UNchristian Views ... Should We Care about them?

While camping with my girls in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico with my girls (see my Facebook album for pix) I reread a small work by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons called Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Things about Christianity to help me prepare for a mens retreat with the them "Entering the Matrix." The retreat was well received as we discussed how traditional/institutional churches can face the postmodern shift. This heavily researched book was published in 2007 and is now in its sixth printing. It is a most fascinating piece. The work concentrates on the ages 16 to 29 year olds (postmoderns) and what they think and believe about Christianity. In short the "image" of the church within North America is not a favorable one with this age group. The research was sponsored by the Barna Group a respected evangelical think tank. What saddened me most of all as I read through the book and digested the information is that we are so often known for what we are against and not for what we are "for." The three most common responses in this age group as they "characterized" Christianity were:

Christians are "antihomosexual" (fully 91%)
Christians are "judgmental" (87%)
Christians are "hypocritical" (85%)

As Kinnaman and Lyons unpack the information several "perceptions" pervade the view of Christians within North America. These perceptions might as well be reality for so many of them. There are six dominating views of those in universities, colleges, in our high schools ... and even in our own churches. It gives me cause for pause that THESE are the things that pop into this generations mind when they hear the word "Christian." Here they are:

1) Hypocritical
2) All Christians talk about are "getting saved" ... whatever that might mean
3) Antihomosexual
4) Christians are "sheltered" ... that is they don't live in the real world
5) Too Political
6) Judgmental ... Christians can't work with and can't get along with anyone who thinks differently than them

A young lady is quoted that sort of sums up a generational view. She unloaded on the term "Christian." "Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, antigay, antichoice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn't believe what they believe" (p.26).

As the authors point out it doesn't matter if we agree with the perspectives of these people (and we don't). But it is difficult to get a fair "hearing" for Jesus and his kingdom when these are the images conjured up within the minds of those we wish to LOVE into the kingdom. UNCHRISTIAN does not simply relate some dismal statistics but rather within their research they attempted to answer the question of WHY these people overwhelmingly have negative views of Christianity. In the quote above I scratch my head and ask ... is this the MESSAGE of the Lord Jesus? Have we Christians mixed the message with things that are not? Was Jesus KNOWN as the person who was "antigay?" ... some where I think I read he was known as a "friend" to sinners. I guess that just might include "gays."

As a Christian, should we be concerned about what a non-believer thinks? Should we be worried about what the "pagan" might believe about something she could not understand from the outside? The answer is YES!

Is it not interesting that Moses appealed to what the Egyptians would think of God (his reputation) if he destroyed the Israelites ... even in the face of the Golden Calf debacle? "Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth?" (Exodus 32.12) ... God seemingly cared what the pagan Egyptians would think of his reputation. Should we not also be concerned about our "image problem?" I think we should. I think the perceptions of a younger generation is a huge barrier to message of the kingdom.

Information gathered in Unchristian should motivate us to embrace the full wealth of our faith. Perhaps we have been to selective in our preaching and teaching ... perhaps it is time to embrace the unbelievably profound depths of biblical faith and preach it with a renewed sense of humility and genuine love for those around us ... telling the truth in LOVE ... how biblical can that be? Perhaps we need to remind ourselves once again that Christianity was around for a long time before the USA and God is not Republican or Democrat ... nor white, nor even Protestant! At the very least Unchristian views should force us to ask the question of "why" do people think what they think about us. The look in the mirror may be good for us ...

Shalom,
Bobby V

P.S. In light of some of the developing comments I have decided to link this post I wrote over two years ago called Jesus: The Welcoming Friend of Sinners ... Even Homosexual Sinners ... Perhaps it will further stimulate good discussion.

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Here and There

I realize it has been a while since I posted anything and I promise to get back on that. In the mean time here are some things I have found on the net that are worthy of your attention ...

The Most Incredible images of Saturn Here

Here is an insightful article by one of my favorite scholars, Walter Brueggemann on
Biblical Authority

Here is an interesting (and short) article on Derrida and Gadamer ... guys not normally put together. Bruce Ellis Benson, Gadamer, Derrida and How We Read

And N.T. Wright always has something worthy of consideration, God's Way of Acting


Shalom,
Bobby V

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The Collapsing Brass Heaven - Random Readings

Our world is a changing world. One of the symbols of the collapse of the Brass Heaven of Modernity is the demise of the print newspaper. Here is an interesting reflection on the death of a major paper on Colorado by Bill James The Future of Newspapers.

A new blog has been set up called Grace Conversations. The four contributors to this blog are Phil Sanders, Greg Tidwell, Jay Quin, and Todd Deaver. These four are discussing the disagreements that divide "conservative" and "progressive" groups in American Churches of Christ.

I've been doing some serious study of the Apostle's Creed which I believe to be a stellar summary of the apostolic faith. Alister McGrath's handy dandy I Believe: Exploring the Apostles' Creed. McGrath's is a succinct exposition and suitable for small groups. Wolfhart Pannenberg's The Apostles' Creed, In Light of Today's Questions. A lively investigation by one the 20th centuries leading theologians. One of the best and more detailed books that include both historical and theological investigation is Luke Timothy Johnson's The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters.

I picked up David Damrosch's The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh in the PHX airport on the way to Tulsa. It is a fascinating and highly readable narrative of 19th century Indiana Jones types. This is an engaging tale and I highly recommend it. The recovery of the world of Terah and Abraham and other legendary ancients.

Finally Patrick E. McGovern's Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture is fascinating and enlightening. I had read this work before but have gone through it again recently. This is anything but a dry account. It is nearly the story of humanity. Wine has been around nearly as long as there is history. He tells of the discovery of wine at Godin Tepe that dates to between 3100 and 3500 BCE. Then the recovery of wine from Hajji Firuz dating to "approximately" 5400 BCE. That is over 7000 years old. This book, like Damrosch's work, is a tale of humanity and what and who we are. But for the Bible student this work helps understand the culture of Israel. The chapter "The Holy Land's Bounty" is insightful. Palestine was literally a land flowing with wine. In the Egyptian tale of Sinuhe for example we read

"It was a good land, called Yaa
Figs were in it, and grapes.
It had more wine than water.
Abundant was its honey, plentiful its oil."

We so easily read our post-19th Century American Temperance Movement thoughts and ideas back into the sacred record that McGovern's book is a necessary corrective. But it is more than that it is a good read.

Blessings on all.

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