What do I have to believe to be a Christian?

Originally posted at Groans From Within.

“What do I have to believe to be a Christian?”

If you have been part of a church for any amount of time or spent
even a few minutes surfing Christian blogs or church websites, this is
a question you will encounter ad nauseam.  The question itself is loaded, since it assumes one has to believe something.  The only question to be wrestled with is what that something
is.   Our answers will usually illumine the things we value most while
simultaneously sorting out who is “in” and who is “out.”   This is a
game humans (and animals) love to play.   In fact, if we are honest
with ourselves, we might discover upon reflection that much if not most
of our identity is rooted in who we distinguish ourselves over and
against.   I am not that.  I am not them.