Considering “Unchristian: What A New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity ...An Why It Matters” Groundbreaking research from the Barna Group by Dave Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
From pages 29-30:
This book explores our research in six broad themes – the most common points of skepticism and objections raised by outsiders. Those six themes are as follows:
- Hypocritical. ...morally superior attitudes... pretend to be something unreal... polished image that is not accurate... the church is only a place for virtuous and morally pure people...
- Too focused on getting converts. Outsiders wonder if we genuinely care about them. They feel like targets rather than people.They question our motives...
- Antihomosexual. ...bigoted and show disdain... fixated on curing homosexuals... political solutions...
- Sheltered. ...old fashioned, boring and out of touch with reality... preferring simplistic solutions and answers... not willing to deal with the grit and grime of people's lives...
- Too political ....motivated by a political agenda...
- Judgmental. ...quick to judge... not honest about our attitudes and perspectives... They doubt that we really love people as we say we do...
...Let me reiterate that you may not agree with the views of outsiders, but you should not ignore them. We have to deal with Mosaics and Busters as they are – candid, irreverent, and brazen. If we do not, it makes their criticism even more forceful because it goes unanswered.
by Dave Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007
