Creeds

I posted this at the forums of the Emerging Church community in orkut, but if you aren't a member you can read it here:

What is a creed? or confession?

I have, at times, found myself thinking (not in so many words): "If I can just get a perfect creed..." and finishing with such ideas as: "... I will get into heaven alright" or "... I can make anyone believe"

At some points I even found myself thinking: "Why am I going to this church if I don't agree completely theologically with them?" or "How do I need to change my belief to come into accordance with my church?"

Which is not to say that I believe that everyone should just find their own way to God. Or that I think that I have no need of guidance from older and wiser christians (although I may have thought so many times.)

So... what really matters? How much can you change? Paul says in first Corinthians: "...Christ crucified..." Is that enough? What if I believe that Christ was crucified to stand in for my sins, but I don't know Jesus was fully god and fully man? What if I believe that Christ was crucified, but actively believe that he may have simply been a special guy? What if I believe that Jesus and God the Father are both God, but the Holy spirit isn't a separate person, and there is not a Trinity?

Who really cares?