unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters

[RamboLiberal]

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Kinnaman, president of the Barna Institute, was inspired to write this book when Lyons (of the Fermi Project) commissioned him to do extensive research on what young Americans think about Christianity. Lyons had a gut-level sense that something was desperately wrong, and three years of research paints exactly that picture. Mosaics and Busters (the generations that include late teens to early 30-somethings) believe Christians are judgmental, antihomosexual, hypocritical, too political and sheltered. Rather than simply try to do a PR face-lift, Kinnaman looks at ways in which churches' activities actually may have been unchristian and encourages a return to a more biblical Christianity, a faith that not only focuses on holiness but also loves, accepts and works to understand the world around it. It would be possible to get lost in the numbers, but the authors use numerous illustrations from their research and life experiences and include insights at the end of every chapter from Christian leaders like Charles Colson, John Stott, Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis. This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence churches for years to come. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Young people have graded Christianity, and so far, the report card doesn't look good.

Majorities of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay.

What's more, many Christians don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label.

A new book based on research by the California-based research firm the Barna Group found that church attitudes about people in general and gays in particular are driving a negative image of the Christian faith among people ages 16-29.

"The Christian community's ability to take the high road and help to deal with some of the challenges that this (anti-gay) perception represents may be the ... defining response of the Christian church in the next decade," said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president and author of the book, "UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/religion/stories/MYSA101307.01R.CHRISTIANIMAGE_.28beb95.html

[Warpy]

1. You can't sell hate to make money and gain power

and expect to take the moral high ground with idealistic young folks.

It just doesn't work that way.

[Lerkfish]

2. I can't disagree. The religious right have coopted hatred as their symbol

and in doing so soured everyone on christianity.

sad, really.

[FiveGoodMen]

3. And if the 'Prince of Peace' really IS god, they've got more than just PR problems!

[zonmoy]

4. why is it sad

when people are seeing christianity and gods true nasty nature.

[Lerkfish]

6. its sad because I'm a liberal christian.

and there is so much good that is not being seen or known about, drowned out by the fury of hatred.

[zonmoy]

7. while I am one of those younger people who pretty much got

pretty fucked up by dealing with fundamentalism. also include into the mix that I was figuring out I was gay and that my fundy family was so aggressive in pushing me back into fundyism that they nearly drove me to suicide.

[FiveGoodMen]

8. If it's ever going to get better, the push-back will have to come from Christians

Bottom line, if members of other religions criticize what the fundies are doing, that's just written off as religious differences/bigotry.

If members of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy (such as myself) knock any religion they just claim that we are:

A) Really one of them, but in denial
B) Tools of the Devil
C) Well, you get the point: Our opinion doesn't carry any weight inside any church.

If this particular faith ever again reflects the teachings of its founder, it will be because sincere believers stand up publicly, repeatedly, steadfastly, LOUDLY -- and in print -- and reject the awful, hateful views that are currently being sold as Christianity.

I've seen just a tiny bit of that here and there, but much more is needed.

[Bitwit1234]

5. It doesn't work for us old folks either.

I was raised a strict Catholic. After I married, I started to drift away. Now I really don't go to church at all. I can't help but see the hypocrites in religion. My sisters are still strict, strict Catholic and they are the biggest hypocrites you ever say. They support bush and swear by rush. They don't think people who are sick and poor should be help. They don't believe in unions, and they are definitely against immigrants. I just can not believe that this is religion.

I thought that the Christian thing to do is support those who need help. Not to try to forget them.

And the main reason I have lost belief in a higher being is bush. If God could let bush steal two elections and do this country and the world what he has done he is not looking out for this country. AND when the S.O.B. republicans say this nation is a Christian nation I puke.

[eileen fleming]

9. 9/11+ Radical Christian reports from Israel Palestine

MEMOIRS of a Nice Irish-American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory

For One Woman, September 11 Sparked an Odyssey of Faith to the Palestinian Territories" In my dream I stood at the edge of a dried up pool where crumbling stone columns were overgrown with vines and weeds and scores of doves and pigeons nested and flew. To my right was a large shade tree, but to my left I saw a few square squat dwellings with large satellite dishes attached to them. I remembered thinking the moment I woke up from that dream what a strange place it was, but then I quickly forgot all about it. That is, until the afternoon of June 12, 2005, four years later, when I found myself standing at the edge of a dried up pool where crumbling stone columns were overgrown with vines and weeds and scores of doves and pigeons nested and flew."

