Christianity: Creeds, Exclusive Claims and Evangelization

Christianity uniquely emphasizes creeds, exclusive claims and evangelization, compared to many other religions.

Most Religions are NOT Creedal

There are NOT extensive Buddhist or Hindu or Jewish or Muslim creeds:

For Buddhism, Buddha is reported to have said, “Don’t blindly believe what I say; don’t believe me because others convince you of my words; don’t believe anything you see, read or hear from others, whether of authority, religious teachers or texts; don’t rely on logic alone, nor speculation; don’t infer or be deceived by appearances. Find out for yourself what is true and virtuous.”

In Hinduism, Hindus do not have theological litmus tests. Hindus can be atheistic, monotheistic or polytheistic; they can be dualistic or nondual; they can recognize Brahman in many forms. There are sects that worship Vishnu and Shiva and their female consorts, Lakshmi and Shakti or other deities.

For Islam, the five pillars of Islam include professing faith in God and belief in Muhammad, praying five times daily, giving to the poor, fasting during Ramadan and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Generally, the five pillars are practices, not beliefs, and (except for the belief in Allah) Muslims embrace different beliefs.

In Judaism, Christian writer Rachel Held Evans wrote, “While Christians tend to turn to scripture to end a conversation, Jews turn to scripture to start a conversation.” Some Jewish scholars question the historical existence of people such as Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Noah and the historicity of events such as the exodus and the flood.

What Do Christians Believe?

Christianity has split into Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant faiths and further into almost 50,000 denominations or sects. These groups cannot even agree on proper Christian beliefs.  When you Google “what we believe,” you will receive over six million “hits.” Most of them are conflicting statements by Christian churches.

Many Christians recite creeds, such as the Nicene Creed. These creeds do not focus on the words and works of Jesus, such as the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule, or the Sermon on the Mount. Instead, they embrace theological speculation, based largely on Greek philosophy, other religions, and pagan practices.

Does anyone know what it means if Jesus is “begotten, not made?” Would we live different lives if he were “made, not begotten” or “both begotten and made” or “neither begotten nor made?” When we recite creeds, do we really know what they mean, and do we ever wonder if we really believe them?

There is no problem with adopting creeds or with disagreeing about their contents or with embracing Greek philosophy and pagan practices in them, except that they can be divisive and exclusive. Sometimes, it seems like each of the 50,000 Christian denominations insists that their opinions are correct, that only they are saved and that all others are damned.

“Would I Be Welcome at Your Church?”

I had an interesting conversation with an Evangelical friend. I asked her if I was welcome at her church. “Do you believe what we believe?” Probably not. “Could you believe what we believe?” Possibly, but probably not. “Why would you want to come to our church?” Why would I have to believe what you believe to attend your church? Is a church a club?

Once, I considered leaving a church because of differences in doctrine. The pastor said, “The pews are filled with atheists. People come to church for many reasons, and not many involve doctrine. Perhaps, they appreciate the community or the food or the liturgy or the music or the sermons.” I stayed.

The conviction in the rightness of our beliefs (opinions) is usually sincere and well-intended. But, this conviction might seem arrogant and judgmental to those with different beliefs (opinions.) My Evangelical friend persisted, “Don’t you appreciate that we evangelize people because we truly care about them?”

Sure, but when Hare Krishnas greet us at the airport or Jehovah’s Witnesses knock at the front door, most people do NOT appreciate it, whether these evangelizers truly care about them or not. Often, these unsolicited approaches can feel like insults or intrusions.

A few years ago, I attended a retreat with the spiritual leaders of the Teyuna, an indigenous tribe in Colombia. At the end, someone asked them about the biggest challenge to their way of life. “Evangelization” was the response, not climate change or deforestation or global pandemics, which are more immediate threats.

What is the Best Way Forward?

Since 2000, there has been a precipitous decline in church attendance, aggravated by the pandemic. Today, 60% of Americans never or seldom attend a religious service, a growing number of people identify as “spiritual but not religious” and the most common religious self-identification is “none.” Europe is even less religious.

Christianity uniquely emphasizes creeds, exclusive claims and evangelization. Nowadays, some people are less inclined to believe in supernatural events, such as talking snakes and global floods. Also, some people are less inclined to believe speculative doctrines, such as the Trinity or original sin or substitutionary atonement.

Sometimes, people will say things like, “Yes, some of our beliefs (opinions) are troublesome, but they have been our traditions for over 2,000 year. We can’t just abandon them, can we?” Well, sooner or later, we might have to admit that our theology is not as solid as we think that it is. Some people have already reached that conclusion.

What is the best way forward for Christianity in an increasingly multi-cultural, secular world that is increasingly informed by the findings of history, science, and other cultures and religions? Should Christians double down on their doctrines, their exclusive beliefs (opinions) and their evangelization?

If you want to stay up to date on the latest from You Might Be Right, simply subscribe with your email.