UnChristian

So John and I took a trip to the town carnival today in Galloway. It comes every year. Its pretty small and not a big deal unless your a 'tween' looking to mack it to your girlfriend (they were everywhere), but we figured it would be nice to get out the house to walk around for a bit. So, we went, walked and 5 minutes later, we were done.
We drove 15 minutes to get the stroller out and walk around for 5 minutes? There had to be more to do. Well, luckily there was. The carnival was right by the library so I figured I'd stop in and grab a few books. I had recently read an article on the "10 books you should have read in high school, but you probably just bought the cliff notes" and I was feeling guilty so I thought I'd grab all those American Literature classics I never read.
I like the library. Its quiet and therapeutic to walk up and down the aisles looking at random books. I like reading the summaries. Sometimes I pick up books that have a kool title or I'll pick up a book simply because the picture on the front is colorful. This is my idea of a good time these days.
Anyhoo, I was walking around aimlessly trying to find those American Classics and I stumbled upon the religion section. I was not looking for this particular section, but I had managed to make my way there. I rummaged through a few books, pulling them from the shelf and reading their summaries. Most looked boring to me, like old history books. But one in particular caught my attention. It was titled, "UnChristian." I grabbed it, read the summary and was immediately enthralled. I had to get this book. A few minutes later, after I grabbed a few of those American Classics, I was checking out and headed back to the car.
I'll be honest, as we were driving I wondered if I would really read the book. I wanted to and had good intentions, but when would I find the time? Well, I managed to find time tonight before bed and I will tell you that having only read 25 pages of this book, I am hooked. So hooked that I will share this book with you chapter by chapter as I read it. So here is chapter one.
This book is about the UnChristian or those outside the faith between the ages of 16-29. It is about the 'outsiders' (which includes many different people, not just atheists) perception of Christians and Christianity. And the findings are not good. Outsiders (as the author refers to them) of that age range find Christians to be hypocritical, judgmental, and often have a hard time connecting with them. The authors goal is to make Christians aware of these perceptions and to bridge the gap between believers and 'outsiders' so they (or we) can bring more people to Jesus. The author believes bridging the gap will help us better communicate and connect with 'outsiders.'
This all makes sense to me since I fall between the targeted research group. I have had many many conversations with people about how the church has failed and that is why we see very few 18-30 year olds in the church today.
However one thing got me thinking. The author begins to describe the characteristics of older Mosaics and younger Busters (the 16-29 year olds) in detail. We are an interesting bunch (I say 'we' because I fall into that category). He describes as this:
"..young people perceive the world in very different terms than people ever have before. For example, the lifestyles of Mosaics and Busters are more diverse than those of their parents' generation, including education, career, family, values, and leisure. Young people do not want to be defined by a 'normal' lifestyle. They favor a unique and personal journey."
He continues by stating:
"...relationships are a driving force. Being loyal to friends is one of their highest values. They have a strong need to belong....Still, under their relational connectedness lies fierce individualism...they are irreverent and blunt. Finding ways to express themselves and their rage...Being skeptical of leaders, products, and institutions is part of their generational coding...They do not trust things that seem too perfect...(They) enjoy more hours of media...Technologies connect young people to information and each other-and power their self-expression and creativity...(Kinnaman, 2007)."

I would have to agree with this generalization and I would expect you to agree as well if you fell into the 16-29 yr old age range.

As I mentioned before, something got me thinking. The author mentions a study conducted in 1996. The study was based on an outsiders perspective of Christianity. They found that 85% of Americans favored Christianity and had a positive outlook on Christians. However, ten years later, that number was cut in half.
One could say different people were surveyed which could have drastically changed the results; however, both studies, the one in 1996 and the one in 2006, included atheists, agnostics, and non church goers. So let's say that wasn't a factor.
My question is this:
Is it the church's fault for being hypocritical, judgmental, fearmongering crazies that has turned people off in the past ten years? Or is it the 'outsiders' fault for becoming cynical skeptics?
I would love some feedback.