Perception

We are called to develop devotion to Christ, which provides for us the capacity to live the life He has intended for us.  But, it also may result in our being rejected by some in the world who are not open
to the things of God. 1st Peter 2 says:
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The truth is that no one is acceptable to God, but that He has loved humanity anyway and provided a Savior, His only Son, who calls us into a relationship with Himself.  He taught the truth about God, and many followed Him and still others rejected Him.  So it is today - we are called to share the love and truth of Jesus; that may put us at odds with some in our culture, but we can continue to be faithful to live for Him and to allow the Spirit to move through us to touch others.

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Jesus taught that we have been called and chosen by Him, and we have been sent into the world to testify of His greatness and love.  But, not all will accept - and there will be rejection.  John 16
highlights these concepts:
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

There's a relatively new Pew Research survey that attempts to measure the perception of various religious groups on a 100-point thermometer - a "feeling thermometer," as the survey's summary describes it.  The summary states: "a new Pew Research Center survey finds that when it comes to religion, Americans generally express more positive feelings toward various religious groups today than they did just a few years ago."  The last such survey was taken in 2014.

One storyline that has attracted some attention is that evangelical Christians "are the only group for which the mean rating did not change since the question was last asked in 2014."  But, that's a good news/bad news scenario - evangelicals have an overall rating of 61, same as three years ago.  Topping the list were: Jews - up 4 points to 67%, Catholics - also up 4 to land at 66%, and Mainline Protestants, which were not measured in 2014, but who appeared at 65%.

These so-called "feelings" toward Buddhists, Hindus, Mormons, atheists, and Muslims all rose, even though atheists and Muslims trailed the pack at 50 and 48 percent, respectively.

A Christianity Today story on the survey stated this:

Overall, 44 percent of Americans feel positively about evangelicals, while 38 percent feel neutral and 18 percent feel negatively. The ratings fall when responses from fellow evangelicals, who made up more than 1 in 4 of respondents, are removed: Just under a third of non-evangelicals (32%) have warm feelings towards the group.

Part of the reason for evangelicals’ middling ratings is lack of exposure. The proportion of Americans who say they know an evangelical dropped by 9 percentage points from 2014 to 2017, down to 61 percent today.

To me, this is somewhat of a mixed bag - it is not as dire as some might characterize it - after all, 6-in-10 have these so-called "warm" feelings.  And, there are the expected swings based on age or political bent.  So, it's not necessarily an indictment.  There is also ample evidence to suggest that evangelicals often receive negative portrayals in media.

The CT story also said:

Previous ratings have prompted a range of responses; some may look at the same report and champion evangelicals’ popularity while others lament society’s negative views, as sociologist Brad Wright wrote for CT in 2011. His conclusion:

Ultimately, evangelical Christians might do well not to spend too much time worrying about what others think of us. Christians in general, and evangelical Christians in particular (depending on how you ask the question), are well-regarded in this country. If nothing else, there's little we can do to change other people's opinions anyway. Telling ourselves over and over that others don't like us is not only inaccurate, it also potentially hinders the very faith that we seek to advance.

I think we can consider a couple of concepts here - there is perception vs. reality, plus there is acceptance vs. rejection.  I agree generally with Brad that we should not spend a lot of time concerned about how we are perceived.  That perception may or may not reflect the reality of evangelical people or practice.  But, we have to be concerned that people are not seeing the attractiveness of Christ through us.  If our actions belie our Savior and people are repelled by Him because of us, then that is a problem.  And, as the CT article points out, fewer people know an evangelical personally - it is hard to understand and relate to what or whom you do not know.

I would caution that in our desire to be liked, we have to be careful not to compromise the message of the gospel.  We cannot sacrifice sharing truth with acceptance by the masses.  But, Jesus called us and sent us to "all the world."  To do what - to "preach the gospel."  So, we have been dispatched to communicate the love of a Savior.  He taught us that there would be those who reject us, and certainly many rejected Him.  All in all, we can make it our aim to reflect Him accurately and passionately and not be a stumbling block for others.  Through the way we live and speak, we can testify to His great love, His mercy, and His desire for all to know Him.