For the most part, modern evangelicalism does not know what it believes and only a fraction of the church is willing or able to discern truth from error. This is due, in no small part, to the anti-confessional stance of the church. Creeds, we are told, are outdated and old fashioned. They teach the traditions of men rather than the commandments of God. They inhibit creativity and impede intellectual growth.
Creeds create a dead orthodoxy, it is said.
To be sure, those who uphold the usefulness of creeds have sometimes given the gainsayers much support by their actions. Clearly, some have abused creeds. Some have wrongly exalted them to an equivalent status with Scripture. Others have blithely assumed that a creedal orthodoxy is sufficient and winked at immorality. But these abuses in no way justify throwing the baby out with the bath water.