A new survey taken by the Episcopal Church in America has revealed a disconnect between believers and non-believers on how they view Christianity.
According to the poll, asking a Christian to describe other Christians, will largely see the response as ‘compassionate’ ‘loving’ and respectful.
However asking a non- Christian the same question, will vastly see the response as ‘hypocritical’, ‘judgemental’ and ‘self-righteous.’
Also non-believers are also far more likely to say Christians do not represent the teachings of Jesus.
Presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church Michael Curry said: “There is a disconnect between the reality of Jesus and the perceived reality of Christians.
“This was an attempt on our church’s part to actually listen to what others were saying about Jesus, about us. We dared to ask, ‘How are we perceived?’
The denomination also wanted to open a conversation and dialogue, the presiding bishop said. Christians need to learn to listen, Bishop Curry said.
Bishop Michael Curry also noted most people aren’t generally aware of the differences between evangelical and mainline Protestant Christians.
The survey also revealed that
Many non-Christians were also may not be aware of the things Christians are doing, such as volunteering in soup kitchens or serving in other ways.
Closing the gap between people’s perceptions of Jesus and their perceptions of his followers will take a 'new Reformation' Bishop Curry said.
That includes not only “re-presenting” a Christianity that he believes looks more like Jesus to the rest of the world, but also better formation of Christians around Jesus’ teachings and way of life.