Impelled, compelled, and propelled by her faith as a progressive Christian, Eileen Fleming has journeyed four times to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. There she met with democratically elected members of Hamas, scores of Palestinian Christians and Muslims, and a few 21st-century prophets. The pages within this brave new work contain some of those interviews and her experiences listening to Christians, Muslims, Jews, secularists, anarchists, Nobel Peace Prize Nominees, and the whistleblower of Israel's underground WMD Program. This fascinating portrait will open your eyes and heart, and you will look at the Middle East in a new light.

---------------------------------------

A Must Read for Anyone Interested in the World, July 15, 2007
By Theodore Micceri "Themistocles"

Eileen Fleming's Memoirs is both an extremely interesting and highly informative account of the history and current situation in occuppied Palestine. The author provides a considerable amount of well documented information regarding the roots, history and anti-semitic nature of Zionism in both it's Chrisian and Jewish forms. She clearly delineates the Theocratic Ethnocracy that is today's Israel and demonstrates though example after example how it disciminates against all Goy (non-Jews and obviously inferior peoples), whether they be Christian, Muslim or of any other religious belief.

As a result of this persecution, Christains today make up fewer than 2% of Israel's population although they represented 20% in 1948. Israel's consistent persecution has forced most Christians to flee their homeland and seek asylum in other nations. Her historical explications showed me the clear parallels that exist between the Italian Mafia and the Israeli Hagganah and it's spin-off's like the Irgun and the Stern Gang.

Perhaps the most interesting section is her extensive description of Mordeci Vanunu, the secular Jew who told the world about Israel's Atomic Bombs and as a result, spent 18 years imprisoned, mostly in solitary confinement. She likens him to Biblical prophets, who pointed out impending doom. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the future of the world, because, as Britain's Tony Blair noted, probably 70% of the world's conflicts can be traced directly to the Israeli/Palestinian situation.

---------------------------------------

By Dr. G.I.D. March 2, 2007

"Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory" picks up where her first book, "KEEP HOPE ALIVE" left me off.

I am looking forward to the third effort from this prolific author who speaks the truth boldly, challenges the conventional wisdom-and mainstream media as she offers HOPE and reconciliation to a dysfunctional world.



-----------------------------------------


# Paperback: 132 pages
# Publisher: Outskirts Press (February 5, 2007)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1432702548
# ISBN-13: 978-1432702540

[Manifestor_of_Light]

13. Eileen Fleming also has a website - very interesting.

www.whatsuponplanetearth.com

[ClarkJKent]

10. What do people expect?

The fact that so many people are surprised by the wrongdoing or immoral acts of certain christians, just shows that people didn't really understand the bible in the fist place. The bible tells people to do atrocious things, and to believe many hateful things. If a person believes that this book is written by god, why is it such a shock that they take EVERY sentence seriously?

[Manifestor_of_Light]

12. Jesus was not always a nice guy, as well.

"I come not in peace but with a sword".

The part after that has come true millions of times. He said he came to split families up and he certainly has done that.

Lots of families that don't talk to each other for decades and generations because of religion.

[DemBones DemBones]

11. It all depends on where you look. There are many young people

who are very involved with the Christian faith. Many college students spend their spring breaks and summers helping disaster victims or others in need, at their own expense. That's been the case for decades. Mr. Bones and I have taught at four colleges over the past thirty-five years so we've had contact with thousands of college students. We also see a lot of young people within our own church who are enthusiastic about their faith.

It's always been true that a lot of kids lose their religion when they go to college but also true that many regain it later in life. I'm not surprised that a study shows that a lot of 16-early 30 something people are not religious. That was true for boomers and probably for our parents' generation as well.

Check with them again in ten to twenty years and many will have reconciled with God. Many of those will not be in the same denomination they were raised in but they will be Christian. Others will be Buddhists or follow other non-Christian religions.