Outdated creeds …

Christian Century, Nov 15, 2003 by Ralph Lord Roy

THE REVIEWS of books by Jaroslav Pelikan and Luke Timothy Johnson ("Believe it or not," Sept. 20) led me to reflect back over more than four decades of parish ministry in which I did not recite the Apostles' Creed and dropped it when a predecessor had included it in the Sunday liturgy. Only two parishioners iii all that time seemed to notice that it was gone.

I believe that the Apostles' Creed is inappropriate in modern worship. It endorses dogmas that millions of Christians either reject or doubt, including the virgin birth and the resurrection of our physical bodies. Its images are archaic, such as Christ sitting "at the right hand of God the Father Almighty." The creed's name is deceptive, as it was not written by the apostles. Many of the creeds were adopted by various councils, with power polities often playing a larger role than a genuine quest for truth. They were designed to promote conformity and identify heresy. Many earnest Christians were ostracized, even killed, because they thought for themselves.

I will sing hymns that may not reflect my theological perspective. Those are poems, however, and do not begin with "I believe." The mainline churches need to communicate an intelligent message and shelve creeds that are obsolete and irrelevant.

Ralph Lord Boy Plantsville, Conn.