Earlier today I started reading Unchristian: What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity... and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007). It's a well researched book with a particular focus on what 18-29 Americans outside of the Christian faith perceive of Christianity, particularly as it is practiced in the U.S. While this research focused on the U.S., I would say that the French would have similar perceptions, but helps to a stronger degree.
In considering whether these perceptions of Christians by unchristians really matter, Kinnamon & Lyons write:
However, before you dismiss the unChristian perspective as 'just Christians doing their duty' realize that the challenge runs much deeper. The real problem comes when we recognize God's holiness but fail to articulate the other side of his character: grace. Jesus represents truth plus grace (see John 1:14). Embracing the truth without holding grace in tension leads to sharp legalism, just as grace without truth devolves to compromise. Still, the important insight based on our research is that Mosaics and Busters rarely see Christians who embody service, compassion, humility, forgiveness, patience kindness, peace, joy, goodness and love. (pp.36-37)
It seems that many times Christinas are characterized by non-Christians more by what they don't do, rather than upon what they do. There are other perceptions as well. Concerning their importance, Kinnaman & Lyons write:
1. What people think about Christians influences how they respond to us Mnay people make a conscious choice to reject the message of Christianity, or to avoid churches, because of their views about the faith. People's attitudes drive their actions. For instance, our firm has done community-based research for hundreds of churches. Many congregations are perceived in the same negative terms: judgmental, boring, insincere, arrogant, old-fashioned, irrelevant, and so forth. Typically those images are based on specific experiences that outsiders have had in that particular church. So the negative images are not just 'made up' or 'out there.' Young outsiders are choosing to avoid churches and reject allegiance to Christianity because the faith seems at odds with the type of people they want to associate with.
2. What people think about Christians shuld help us be objective. Outsiders kept telling us that Christians are not realistic or transparent about themselves. An important perspective we should embrace is 'You are what you are, not what you tell people you are.' As Christians, however, we need to make continual, honest evaluations of ourselves so that we can uncover the ways in which our lives do not accurately reflect what we profess. Then we might be more discerning about the things we say and how we say them. We might realize that people don't change their perceptions just because we disagree.
3. What people think of Christians can change. Another reason Christians should care about the image of their faith is that people's attitudes are constantly in flux, particularly in a society that is as fluid and dynamic as ours. Just a decade ago the Christian faith was not generating the intense hostility it is today. If the Christian faith has image problems today, the ever-changing environment means we have the opportunities tomorrow to change those perceptions. This won't happen if we try simply to make ourselves look good. The reputation of the Christian faith should never be managed or spin-doctored, but we can change how we're known by becoming moe Christlike.
4. What people think about Christians reflects personal stories. The unChristian faith affects your life, perhaps more than you realize. As you interact with your friends, the labels 'hypocritical,' 'conversion-happy,' 'antihomosexual,' 'sheltered,' 'too political,' and 'judgmental' are welded to what many people think about you. You do not have to like this, but it's a fact of our complex world. (pp.37-38)
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