Why does the word "Evangelical" threaten so many people in our culture?

I just finished reading a great article on Christianity Today's website by Philip Yancey where he details some conversations that he's had with some non-Christian friends of his. I appreciate his insights on the current state of American culture in regard to peoples' view of evangelical Christians, and as a result, Jesus.

Yancey references a quote by C.S. Lewis:

"I remembered a remark by Lewis, who drew a distinction between communicating with a society that hears the gospel for the first time and one that has embraced and then largely rejected it. A person must court a virgin differently than a divorcée, said Lewis. One welcomes the charming words; the other needs a demonstration of love to overcome inbuilt skepticism."

And this is where our society stands. Having once beem a nation where most people embraced biblical values and a Christian worldview, many are now threatened not so much by God Himself, but by those of us that represent Him to the world at large. In many ways, we evangelicals have become much more known for what we hate, than for the One we love. How sad...

You can read the rest of Yancey's article here.