Sara Robinson – October 10, 2007:
A study released last week by the Barna Group, a reputable Evangelical research and polling firm, found that under-30s — both Christian and non-Christian — are strikingly more critical of Christianity than their peers were just a decade ago. According to the summary report, Barna pollster David Kinnaman found that the opinions of non-Christians, in particular, had slid like a rock in that time frame. Ten years ago, “the vast majority” of non-Christians had generally favorable views of Christianity. Now, that number stands at just 16%. When asked specifically about Evangelicals, the number are even worse: only 3% of non-Christian Millennials have positive associations with Evangelicals. Among the Boomers, it’s eight times higher.
When Kinnaman asked senior pastors if they were seeing this too, half of them told him that, yes, they are finding their work to be an uphill battle — “because people are increasingly hostile and negative toward Christianity.” And his research bore this out. When he ranked young non-Christians’ most common perceptions of Christianity, nine of the 12 most common attributes they named were negative ones. According to the study, “Common negative perceptions include that present-day Christianity is judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old-fashioned (78%), and too involved in politics (75%).”
Overall, the new Barna study seems to offer some hopeful prospects for a more generally liberal and diverse America in the decades ahead. Evangelical Christianity won’t go away — but there’s a shift in its essential character afoot, which may even reverse the trend toward minority status over time. And it seem likely that big changes are coming that will not only make it more progressive in its view of its own mission; but will also make it a much better friend to democracy than it’s been in recent years.
Seems some are not liking obedience?
“Millennials” I have a problem with any organization, group or person that chooses to use that word.
This is hopeful news.
Maybe there’s hope for us “Christian acting” Christians after all…
Don’t Christians do any good in this world? This stereotyping is getting a little old. How many of you people actually know someone who is an Evangelical Christian? My guess is you are just acting out of prejudice and narrow mindedness which is just what you accuse the Christians of doing.
See you in hell
To quote, the misquote attributed to a Christian saint, “Credo Quia Adsurdium est!”. I believe because it is Absurd!
Yea, the yuths (sic! ) will save us. What do you bet all youths of every generation think that, and then they get into power and act just like humans do?
I was raised as a fundamental Christian. Then I went to college and started thinking for myself. It took me a while, but I’ve come around.
Religion may be the opiate of the masses, but count me out because I don’t do drugs š
In the words of the singer John Mayer “waiting for the world to change”.
I’m an older person on the far younger end of the baby boomers and I can’t wait for the younger crowd to rule the earth.
The only reason this is happening is the Religious Right. They’ve tarnished the values and words that they claim to hold dear.
Hopefully this will prompt a few of the people that blindly follow them to question what they are saying.
However it’ll probably just mean they’ll say “SEE! SEE! This is all because of those crazy secularists/evolutionists/athiests/leftists/anyonethatisn’tascrazyasus!”
#1 – Higghawker – Seems some are not liking obedience?
Some people think for themselves and don’t have to end up as a pet for an invisible deity… or more correctly, the organization who sell the particular deity.
And as for obedience… If you’re into that, I suggest you get into BDSM…
The Fundies are simply reaping the whirlwind they have sown !!! Serves them right !!!
#6 – Donāt Christians do any good in this world?
I’m pretty sure that there are many people, who happen to be Christians, who are doing lots of good in this world. One of them just won a Nobel Peace Prize, in fact.
Jimmy Carter, an Evangelical Christian, has done remarkable work in pursuit of peace, as well as making Habitat for Humanity into a pretty successful NPO.
But if we are talking about Evangelicals with TV networks, or Fred Phelps, or those slack-jawed asshats hassling troubled teens outside of Planned Parenthood Clinics, then no… not many. And frankly, I can’t think of many examples of good works done in the name of Christianity. Typically, those who come bearing crosses are often up to no good at all.
How many of you people actually know someone who is an Evangelical Christian?
I live in Indiana. The question is, who do I know that isn’t an Evangelical Christian?
See you in hell
Only if Hell is a real place, which it isn’t… But if most of the Bible Thumpers I know are going to Heaven (also a fake place), I’d rather be in Hell anyway.
“See you in hell.” Funny, I seem to remember a wise man who once said that you are yourself judged by the judgments you pass on others. I think it would be best for you if He were wrong, given that you just damned a group of people you don’t even know to eternal torment. But if that is the best thing for you, given your actions, why continue to use His name? Go worship Baal or something.
