When someone is described, or describes them self as a Christian, after learning more about them, I find they fit in one of three categories:
*1* Those who are Christians to be more effective and justified wrongdoers
*2* Those who are Christians and wrongdoers, trying to balance the two, publicly or privately
*3* Those who are Christians trying to be like Christ, rightdoer.
and for completion sake:
*4* Those who are Christ, and perfect.

I find it hard to use the term because the world HATES the first two, so much so that often people assume more wrong comes from Christians than someone with “no belief system”. #1 is obvious, examples being “missionaries” who committed genocide, #2 has many examples of those who love with their left hand, hate with their right, hypocrite and Christian are two oft related words sadly. Most are never exposed, but that doesn’t make it much better.

The world hardly knows #3. It takes effort, humility, surrender, love, discipline, and can so rarely be evaluated on a group basis especially when skeptics are proved right when one person fails. A group can’t know another group intimately by definition and #3 is personal. I would find it much easier to wear the Christian banner loudly if this were the only type of Christian or I could name each category succinctly and we could all go in our own ways with three separate labels. But nope, we’re stuck with this messy one. Christian.

#3 is in many ways, humanly impossible, who has those qualities on their own? Which mortal can say, “Oh, I’m perfect by nature” It’s so much easier, and natural to fall into #1 or #2, which is why the world expects it, and will be all the more pleasantly and deeply surprised when they are shown otherwise, not by the group of association, but by personal genuine testimony.

Aside: I think people with claim to have no belief system or religion, have a religion, usually a humanist religion. Perhaps they have a laissez-faire social darwinism religion, let everyone be, passivity or apathy. But when it comes to good and bad, right and wrong, having no opinion is not really an option. To have no beliefs is to have no mind and soul.