What Do Christians Have To Believe?

There are plenty of people out there who will tell you that if you don't believe such and such then you're not a real Christian. Depending on what the 'such and such' is, they could be very wrong.

Here's a brief rundown of needs and don't needs to believe:

Need to Believe:

• God exists.
• God is transcendent.
• God is the most powerful being that exists.
• God is good.
•  God created us.
• Jesus was God incarnate on Earth.
• Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected.
• Jesus is our role model.

Don't Need to Believe:

• Whether or not the Earth is thousands or millions of years old.
• Whether or not Darwinian evolution is true.
• Whether or not homosexuality is a sin.
• Whether or not we have free will.
•  Whether or not we have an immaterial soul.
• Whether or not extra-terrestrials exist.
• Whether or not there was a historical Adam and Eve.
• Whether Hell is a fiery pit, an empty wasteland, a mental state, or complete destruction.

The 'need' list is what many would call 'Mere Christianity'. The basic stuff that's needed to call yourself a Christian. All this stuff in the 'don't need' list is stuff that is debated by Christians but doesn't have any bearing on the truth of Mere Christianity. You can take it or leave it.