I just hope we can keep the people separate from the One that we worship. I completely understand the attitudes reported in the article, and share many of them. However, to refuse to listen or find out what Christianity is really all about is like not listening to a type of music (or a particular musician) because you don’t like their fans. Just the consequences are much greater.
If you want to know what Christianity is all about, I’d suggest the gospels. There is a lot written about Christ there, and if you read all of them and attempt to understand them in context, you might understand what He stood for. And you still don’t have to like His followers (though you’re commanded to love them as yourself š )
14. OhForTheLoveOf Only if Hell is a real place, which it isnāt
I read a very interesting and convincing article ages ago that argued that Hell, as the burning place of eternal damnation wasn’t “theologically correct” according to Biblical explanations of things. The article (sorry, can’t remember who wrote it or what the title was) reckoned that the Biblical hell wasn’t so much eternal fire as a sudden consumption of the person and their soul. Basically, if the person wasn’t right, they’d simply be consumed as if they were in a fire and cease to exists. So from a theological perspective you may also be correct.
Okay, enough dorkieness for now….
…. so, ah, how about them sports teams…. “go hometown!”
Well I’m one of those heathen kids. I’m still in high school, my parents go to church but I haven’t for a long time. My parents believe in god, I don’t and almost none of my friends do either and the ones who do know less about their religion than I do.
I think the guys conducting the study must have talked to my friends because we all think most religions are judgmental, hypocritical and old-fashioned. As hard as it might be for some religious types to believe we’re also good kids who get good grades don’t commit crimes, do drugs and are very accepting of people who aren’t like us. But religion is irrelvant to me. I believe in facts not faith and I also find the anger, homophobia, and general venom directed by some religious people (Ann Coulter) toward those who don’t think like them is an attitude that makes me completely uninterested in joinging their “club.” Kindness, decency, honesty and truth are what matter to me, not blind faith in ancient mythical stories.
Only 3% of the U.S. population says they are atheist but among young people it’s ten times as much. The “family values” of the religious right are disappearing with the next generation and it can’t come soon enough for me.
#16 – However, to refuse to listen or find out what Christianity is really all about is like not listening to a type of music (or a particular musician) because you donāt like their fans.
How do you figure that? I know that Christian apologists like to portray the religion as if there was the “real” religion and then the bastardized version that the “bad” followers practice… But in reality, Christianity must be defined by the actions and attitudes of the collective population of followers.
Just the consequences are much greater.
What consequences?
If you want to know what Christianity is all about, Iād suggest the gospels. There is a lot written about Christ there, and if you read all of them and attempt to understand them in context, you might understand what He stood for.
Honestly… who doesn’t understand Christ or the Christian mythology? It isn’t as if this a strange new cult just discovered… I can’t throw a softball in America without hitting a Christian. Almost everyone I know grew up in a Christian household. In fact, almost everyone I know is a Christian. I was dragged to church as a child. I was told the stories. When I was older I read the book… until I realized what BS the book was…
You are just going to make people like me angry when you say stupid things like, “and if you read all of them and attempt to understand them in context, you might understand what He stood for. Why? Because I don’t believe in your mythology. Jesus wasn’t real. There is no God. If you need a Jesus security blanket to sleep easy at night, have at it. But shut up about it in public. It’s embarrassing in the 21st Century to have to endure this primitive religion crap.
Just stop selling your religion. It isn’t that you aren’t marketing it right or that your target audience doesn’t understand the truth behind Christ. We get it. We just don’t want what you are peddling… And we especially don’t want it in our schools, research labs, government, etc.
Mustardo, Mustardo
Wherefore art thou, Mustardo?
I am a regular church attending Christian. When I tell people this I feel obliged to also say that my church approves of same sex relationships, is pro-choice, has female clergy of all ranks and supports the teaching of evolution. People who aren’t ‘religious’ can’t compete with my fellow Christians in the abuse I, and my church, get. Many Christians have told me I’m worse than an atheist and my church than atheism. Groups of Christians who aren’t members of my church have organized groups to try to undermine it. These same groups have vandalized our websites and tried to disrupt our worship services. I blame the Republicans and their hangers on for making this a culture war. I predict they’ll lose it.
