Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth.

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street.

About a decade ago, BuzzFeed posted a video with testimonials that all began, quote,

I'm Christian, but I'm not, fell in the blank.

And the video is mostly trumpeted progressive virtues, claiming things like, I'm Christian, but I'm not homophobic,

I'm not ignorant, I'm not closed-minded, et cetera, et cetera. Christianity, the video basically

concluded, is all about love and acceptance. Now, of course, Christianity is certainly centered

on the love of God in Christ, but that love, like every central tenet of the Christian faith,

has been revealed to us by God. As such,

these are foundational truths that come to us predefined. They're not open to infinite interpretations

and reinterpretations. Having wrestled with these foundational truths, the church formulated the

essentials of Christian belief in the creeds, an invaluable tool for the faithful for thousands of years.

The various creeds of the Christian faith emerged when individuals or groups would claim some new word from God

or would innovate some new doctrine or practice. Often, Christians were led astray and they needed to be pulled back to the truth.

That happened when the new teaching was recognized

to be out of alignment with accepted church practice or belief. In other words, the creeds clarified

for the church and for Christians what was true. Now, some today see creeds as kind of man-made

obstacle between believers and the word of God or as an antiquated way to interfere with

the working of the spirit. Secular critics of Christianity often suggest that each new creed was a way

for the powerful to triumph and suppress other equally valid versions of the faith. None of those claims

are true. The best-known creed is the oldest. An old legend is that the Apostles

creed came from the Apostles, who each, while gathered together after the Ascension, contributed

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