Customer Reviews

When Bad Christians Happen to Good People: Where We Have Failed Each Other and How to Reverse the Damage

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the best books available on how Christians continue to damage the cause of Christ, "When Bad Christians Happen to Good People" is a must read. Mr. Burchett starts with an example from his own life involving his daughter. She had a terminal physical condition that posed no threat to anyone. However, the church decided that she was unwelcome in the nursery because of her problems. Didn't Christ reach out to those in need? Didn't Christ spend most of his time dealing with those who were outside the mainstream of society?

In a sad state of reversion to times gone by it seems that the modern Church has a lot in common with the Pharisees of old. Don't disturb our status quo, don't do anything that might make our nice, pretty church not look like the best one in the community. Not only does that apply to the physical church but the people of the church also.

I have attended several churches with the problems mentioned in this book (unfortunately far more seem to have the problems than do not). From one that wanted the teenagers to participate in taking up the offering but only if they could get a nice suit jacket to ones that would forgive and accept any repentitant sinner into their group but would not forgive a repentitant member who made a mistake.

While Burchett's criticism of the church can be caustic, he never makes a point that he does not backup with a real life example and then also backs it up with specific Biblical concepts. If you have been injured by the church or know of others that have been then this book is for you. On the other hand, because we all are human and at various times commit many of the sins covered in this book, it should be required reading for all Christians.

I bought this book thinking it would confirm my beliefs about why people leave churches. What I found are the answers to that multi-faceted issue, as well as much more food for thought and spiritual growth.
Dave Burchett, a cynical journalist-type like me, smacks me between the eyes with each compelling chapter. A devout, sinful, growing, imperfect Christian like me, he points out ways the church universal has hurt thousands of people yet points out ways we can turn the tide in hopes of helping fulfill Christ's Great Commission. We can't win souls for Jesus by condemning others, judging others or boycotts as Burchett points out ever-so-often.
He pulls no punches when he embraces the fact that Christ wants us ALL to have salvation and that we poor little, selfish, prideful humans cannot rid the world of sin. But if we are truly Christ's followers, we should spread extravagant love. Christ's ministry here on earth was about love and service and how we can have salvation.
We are supposed to give His love to EVERYONE!!!
That means love your neighbor even if he/she takes part in "Gay Days" at Disney, is a different color from you, has a tattoo or pierced tongue or drinks alcohol to oblivion. But, he also points out how we need balance in our lives to bring our yet-to-turn-their-lives-over-to-Christ friends to Christ.
I recommend this book to anyone and already have been told by those I've told about it that they want to buy it now.
And yes, I've been a bad Christian. But, now I know how to continue to grow to change that. Hopefully now, I'll think a whole lot more before I open my mouth or do something that would make our Savior cringe from above.

I am extremely happy with this book. Maybe it's because I'm a New Yorker, and we tell it like it is. I can sympathize with my Christian comrades that when we hear someone criticize Christianity or Christians, our first reaction is the definsive: "No, the person you are talking about must not be a 'real' Christian." But it is time to 'fess up, my friends. I am as guilty as you are of favoritism, negligence, deliberate hurtfulness, and many other things. (If we were not, why do we have a whole part of the church service devoted to "Confession"? That's not for "the unbelievers", friends. It's for "the faithful".) Having met Christians in other countries and from other countries, I am ashamed of American Christianity and its partisan politics, inability to separate faith from "Americanism" (read: laziness, indifference, exploitation, materialism). Burchett is living in the world (he's a TV sports director) and not of it; giving creedance to Jesus' hard teachings. If you are ready for a wake-up call and a challenge, read this book. It is excellent. I am only taking off one star as I think it's a little scatter-gun in the organization. But its time has come. Thank you, Mr. Burchett.

I had not heard anything about this book prior to buying it. The title was the only thing that caught my attention. After reading it though, I was blown away. Dave (the author) has an envious and captivating cynical wit to writing that makes it both hilarious and convicting to read. This is not just for unbelievers. In fact, I would go as far to say that it is more for Christians who have been believers their whole lives and need some "refueling" then for new, born again believers. (Sorry Dave...I'm using the "Christian" jargon)

But seriously, this book hit hard home. If you wan't a book that covers a lot of ground and reads like a conversation between you and a best friend, buy this book. If you don't like it, contact me and tell me why, I know you will love it though. I've been recommending this book to everyone I know. It's the most comprehensive book on "being real" as a Christian in all areas of your walk. Dave will offend you probably and make you think hard (even though his writing is simple and delightful to read), but his words will touch you.

I will never look at or think about ELECTION 2000, Piranas, or Disney protests the same way again. The beginning and the very end of the book are the only parts that seem week. Other than that, this book is amazing. It's an astonishing accomplishment for a person who has no degree in Bible or Religion or Theology and he will relate to you as a person.

The thing I loved most about the book (on a lighter note) was Dave's use of sarcasm. It's brilliant and will make you laugh out loud and re-read certain sections to see if what you just read was REALLY on the page. A true rarity! Bravos, kudos to Dave. Thank you for your guiding words and compassionate heart.

You WILL NOT be disappointed with this book. Whether you are a Christian hoping to reach others who have been turned off by the church or other Christians, or you yourself have been hurt and therefore "turned off," this book will touch your heart and your funny bone. This guy is hilarious, but never sacrifices his point just for a laugh. And his point may hurt, when you do a little self-examination. -- In one trip back east, the book title brought up conversations on each of my flights. On my Chicago to Rochester flight, the woman I spoke to was a professor at a Christian college who decided she'd buy a copy and most likely assign it to her freshman seminar class, after I read her several hilarious and thought-provoking excerpts. If I could rate this a 5+ I would. It's that good.

