I think the issue for many people (including many Christians) is the ignorance of an awful lot (majority?) of Christians, particularly in the United States. They are not only willfully ignorant of other people's beliefs, many are shockingly misinformed about their own views, as well. And they have real political influence that has many implications for public policy, the treatment of minority groups, etc.-which can't be said for most non-Christians, at least in the US. Although perhaps this is a really America-centric (and thus, hopelessly provincial) view of Christianity vs. "everything else."
Furthermore, there's a significant disconnect between someone like Augustine or whomever and how most Christians actually understand themselves. Most people aren't nearly so highbrow in their views, in general. You can argue whether that is good or bad, or value-neutral, but that doesn't change the fact that most people simply don't operate like eminent theologians or philosophers.
Could you elaborate?
Your study shows that Mormons and Evangelicals, generally the most maligned groups of Christians by Atlasians, know the most about Christianity. Sounds like the "evil bigots" know a thing or two about their own religion. And sure, atheists/Jews know more about other religions, but why must a Christian know much about Buddhism or Hinduism? An orthodox/Evangelical Christian like myself believes that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Other religions may say nice things, but my position is that there is only 1 correct way (I am not going to say whether only believers go to heaven, as there's some arguments against that) as well as that of other Christians. If that's the correct way, there's no reason to care about other directions.
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