I’ve been reading a book lately by the unusual title of “Christians are hate-filled hypocrites and other lies you’ve been told” by a gentleman named Bradley Wright.  His purpose in writing this was to counter the flow of dire predictions about the state of evangelicalism today.  The author takes a look at the various propositions that people have made about the evangelical church and does an admirable job in presenting alternate ways to understand the data and statistics so that the future is less alarming.

One good thing about the book is that it reminds us that, when peering into the future, we need to be cautious about authoritative pronouncements.  He places a different interpretation on data that others look at.  I see his analysis more as a “glass half full” effort as opposed to a “glass half empty” view.  For example, in countering the criticism of some that Christians are largely uneducated he says this:

“Nationwide, 27% of all adults have graduated from college… Evangelicals are somewhat below the national average. The religious unaffiliated are just slightly above average in levels of college education.”

 Ok, that doesn’t sound too bad, does it?  Here is the data quoted:  The college graduation rate, nationwide, is 27%.  Among evangelicals it is 20% and among the religiously unaffiliated it is 29%.  Now if we took that data using the “glass half empty” model we might say this:

“On a per-capita basis, the religiously unaffiliated graduate from college at a rate 45% higher than Evangelicals.”

 Both summaries are right, they are just two different ways of stating the same data.  Wright’s book is full of this sort of “happy option” way of looking at things.  This is not altogether wrong and it serves a point, there is no cause for gloominess and defeat even as we struggle with the realities around us.  In this I applaud him.

 But here is my complaint in an otherwise good book.  And it is right in the title.  What does he call the views of those who differ with him?  Lies.  In other words, those who have expressed concern are liars.  This is exactly the attitude that gives Christians a bad reputation (even though he says we don’t have one).  We are too quick to call people who disagree with us liars.  They are not simply wrong, they are lying. 

 This is particularly bothersome as, almost to a man, the concerns being expressed about our future are made by honest Christians sincerely dedicated to the church and to reform, our own denominational president among them.  These are not gloom-and-doom types seeking the demise of Christianity; they are our best and brightest calling us to renewal.

 I’ve looked at some of this data myself and I can see the struggles we face.  I am thankful for those who are sounding the alarm.  But more importantly, I reject out of hand the calling of those brave men and women liars.  A lie is stating what you know to be false as the truth and they are not even slightly guilty of this.  This is particularly egregious as most of these brothers and sisters, some of whom he quotes by name, made these predictions as part of a call to transformation, seeking nothing but the good of the faith.

 How are we often so quick to throw about terms such as “lies” in these matters?  It is an infection of the spirit of the age.  Political liberals and conservatives, not content to think the other side is wrong, accuses them of evil intent.  Those who advocate or deny global warming insist the other side is knowingly lying.  And we pick these terms and feelings up and throw them at each other in such situations as this or others like tongues, healings, end times etc.

 But grace calls us to be distinctly different.  We are called to have sincere and cordial discussions with brothers in Christ who differ.  We are even called to turn the other cheek when mean-spirited unbelievers mock us.  Our grace in such discussions gives us a unique opportunity.  By acting in a gracious way it gives people pause to wonder why we have not returned tit for tat.  And this gives us the opportunity to express the love of Christ.