In his book, Dave Burchett sheds new light on today's church and the Christians that fill the pews. Burchett succeeds in writing a book that deals with the Christians who inflict pain on others through their actions, and Christians who the Christians who are victims of actions in the name of the same Christ that they serve. He unashamedly draws from experiences in his own life and faith to address issues that cross denominational lines and affect all Christians. We can all relate to the experiences that Burchett describes in our own lives and especially in our own churches. Read this book honestly and openly and allow it to change the way you think about faith forever.

Books sporting titles that parody other titles normally leave me cold, especially when they're Christian books doing a take-off on general-market books. I often get the feeling that the authors aren't creative enough to come up with catchy titles on their own. Not so with Dave Burchett. His title may be a parody on WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, but it's a highly creative one nonetheless. And it certainly is descriptive --- unfortunately, we all know what he's talking about.

Burchett opens with a full admission that he has been a very bad Christian who happened to some very good people. In other words, he has been the kind of Christian who gives other Christians a bad name --- a judgmental, hurtful person who often could not see the damage he was inflicting on others. Because of that, and because of the pain that has been inflicted on him, he writes with authority about the problems we have treating others as Christ wants us to.

Thankfully, he writes with an acerbic wit and a healthy dose of humor, injecting a droll comment when you least expect it ("Of major Christian denominations," he writes, "the Catholics and Lutherans have the lowest rate of divorce, perhaps because they can drink."). It's Burchett's humor that helps elevate this book above other gripe-fests about the sad state of relationships among Christians; he recognizes the intrinsic value of offering comic relief to readers who have just been hit with some fairly ugly truth about themselves and their brothers and sisters in the faith.

Given the treatment Burchett and his wife, Joni, once suffered at the hands of the church, it's a wonder that either of them have a sense of humor --- or that they even bother with Christians anymore. Born with a severe birth defect that meant certain death, their daughter Katie lived several months, significantly longer than the medical authorities expected her to. The Burchetts made adjustments to their family life to accommodate an infant that they knew would not be with them for long. Then, as Burchett writes, "the church entered in...[and did] what I would not have thought possible: They made our pain worse." Fearing that Katie might die during a church service or somehow affect the health of the other children (with whom she had no contact), the mothers in their small congregation held a secret meeting and decided --- without the Burchetts' knowledge or input --- that she was not welcome in the nursery.

As appalling as that is, Burchett quickly points out that similar stories are not all that hard to come by. He's right, of course; many of us can recount horror stories about the pain Christians have inflicted on each other and on the culture around us. But he doesn't leave us holding the problems in our hands with no idea of what to do about them. He offers solutions and guidance on how we can change our ways to become the kind of Christ-followers who would make others want to follow Christ as well.

That will require Christians not only to correct our penchant for intolerance, unkindness and downright cruelty, but also to overcome our tendency toward, um, flakiness. In an absolutely hilarious chapter titled "Godly or Gaudy?", Burchett strolls through a Christian bookstore with Jesus, who "stopped at the What Would Jesus Do? bracelet display. I found out what Jesus would do. He moved on." After the stroll, he does make some serious comments about responsible consumerism --- right before letting us in on his pre-recorded message for the Talking Tombstone that will grace his grave.

Bottom line is this: If you're thin-skinned, you probably won't consider this book to be "edifying" (though you would clearly benefit from reading the chapter on "CSL: Christian As a Second Language") or even funny. But for the rest of you --- the rest of us --- this is a wonderful and challenging read.

I found this book to be a comfort given a recent experience. Those who are seeking to be relevant Christians are possible targets of the Pharisee attitude within the Church. Dave uses some specifics that one would expect in an analysis like this, and draws appropriate conclusions.

While he makes very valid points, he is a little weak in the area of love the sinner, hate the sin emphasis. One wonders if he almost thinks we should avoid being controversial by standing for anything. The key is that we are all sinners saved by Christ's love, none are perfect. Somehow this theme does get lost a bit.

However, while I do think that some of his points are weak because he took a couple quotes out of context. His main theme is that "by their fruits you shall know them". Some people are fruity, while others are just nuts!

I think this book is essential reading for anyone who seriously desires to make an impact in the world as a testimony to Christ's love. One must always put love as the number one priority in all we do or say. To bad most pastors and leaders are clueless.

I would recommend Phillip Yancey as a resource for healing from spiritual abuse.

The title and cover of the book appear to be targeted to people who have left the church, or unbelievers who have been hurt by christians.

I picked it up because I have been trying to see Christians (see myself) through the eyes of unbelievers or people who have walked away from the faith.

What I found was a book surprisingly geared toward ME, the evangelical christian, seeking to live more like Christ, and struggling with how our worldview fits in with what Jesus would have spent his time on.

I don't think unbelievers or people who have walked away from the faith will be satisfied with this book...but christians who have been hurt by other christians and are still in the church, or christians who are the ones hurting others (whether you realize it or not) will really be challenged by what the author has to say.

I enjoyed it.

Dave Burchett is one of those brave Christians who writes from the heart, and he uses his own life as an example. In this book, he focuses on a number of topics, including the contemporary Church of Christ, and he makes a number of very humorous, albeit sarcastic observations on the state of affairs in modern Christendom.

He speaks of the "Christian as Second Language," which is a very witty chapter, and one of the most intriguing chapters I've read, and there aren't many which address this topic, is the chapter on "The Six Things I Learned about Evangelism from the 2000 Election," and he ties his political observations with spiritual truths. A very revealing and interesting treatise.

While I may disagree with him on some of the small stuff, the overall message of this book is a positive one, and I'd highly recommend it.