lpetrich
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Evangelicals Have an Awful Reputation with Non-Christians. They Earned It. | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos notes U.S. Adults See Evangelicals Through a Political Lens - Barna Group
Hemant Mehta:
Hemant Mehta:
Non-evangelical Christians were in between - Catholics and mainline Protestants.Here’s what they found: Most evangelicals describe their people as “caring,” “hopeful,” “friendly,” “encouraging,” and “generous.” No surprises there.
But the words that non-Christians used to describe evangelicals (at least moreso than any other group) include “narrow-minded,” “homophobic,” “puritanical,” “uptight,” and “invasive.”
From the Barna report,Barna concludes that, while the reputation of Jesus ultimately matters more than the reputation of evangelicals, Christians who want to convert others will have a hard time doing so if everyone hates them. (No kidding.)
As if their problem is a public-relations one. But it isn't. HM again:… will the public witness of evangelicals be a bridge or a barrier to the very thing they hold most dear: persuading others to put their faith in Christ? The findings strongly suggest that the perceptions of evangelicals are more barrier than bridge on the road to gaining a hearing for the gospel. As such, the results of this research require much soul searching among Christians to discern a way forward with the current ‘evangelical brand.’
For a bunch of conservatives, they are very reluctant to take responsibility for their actions.We think they’re homophobic because they are homophobic. We think they’re narrow-minded because they prove it every damn day. “Puritanical”? Just look at the way they handle sex education, purity culture, and women’s rights.