Web writing question: "22 percent of non-Christians have a positive view of Christians."
What can evangelicals/born-again Christians do to change the negative view that non-Christians have about them?
This is a tough question. Not because I don't know what to do, but because sometimes the answer feels like a lost cause, and as much as it has been discussed, it is another area where Christians can't agree.
I think all Christians can agree that Christianity was and is grounded on Love. God's love for us, and Jesus' sacrificial love. But I think what people see is the Christians who aren't grounded in love. They see the Christians who protest outside of abortion clinics and yell to the women and doctors that they're going to hell. They see the Christians who stand on the street yelling in people's faces that gay and lesbians are sinful and are going to hell if they don't repent right now. They see the Christians in churches who act "holier-than-thou" and are full of gossip and hypocrisy. They see the priests and preachers who fall into sinful acts.
What they don't see is the Christian, who out of love, befriends and cares for a woman debating an abortion and gives her the cons of her decision and talks with her through that decision. They don't see the Christians who invite their gay and lesbian friends to church and speak with them about Jesus not because they want to "win them over" but because they love their friends and want to share with them the most important thing in their life. They don't see the Christians in churches who outside of church love their neighbors, are a friendly face, and a great person to talk to. They don't see the pastors and preachers that are really living a life of what Jesus called them to be.
What people see is the Christians who are acting out of hate, not love. So in order for us to show ourselves in a better light, we need to be Light. Not darkness. We need to show love, and give people hope, not condemn them. after all, we're sinners just as much as everyone else. It's not ourselves, but Jesus Christ who makes us perfect.
