The Need for a Creed

Everyone has a creed. Even those who say they don’t believe in creeds have a creed. Their creed is: “I don’t believe in creeds!” What exactly is a creed? It’s simply a statement of belief. Creed is derived from the Latin word credo, “believe.” Therefore, if you have the capacity to believe in something, then you have a creed – even if it’s an unspoken one.

Throughout history, individuals and groups have written down their creeds. These have variously been called Declarations, Resolutions, Statements, Statements of Belief, Mission Statements, Doctrinal Statements, Confessions (from Latin confessus “ to acknowledge”), or Manifestos (from Latin manifestus “ clear, evident, manifest”). All are essentially creeds. Written creeds have played a vital and undeniable role in history —  in philosophy, politics, and culture, as well as in the church.

The Historical Importance of Creeds

The United States of America was founded on a creed called The Declaration of Independence:  ”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”

The French Aristocracy was overthrown as a result of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, a creed published during the French Revolution. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels collaborated on a creed that changed the political landscape for generations: The Communist Manifesto.

The Humanist Manifesto I, a fifteen point creed written in 1933 was published with thirty-four signatories. It led to the 1973 Humanist Manifesto II, whose oft-quoted lines include, “No deity will save us; we must save ourselves,” and “We are responsible for what we are and for what we will be.” The second Humanist Manifesto was initially published with a small number of signatories, but then procured thousands more.  Over the course of time, its tenets have been assimilated en-mass to become the dominant world-view of our time.

Christian Creeds, Theses, and Statements

Just as political and philosophical creeds have profoundly influenced the course of secular history, so have Christian creeds profoundly affected the history of the church. It’s important to note that contrary to secular creeds, the creeds produced by the Christian Church are statements of faith that are meant to accurately reflect and summarize what Scripture teaches. They are not regarded as additions or replacements for Scripture. Instead, these documents are carefully considered and thoughtfully worded responses to various issues, heresies and historical situations that have challenged the Church and sound doctrine over the centuries.  In general, they highlight and oppose those errors that the compilers of the creed believe are most dangerous to sound doctrine at that particular time in history.    Continue at Mary Kassian