Steve Shaw says: Tell me where the uncertainties are in the Lord's Prayer, Joe, almost the chief mantra of Christianity.

Can't say I find any uncertainties in the Lord's Prayer, Steve. Can't say I find any certainties there, either. Creeds and catechisms have certainties - but to my mind, those certainties exist only within the belief system a person professes. The Nicene Creed is the telling of the story of the Christian people. It is inherently consistent, within the context of the Christian faith. But is it universally true? To my mind, no. It is more-or-less incomprehensible (and irrelevant) in other contexts.

I'm beginning to think that the word "believe" is of secondary importance in religious practice. Practicing faith is a way of life, not a subscription to a list of bullet points.

e.g., Was Mary a Virgin? Well, yeah, I say so because it's part of the story. But do I care whether she was a virgin or not? No, not at all. It just doesn't make any difference to me, one way or the other.

-Joe-