdain. These broadly and deeply negative views of Christians aren't just superficial stereotypes with no basis in reality, says Kinnaman. Nor are the critics people who've had no contact with churches or Christians. It would be a tragic mistake, he argues, for believers to protest that outsider outrage at Christians is a misperception. Rather, it's based upon their real experiences with today's Christians. In addition to their statistical research, the book includes anecdotes from people who were interviewed, follow-on comments at the end of each chapter by some 30 Christian leaders, and reflections about why we've come to such a place and how we might make it better. According to Kinnaman's Barna study, here are the percentages of people outside the church who think that the following words describe present-day Christianity: * antihomosexual 91% * judgmental 87% * hypocritical 85% * old-fashioned 78% * too political 75% * out of touch with reality 72% * insensitive to others 70% * boring 68% It would be hard to overestimate, says Kinnaman, "how firmly people reject-- and feel rejected by-- Christians" (19). Or think about it this way, he suggests: "When you introduce yourself as a Christian to a friend, neighbor, or business associate who is an outsider, you might as well have it tattooed on your arm: antihomosexual, gay-hater, homophobic. I doubt you think of yourself in these terms, but that's what outsiders think of you" (93). Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project who commissioned the Barna research remembers his first look at the data. "I'll never forget sitting in Starbucks, poring through the research results on my laptop. As I soaked it in, I glanced at the people around me and was overwhelmed with the thought that this is what they think of me. It was a sobering thought to know that if I had stood up and announced myself as a 'Christian' to the customers assembled in Starbucks that day, they would have associated me with every one of the negative perceptions described in this book" (222, his italics). Sad to say,

This book is what I have felt needed to be said for so long. Wow! Some one was finally able to find a publisher to do it!! Praise God!!! There is a tremendous lack of love in the Church and what sums up everything in the Bible? Love. "Love does no harm to anyone so love fulfills all of God's requirements."Romans 13:10. If we do all these things and have not love it profits us nothing. Why do you think this book had to be written? Because a lack of love in the Church, plain and simple. Read this book and change, have a genuine change in the Church!!! God bless these people and their book!!!!

The C Bomb By Bill Dahl I was reading a blog recently and appreciated the author's heartfelt apology about his inadvertent "church sucks" post. Trust me, we have all said and written stuff that we regret. It's when we overlook the fact that we are all fallible (or we assume we are bulletproof), we're really in trouble. I shared with the author that I was delighted to note that he is human, and a sensitive and lovable one at that. I welcomed him to the foot in mouth club - we're ALL members. (many of us have multiple memberships). Yet, his apology for the "church sucks" post ( "confession and repentance") illuminated other issues for me (and I assume, many others). We have the A-bomb, the F-bomb, and whether we like it or not, we now have the "C-bomb." The term "C-bomb" refers to Christians, Christianity and the Church. This is NOT my opinion. It is an empirically verifiable fact, as evidenced by the research conducted over the past several years by the Barna Group. I have also written extensively about my own personal struggle with the C-bomb. You can find some of my more cogent thoughts here: The Next Questians - [...] This research is laid out in David Kinnaman's newly released book (October 2007) entitled, UNchristian - What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity. Kinnaman has been George Barna's protégé over the last 12 years and is President of the Barna Group, unequivocally the ongoing source of reliable social research about Christians, Christianity and the Church. This book is sobering. I wept at certain parts of it. We Christians have made a mess of Christianity in North America and the established Church most certainly has its share of the blame. As Kinnaman says, "We can't change what we are known for unless we change how we live." (p. 231). This "living" includes the "life" of the Church. Kinnaman goes on to say that we must "discern how deep and serious the problems are, so that our missional engagement in the coming years won't be more of the same." We have to embrace the uncomfortable truth that the Church as an institution provides much of the momentum to preserve the status quo --- more of the same. Although the natural reaction to those who presently have a vested interest in the Church to "church sucks" is likely to be a defensive and perhaps polarizing one, I wonder if the reaction does not also contain an element of denial...a terribly important element that we must ALL come together to overcome. Listen to Kinnaman and the Barna Group: "The nation's population is increasingly resistant to Christianity...the aversion and hostility are, for the first time, crystallizing in the attitudes of millions of young Americans. A huge chunk of a new generation has concluded they want nothing to do with us. As Christians, we are widely distrusted by a skeptical generation. We are at a turning point for Christianity in America. If we do not wake up to these realities and respond in appropriate, godly ways, we risk being

One thing that's always been a little challenging for me is when christians are portrayed poorly on tv and film. I love it when it's funny (think Owen Wilson in Meet the Parents). But, when it's just harsh and cynical, it kind of bugs me because it doesn't seem to accurately reflect the genuine people I know who are investing their lives following Jesus. That said though, there are some equally genuine people, who I love dearly and are not christians, who really do have some harsh and cynical views of us. And, I've been thinking lately that it might be a good idea for all of us christians to take some time and consider what they're perceiving. Who knows? We might just learn something important. If you want to get an objective read on what people think about christians and why it matters, please go get David Kinnaman's new book and give it a read. David Kinnaman is someone I trust deeply. His work is always well researched, well written, fair and honest. I think any thoughtful person would appreciate what he has to say.