In one of his organization's polls, Barna found that only 22 percent of non-Christians have a positive view of evangelicals.
What can evangelicals/born-again Christians do to change the negative view that non-Christians have about them?
Christians seem to want to fill a quota. They don't seem to care about the people, really, and they tend to judge rather than actually know. Christians look at people like me, aka people who don't adhere to the "rules" laid out by Christianity and they judge us, which is stupid, because the whole reason they are prone to JUDGE rather than UNDERSTAND is because they DON'T...understand. The Christians people like and actually listen to are the people who understand rather than judge, empathize rather than try to control. This statistic is surprising to me only in that it is as high a number.
Christians can't and shouldn't do anything besides be the kind of people they're trying to make everyone else into. Be loving, forgiving, be good stewards..etc. Non-Christians are coming from perspectives of betrayal and abuse and disappointment,and having some higher-than-thou prep come up to them and tell them what they're doing wrong is so very obviously not the cool way to go, let's be real. Yet that's how too many Christians approach non-Christians. You don't know, you don't get it, so don't pretend to. Just go about your way, do what YOU do right, and we'll probably notice, and if we notice that it's working for you and that you're a better person than us and have a more fulfilling life than us, chances are we're going to want that too. It's something as simple as going to a party but only have 1 beer and then taking care of your drunk friend, or going out to smoke with a group of friends but not smoking..just talking..and not judging. It's those little things that Christians can do that mean a much bigger thing to non-Christians, because when we see those little things we learn something huge: you care more about being around me, care more about ME, than this or that rule or what your friends will think if they see or whatever agenda your church has put you on. And it also tells us that you're not some jerk that thinks he's got his life more together than me and therefore knows exactly what I need and has to tell me so that his amazing knowledge can save me. Gross. Seriously. Because that kind of attitude is like saying that you're somehow immune to what's happening to me..to this weakness in me that needs a drink, like you could never or would never or you know better. Disgusting. The fact is, we're all susceptible, and congratulations for not having this temptation or not having had to experience something so devestating that the only thing that makes it go away is 7 shots of rum.. but you've got something worse, in my eyes, and I'd rather die early of cancer from cigarette smoke than live a life being an arrogant prick like most of today's Christians.
Oh, wow . . . it seems as if my post topic hit an exposed nerve, so to speak! It's unfortunate that you consider most Christians to be "arrogant pricks." Do you honestly feel that way about your fellow students here on campus?
ReplyDeleteI think—no, know—that all of us desire to be loved for who we are. We want someone to care about us deeply, someone who will spend time asking the hard questions and waiting patiently while we try to express ourselves. And many of us never experience that kind of love, that kind of caring. And so we're left bleeding on the inside.
As you say, if Christians spent time really caring about people around them in this way—living out Christ's love to others—then the non-Christian world would begin to be transformed.
This topic brings us, really, full circle. If we aren't living as Christ desires for us to live—if we aren't living sanctified lives—then the results will be that we won't have an impact on those who don't know Christ.
Thanks for your honesty.
Mike