Not sure my convictions or opinions should carry so much weight on that score . . .
But the creeds work for me. I realize some have quibbled over this or that part of one or the other of them.
Certainly Christ came in the flesh; born of a Virgin; crucified for our sins; rose again; Intercedes at the right hand of The Father; Is coming again to take us to rule and reign with Him.
would do it for me. But I suspect any number of basic foundational summaries would do for me.
Certainly I would affirm the 'Ordinances, Sacraments' of baptism and The Lord's Supper as well as I Cor 12-14 in terms of gifts of Holy Spirit and basic operation of such in basic church life. I wouldn't see it essential as quibbling over what each meant.
Thanks for the reply. This is pretty much what I've encountered before when asking the direct question, "What are the essiential doctrines for Christians", to someone who wasn't Catholic/Orthodox.
When I started to believe in God again in 1999, this was one chief question for me, and I got many answers as you gave. Some different. One that was common to all was, (ironically), "And this is the way I see it. I don't think it's that important others believe EXACTLY as I do though". Which was curious to me, since I was asking about doctrines, something I thought was a serious matter, something I've always believed, by the very defintion of the word, could not change. In other words, something that SHOULD be exactly the same, for all Christians.
This is one key reason I cannot be a Protestant. At the end of the day, at least the Orthodox/Catholics say, "We believe we are right for EVERYONE, not just 'us'", IOW, they state that doctrines really ARE "non-negotiable". I find this claim of stability re-assuring, if not realistic, after all, if there really aren't any hard and fast doctrines, then what's the point of having all the denominations?