I like to give people more credit than that. I think non-Christians who appreciate the life and teachings of Jesus have a richer understanding of him than the mere "nice hippy" you describe above. I know a lot of non-Christians who are much better examples of giving everything to the poor than the majority of church-goers, and they appreciate the example of Christ. Frankly, I think Christians would do well to pay more attention to what non-Christians see in Jesus. I think Christians are at least equally guilty of transforming Jesus into a fantasy figure who just makes them feel good about themselves.

Dustin Kidd