Christianity's Image

Hat tip to Jay Voorhees for his post on the Time article about Christianity's Image problem. The stats in this article are staggering. It is amazing how people view the Christian faith, both from the inside and the out. Are they right though?


The time article stated that "Nine out of ten outsiders found Christians too "anti-homosexual," and nearly as many perceived it as "hypocritical" and "judgmental." Seventy-five percent found it "too involved in politics." What troubles me is I don't know where they are getting these ideas. Don't non-Christians know that there are tons of churches within the US and all around the world that are true to God's calling to love their neighbor as themselves? You can drive though any town, city, or metropolis and find a church that is being true to the calling to go out into the world and make disciples of all the nations. They are following Christ's two commandments to love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves. I simply don't understand where people get the idea that there are churches, ministers or Christians out there who deliver the gospel of hate and judgement.


My guess is that it is definitely not from the television. As I watched the Inspirational Channel or the preachers on TV early in the morning, I can see God working through them. You can tell by their suits and their sets that they are in it not for the money but to make disciples. If I were a non-christian sitting at home viewing these shows and sermons, I cannot see how they would get these ideas. Maybe I am blinded by my faith or my knowledge of the church but I don't see how Christianity is getting such a bad image.


And this anti-homosexual connotations that supposedly is all in the Christian main stream. Where do they get this. Don't people know that God made us to love us and that is the thought of every Christian? Everyone knows someone who is homosexual and I know they look at that person with the same eyes that God does. I know they seem that person as a child of God. So why is the stereotype out there that the church doesn't like homosexuals?

All I know is that the universal church doesn't have to worry about its image because the ministers and churches out there portray such a good demeanor and love for everyone that they don't need to worry about it. Jesus is smiling right now at how all denominations, all local and global churches who go out there do their ministry in his name.