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Christians are not Bible thumpers- at least the ones I know...

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Wrong...To be clear, no one will likely approach you with prophetic Scripture or cry at you to repent on right away if you come into a church. Most Christians are ordinary individuals who love Jesus and strive to fulfill his instruction to love others. There are those Bible-thumpers out there who just want to scream you down, but they are few and far between. The majority of Christians are normal, reasonable individuals.

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Christians do not want to convert unless you want to be converted..

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To be honest, every sincere Christian wants to see more people come to believe in Jesus, but it isn't the only reason to invite new people to church. Genuine Christians really care about you as a person. And they're not all that different from you. In most situations, Christians want to learn more about you, become friends, and casually nudge you in the path of Jesus. But, most of all, they want to be a good friend.

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Christian stereotypes say they think they are perfect

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Christian stereotypes say they think they are perfect

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This might be the most harmful. Aside from their faith in Christ, Christians are no different than any other human being. Christians continue to blow it, conceal their sins, and manipulate others. Being a Christian, someone once remarked, does not make you perfect, only forgiven. That is correct.

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MOST Christians won't judge, grace is given instead...

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This one is difficult to disagree with, particularly when you see extremist Christians in the press criticizing organizations and people on both sides of the aisle. However, because they have been forgiven so much, most ordinary Christians see others through a lens of grace. In other words, they are not pointing a finger of condemnation at the world, but rather extending a humble invitation to experience freedom in Christ.

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We are all human and all people are hypocrites whether they believe it or not..

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Christian stereotypes say they are all hypocrites

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Christian stereotypes say they are all hypocrites

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This one is hard because Christians, like everyone else, are hypocrites. We all say one thing and do another at some point in our lives. However, labeling an entire group of people as hypocrites is hypocritical in and of itself. Remember, Christians aren't flawless.

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“She understood that the gospel was for the flourishing of all people,” her friend Jeff Chu, a gay seminarian and the author of “Does Jesus Really Love Me?".

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Breaking Christian Stereotyping into positives..The late Christian activist, Rachel Held Evans..a woman and mother of faith who embraced the LGBTQ, people of color and placed no judgement.

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Breaking Christian Stereotyping into positives..The late Christian activist, Rachel Held Evans..a woman and mother of faith who embraced the LGBTQ, people of color and placed no judgement.

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Rachel Held Evans, or R.H.E., as she was called, was a significant presence in modern Christianity. She was raised in an evangelical environment and has spent most of her professional life critiquing the harmful impact that conservative American culture plays in Christianity. She advocated for an intersectional approach to Christianity that accepted people of color, L.G.B.T.Q. persons, and women in all positions in the church in her four bestselling books, speeches, and constant presence on Twitter.

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When exposure to Christianity is not exposed to everyone..

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When exposure to Christianity is not exposed to everyone..

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Christian moms are just like any ordinary.

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Christian moms are just like any ordinary.

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Shauna Niequist is the author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine. Shauna grew up in Barrington, Illinois, and then studied English and French Literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. She is married to Aaron Niequist, who is a pianist and songwriter. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek Community Church and is recording a project called A New Liturgy. Aaron & Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac. Shauna writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life--friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God.

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Author Shauna Niequist was able to create positive change throughout her life by one simple task--choosing her priorities. Hear more from Shauna and... | By OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network | Facebook

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57K views, 582 likes, 80 loves, 28 comments, 143 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network: Author Shauna Niequist was able to create positive change throughout her life by one...

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Not all Christians are against same sex marriage

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Not all Christians are against same sex marriage

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The article highlights ten notable Christian leaders who have become advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, including Bishop Gene Robinson, Matthew Vines, Jen Hatmaker, and Rob Bell. The article notes that although not all Christian leaders agree on LGBTQ+ issues, there is a growing movement of Christians who are advocating for LGBTQ+ inclusion and acceptance within the church.

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(RNS) - In an interview this week, Christian best-selling author Eugene Peterson said he would be willing to officiate at a same-sex marriage. In saying so, he joins a prominent group of Christians whose views on same-sex marriage and LGBT issues have evolved.

These popular Christian writers, pastors or musicians, in no particular order, have publicly broken from the traditional hard-line position against same-sex marriage.

Jen Hatmaker

Evangelical leader, author and HGTV star Jen Hatmaker publicly changed her views on gay marriage in 2016. Both a Facebook post calling for LGBT acceptance and comments about supporting same-sex marriage in an interview with RNS led LifeWay Christian Stores to quit selling her books in October.

Jim Wallis

The founder of Sojourners magazine, Jim Wallis was raised evangelical. He defended traditional marriage in a 2008 Christianity Today article, saying he wasn't sure he'd perform a same-sex blessing, although he did express support for gay and lesbian civil rights. In 2013, Wallis answered "yes" when asked if he supported same-sex marriage in a Huffington Post interview.

Matthew Vines

After taking a leave of absence from Harvard University to study the Bible and homosexuality, Matthew Vines gave a speech at his church about accepting gay Christians that has amassed over 1 million views on YouTube since 2012. He also started The Reformation Project, a nonprofit trying to "reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity," and wrote the book "God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships."

Rob Bell

The former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church publicly stated his views on gay marriage while speaking at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 2013. He then reaffirmed them during an Odyssey Networks interview the same week. At Grace Cathedral, he also said evangelicals should no longer be assumed to be conservatives. He described "a very narrow, politically intertwined, culturally ghettoized, evangelical subculture" that he sees dying out.

Trey Pearson

In a post on his website titled " My Coming Out Letter," Christian rock musician Trey Pearson told fans that he identified as a gay man, despite being married with children. As he explains in the letter, published in June 2016, he was raised in a faith that taught him "sexual orientation was a matter of choice," so he repressed his sexual desires most of his life. Since coming out, he has written about life as a gay Christian and created a music video depicting his experience.

