A Lifeway Research study finds that Americans’ image of Christians is in decline. Churchgoers believe this is the responsibility of both Christians and the country’s citizens.

“Many churchgoers admit Christians are getting in the way of the message of Jesus Christ,” Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said. Many of those polled (66%) say the decline is due to the irrelevance of faith in God. Nearly half (45%) say it is due to the incongruent behavior of Christians whose beliefs are not reflected in their behavior.

Nearly 7 in 10 respondents (69%) say the perception of Christians in America is increasingly negative. While 21% of respondents disagree and 10% of those polled express uncertainty, the survey found consensus on where these numbers are headed.

More than half (53%) of U.S. Protestant churchgoers polled believe that most Americans view Christians favorably. Forty percent of those polled disagree, while 8% say they aren’t sure.

More than women, men agree that Christians are positively perceived by most Americans (56% to 49%). The survey also found that most African Americans (66%) and Hispanics (65%) are more likely to agree with this sentiment than European Americans (48%) and people of other nationalities (44%). 

On the other hand, other nationalities (84%) are more likely to say Americans’ perception of Christians is getting worse. European Americans (71%) are more likely to agree when compared with Hispanics (61%) or African Americans (60%).

“The percentage of churchgoers who believe most Americans view Christians positively is remarkably close to