the credo

When Abdul-Walid, god rest his blog, composed his definition of Laupes, he wrote that,...

...(even when Christian), "laupes tend to be deeply ambivalent about certain aspects of the Apostles' Creed."  I could really relate to that.  I was a philosophy major as an undergraduate and did most of my studies in ancient and medieval philosophy, and then went on to master's studies in theology.  (Nevertheless, I still feel like the college drop-out that I once was!  Please don't ask me any questions about ancient or medieval philosophy, because it was all so long ago, and I don't remember much of it!)  But when it comes to the Apostles' Creed, and when, in the light of all that education, I realize how much the Creed was wielded as a political weapon to disempower alternate christian cultures and their leaders, I find it impossible to subscribe to the creed.  This was definitely an issue for me at the time, considering that I was a Catholic. (Probably a heretical catholic all along).  Anyway, when I look at the excessively precious reasoning of much of medieval theology, I wonder if it was all simply an exercise in moving verbal 'chits' around adroitly, a sort of evolutionary phase in which certain functions of intellect developed, only now to be more fully utilized in the worlds of contemporary science and technology.  We've found a way to use that complex mental capacity to produce practical results rather than just high-sounding phrases 'signifying nothing.'  (Take, for example, the 'filioque' controversy.  This was meaningful at the time to many people, but it also related to the balance of power within the empire.  On these blogs, no one really cares much about it, but we probably do care about things like 'recycling,' which may turn out to be about as relevant as the filioque clause.)

At any rate, at this stage in the game, I think it is rather ridiculous for me to subscribe to any kind of creed, knowing as I do what they are.  Faith, on the other hand, is a beautiful thing, and can't be contained by any 'creed.'  I'm sure that there must be other christians (ie christian groups) that would agree with this.  I was raised in such a creed-based church that it is just difficult for me to really imagine this.  Without making too deliberate a point of it, I am going to be looking around to see who holds this view.

Comments

[Rachel]

You might be interested in this post from desertpastor: http://desertpastor.typepad.com/paradoxology/2004/11/bringing_hubbar.html

It quotes a personal credo written by a guy named Hubbard, which is...pretty unusual and beautiful, I think.