Julie Rodgers

Although she has identified as gay since high school, Julie Rodgers has officially supported gay marriage for only a few years. As she has chronicled on her blog and in The Washington Post, she first spent a long time advocating celibacy for Christians who were gay or lesbian. Now, she speaks and writes as an advocate for LGBT Christians.

Rachel Held Evans

In 2015, The Washington Post called Christian author Rachel Held Evans "the most polarizing woman in evangelicalism." This label comes from her positions on LGBT rights and homosexuality, topics she's grappled with publicly since starting her blog in 2008. In one of her old posts, "An Evangelical's Response to Homosexuality," she refuses to chose a side of the issue but does admit to wondering if the evangelical church "has it wrong." In more recent years, she has referred to herself as an "ally" and wrote about LGBT Christians in her 2015 book "Searching for Sunday."

Joel Hunter

The 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting caused Pastor Joel Hunter to re-evaluate his views on LGBT issues. While he said recently that his church, Northland, A Church Distributed, will maintain that the Bible prohibits gay relationships, he now believes conservative churches should welcome and support those of all sexual orientations. In May, Northland hosted a public forum to discuss LGBT issues within the church.

Vicky Beeching

Christian rock star Vicky Beeching still considered herself an evangelical, even after coming out via an interview with The Independent in 2014. During her keynote address at the 2015 Gay Christian Network's annual conference, the U.K.-based singer said she still loves the church. According to her official site, she now works as a speaker and writer, often discussing her personal journey and LGBT issues in the church.

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Notable Christians who've had a change of heart on LGBT issues - Religion News Service

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(RNS) - In an interview this week, Christian best-selling author Eugene Peterson said he would be willing to officiate at a same-sex marriage. In saying so, he joins a prominent group of Christians whose views on same-sex marriage and LGBT issues have evolved.

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Christianity suffers from negative stereotype

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Christianity suffers from negative stereotype

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Christians are often portrayed as judgmental, hypocritical, and intolerant of other beliefs. The author argues that these stereotypes are unfair and do not accurately represent the beliefs and practices of all Christians. These negative stereotypes can have a detrimental impact on Christians, both individually and as a group. It notes that Christians may be hesitant to express their beliefs publicly for fear of being labeled as intolerant or closed-minded. The article also explores the potential causes of these negative stereotypes, including media portrayals, political polarization, and the actions of a small minority of vocal Christians.

Overall, questions about the ways in which Christianity is perceived in modern society and the impact that negative stereotypes can have on individuals and the Christian community as a whole.

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What words come to mind when you think of Jesus Christ?

Now, what comes to mind when you think of Christians?

It is very likely the descriptions you just imagined are almost polar opposites. Loving, wise, forgiving, savior 8212; all of these and other praising terms may have popped into your head as you thought of Jesus.

I venture to guess pondering Christians, however, sparked thoughts of beautiful words like crazy, overbearing, hypocritical or even white, conservative and southern. Indeed, the common perception of Christians today discourages many people from ever considering going to church.

There are a number of reasons as to why this stereotypical view of Christians is so prevalent in society today. Popular media, for example, reinforces it relentlessly in the form of Ned Flanders on "The Simpsons" or the many "Family Guy" gags that either make fun of Christians or Jesus himself.

Let it be known: I enjoy both of these shows and am saddened by the truth in some of their religious satire, but they prevent TV viewers from opening their minds to the possible existence of people that are not stock characters. What a shocking notion.

Another cause of the narrow-mindedness many people approach Christianity with is, well, their narrow-mindedness. Some individuals are so convinced of the prevailing Christian image that they exert no effort to examine what the faith is actually about. Truly, the public too often takes what they see on the news &- which is aired because it is out of the ordinary &- and makes quick generalizations about members of certain groups.

Finally, Christians don't help themselves very much. Many that call themselves Christians merely attend church on Christmas and Easter &- the "Chreasters" &- and lead the rest of their lives in a very secular manner. Others do the exact opposite, going to church every single Sunday and exemplifying the perfect "Christian," but only doing so to feel good about themselves and judge sinners.

Approaches to evangelism are also poor. No one, not even devout believers, likes answering his or her door only to be confronted with a superficial smile and an "Are you saved?" I was disgusted this summer when I went to a Christian convention and some of the event facilitators encouraged attendees to do things like give strangers a bottle of water and exclaim, "Jesus loves you." I blame no one who thinks Christians are loonies.

University students and faculty, citizens of Fort Worth: if the rest of this article went through your eyes and out of the back of your head, please absorb what follows. God-loving, compassionate, accepting Christians do in fact exist and in much greater numbers than you may imagine. They are your colleagues, your classmates and your neighbors. If you feel your life is missing something, as if you have a greater purpose than to have a nice house with a white picket fence or like the things of this world can never truly satisfy you, seek those people out and seek God.

Students, there are hoards of fantastic churches, Bible studies and college groups very close to campus. I am already smitten with Christ Chapel nearby and the first IGNITE worship service held Aug. 30 in the BLUU Ballroom was very powerful and extremely well-led. I implore you all to let go of your preconceived ideas about Christians and look hard for genuine believers and disciples. I am confident that doing so can affect your life in wonderful, awesome ways.

John Adams is a freshman psychology major from Houston.

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Christianity suffers from negative stereotypes

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What words come to mind when you think of Jesus Christ? Now, what comes to mind when you think of Christians? It is very likely the descriptions you just imagined are almost polar opposites. Loving, wise, forgiving, savior 8212; all of these and other praising terms may have popped into your head as you thought...