In the tenets are the common Christian beliefs in the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the incarnation and sacrifice.
Those that deny one or more of these tenets are really not Christian -- you would agree with that, correct?
Lee and I will argue about a lot and tell each other that they are wrong on some matter or the other but we know that we have some basic common beliefs.
it's common ground, the way I see it -- look, if you and I believe these common points, we have SOMETHING that is in common, which would be unlike a conversation either of us would have with a Hindu say.
the thing is that the creeds encapsulate the core beliefs. We all agree that as humans we are open to flawed interpretations -- and this was apparent in the early years when people were arguing over the divinity of Christ, etc. the Nicene creed effectively encapsulates what scripture has said about these core matters.In the tenets are the common Christian beliefs in the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, the incarnation and sacrifice.
Those that deny one or more of these tenets are really not Christian -- you would agree with that, correct?
Quite so.
I haven’t studied those creeds, Lee. They may be well thought-out formulations for all I know. But I see no reason why I shouldn’t just stick to the scriptures themselves. I don’t see how anything else can improve on God’s perfect revelation.
The Bible is an awful big thing to go all through, of a Sunday, eh?
The creeds mentioned are summaries of Christian belief originating from quite early in Christian history. They are widely held by lots of groups.
They are quite short. The three together would take 5 minutes to read, at the outside.
I find them a useful filter. The Nicene Creed especially seems to be a lightning rod. It's never a good sign if someone starts ranting about Constantine and the Nicene Council with no provocation. Usually you'll find a trinitarian problem.
“the thing is that the creeds encapsulate the core beliefs. We all agree that as humans we are open to flawed interpretations — and this was apparent in the early years when people were arguing over the divinity of Christ, etc. the Nicene creed effectively encapsulates what scripture has said about these core matters.”
I find the scriptures themselves sufficient, without having a group of uninspired men reformulate them for me and prescribe what is core and non-core. I also believe it is more ecumenical to let the scriptures rule our faith and practice and it tends to be divisive to require adherence to man-made creeds. Thus, in my view creeds can be divisive rather than unifying.