The issue here, and I consider myself part of this demographic, is that I/we don’t follow tradition because it has been done, we follow what is right and what lines up with Christ. Being a Christian is not about following the error or heresy of the past and present, it is about being Christlike. Sometimes that calls for me to disagree with all Christian Televison (okay not sometimes, all the time), and anyone preaching or promoting of Gospel of health and wealth. Sola scriptura
#20 – Lauren
He’s busy with his obedience training.
#16 Kerry… I have very few disagreements with the philosophical principles espoused by Jesus, and I honestly believe that the world would be a more peaceful place if everyone followed his teachings. However, I make a distinction between Christian philosophy and the Christian religion.
The Christian religion differs from Christian philosophy (as expressed by Jesus) in one especially important aspect. The religion is theologically based on the worship of the same Hebrew god as described in the Old Testament of the Bible. That’s where it falls completely flat, because this is a god whose “Good Book” describes acts of great evil by that deity. The most notable among these evil acts include punishments continually imposed on innocent people along with the guilty, an idea that is completely antithetical to the notions of a good, fair, and omnipotent god.
In my mind, this continuing theme of petty group punishment thoroughly disproves the alleged good nature of the Hebrew god. It also provides evidence that the stories in the Bible were fabricated in part as a means of explaining certain natural disasters, where good people actually do get killed, but not as a result of God’s will or his inability to target only the guilty for punishment. Composing myths featuring externally imposed consequences for breaches of morality is not something that the Hebrew people invented, for it seems to have been quite useful in many other cultures as well. At some point, however, we should relegate these myths to their only valid role in our society with the disclaimer “For entertainment purposes only.”
And thus, I separate the Christian religion from Christian philosophy, the latter being far preferable. Jesus’ single greatest failing was the fact that he embraced the Hebrew god as his heavenly father, rather than disavowing him as evil, which also would have been the prime ingredient in a recipe for “premature crucifixion” š
#6 – Walther Tide,
I think this article is about the extreme right, the likes of Ted Haggard. Sure, some Christians do some good things despite the twisted morals of the bible. But, they’re not the abortion clinic bombers. They’re not the IRA. They’re not the fucktards advocating teaching ID over science.
See you in Hell
Not planning to go there. I plan to get back into the food chain instead. But, if heaven is full of freakin’ born again wacktards, that’d be hell enough for me. I don’t want to go.
“According to the study, āCommon negative perceptions include that present-day Christianity is judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old-fashioned (78%), and too involved in politics (75%).ā”
The problem is, what Evangelical Christian doesn’t fit in any or all of those 4 negative perceptions?
#26 – Angel
“The problem is, what Evangelical Christian doesnāt fit in any or all of those 4 negative perceptions?”
Angel, you correct bastard!
#23 – JƤg
“Heās busy with his obedience training.”
Hmmm. I thought he went off to have his SmugOmeter recalibrated… and lick his wounds in the meantime. š
#27, Lauren;
Let’s just hope his wounds are the only things the Mustard Man is licking!
Has been peaceful without him, though…
>>only 3% of non-Christian Millennials have positive associations with Evangelicals.
Is this any surprise? During their lifetime, American Christianity was dominated by the CONSERVATIVE wing of Christianity.
That wing of Christianity is so intolerant they don’t even believe that we liberal Christians are going to heaven.
I’ll say it again: modern terrorism and militancy is not strictly a religious problem — it’s a conservative religious problem.
We LIBERAL Christians, Muslims and Jews get along with each other just fine. (and the conservatives mock us for it.)
I firmly believe that the root reason for the rise of modern terrorism is the rise of conservatism , not Islam.
#26 >>The problem is, what Evangelical Christian doesnāt fit in any or all of those 4 negative perceptions?
I’m an evangelical Christian and I never personally get accused of that stuff.
The closest one I might be guilty of is “too involved in politics.” — if reading the paper, voting and having an opinion makes me so.
I’m a liberal Evangelical and I’m hardly alone. There are millions of us but most Americans have no idea we exist.
#30
“Iām a liberal Evangelical and Iām hardly alone. There are millions of us but most Americans have no idea we exist.”
That’s because unlike Fundamentalist Christians, people like you have a life.