The Creed We Need

Touchstone Magazine ^ | June 2006 | David Mills

[don-o]

God is “agapic love,” the preacher said, and paused. “God”—I knew what was -coming, the man being mired in the -sixties—“is a verb.” He assured the congregation that as long as they were “doing agapic love,” that—left -undefined—was all they needed to do. I could hear around me the sighs of people who have heard something they wanted to hear.

“God is a verb” is about as much doctrinal complexity as many American Christians seem to want, vague and useless as it is. They do not want anything too precise and specific, for that means exclusive, intellectual, and binding, nor anything too old, for that means irrelevant.

Average Agnostics

The average American thinks that when lots of nice people follow different religions, no religion should claim to be true in such a way that the others must be false. Everyone is happier, and no one will start fighting, when religion is a matter of taste, enjoyed privately, like an ethnic food. No one minds if a Scotsman eats haggis, as long as he eats it behind closed doors, but no one would tolerate his attempt to make it the sole main course in the high-school cafeteria.

The non-religious will explain their dislike of doctrines by saying that we ought to live and let live, that people are different, that religion is a private matter, and the like. The religious will explain it in two ways. One type (the believer) will say that Christianity is a matter of the heart, or a personal relationship with Christ, or that he has no creed but the Bible.

[knarf]

No ... it's what they say to those they try to convert.

I know ... I've allowed them in my house

[Biggirl]

You are forgiven.:)

[knarf]

But they're not. (according to their theology)

/8^)

[knarf]

Catholics are the only ones going to Heaven ?

[Biggirl]

Any believer in Jesus is. :)

[smvoice]

Whosoever wishes to be saved must above all [believe, accept,follow? I cannot remember the exact word here] the catholic faith? No, you don’t gotta wonder. I’m certain you already know.

[knarf]

Not according to Legatus and his Athanasian Creed

[Biggirl]

The only creed that is used greatly at Sunday worship is the Nicene. The Apostles from time to time in children’s masses, but not often other then for that. Heard about the creed that Legatus has in his personal URL, but it is a rare bird of the three.

[Salvation]

The Nicene Creed has changed with the New Translation.

---

New Missal Translation - Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,

the Only Begotten Son of God,

born of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made, consubstantial

with the Father;

Through him all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate

of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.

For our sake he was crucified

under Pontius Pilate,

he suffered death and was buried,

and rose again on the third day

in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

who with the Father and the Son

is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic,

and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins

and I look forward to the resurrection

of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

[smvoice]

...So you’re saying that the Anthanasian Creed is not taught or believed in the Catholic Church?

[Biggirl]

Thank-you Salvation. God Bless.

[Legatus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasian_Creed#Uses

[Legatus]

The word you were looking for is “keep”.

[don-o]

Thank you for this link!!

I'm glad for that. The emergence of the creeds reflect on how Christians dealt with matters in reality. Davis Mills enlarges on that very well with very good allegories. She might want to use a couple of those as well.

[smvoice]

“And also in the rite of exorcism”??? You have a creed for exorcism??

[don-o]

at the bottom of that page

giggles

[smvoice]

Thank you

[central_va]

To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

Conan

[stonehouse01]

“...Jesus will come in the future to judge the living and the dead...”

Absolutely completely taken directly from the bible:

Hebrews 9:28

... The second time He shall appear without sin to them that expect him unto salvation.

[Legatus]

Yes, demons seem to go berserk whenever they hear the creeds. That doesn’t explain you guys though.