Lately, I’ve been fielding questions about my faith. Pointed questions from traditionalists and fundamentalists who sense I’m not checking all their doctrinal boxes. They’re right. My journey through doubt and reconstruction has led me somewhere different, somewhere that feels more honest and sustainable.

So when people ask, “What do you actually believe?” here’s my answer.

1. Jesus Is Central, Period

I believe that Jesus is the “son” of God, the “word” of God, the “message” of God. This isn’t just theological language for me. It’s the filter through which everything else must pass. Every biblical interpretation, every church teaching, every theological argument must be measured against the actual words, life, and actions of Christ.

I believe Jesus literally died on the cross. I believe he appeared after death. This isn’t metaphor or mythology for me. The reason Christianity exists today is because the disciples saw him and Paul experienced him. Without those encounters after the resurrection, we wouldn’t be having this conversation two thousand years later. (<—click link to read more about that)

This centrality of Christ is everything for me. When fundamentalists challenge my faith, they often focus on secondary issues: biblical inerrancy, specific doctrines, political alignments. But I keep returning to the same question: What did Jesus say? How did Jesus live? What did Jesus prioritize?

2. The Reality of the Trinity

I believe in the Trinity. I can’t deny the reality and power of the Holy Spirit. I’ve experienced it too profoundly, too consistently. This isn’t about defending a complex theological formula developed centuries after Jesus. It’s about acknowledging the lived experience of God’s presence in MY life..

The “Father”, “Son”, and Holy Spirit aren’t abstract concepts I inherited from systematic theology textbooks. They’re the framework through which I’ve encountered the divine. The Spirit’s guidance, comfort, and conviction are as real to me as anything I can touch.

3. The Bible Is a Tool, Not an Idol

Here’s where traditionalists really struggle with my faith: I don’t believe the Bible is infallible.

Let me be clear. The Bible is essential. It’s a powerful tool for spiritual enlightenment and personal growth. It contains wisdom, history, poetry, and profound theological insight. I read it regularly. I study it seriously. I allow it to challenge and transform me.

But infallible? No.

Jesus is the only entity that is infallible. In fact, Jesus is the Bible: the living Word of God. The scriptures point to him, reveal him, testify about him. But the text itself, with all its human authors, historical contexts, and transmission histories, cannot occupy the place that belongs to Christ alone.

The Bible cannot save you from your sins. Only Jesus can do that.

This distinction matters enormously to me. When we elevate the Bible to the status of infallibility, we create an idol. We prioritize defending a text over following a person. We get trapped in arguments about genealogies, dietary laws, and cultural practices from ancient civilizations instead of asking what it means to love our neighbors today.

Faith That Breathes

My beliefs might not satisfy fundamentalists who need every doctrinal domino perfectly aligned. But this framework allows my faith to breathe. It lets me ask hard questions without feeling like my entire spiritual foundation will crumble.

I follow Jesus. I trust in his death and resurrection. I experience the Trinity. I engage scripture seriously while refusing to worship it.

That’s what I believe. And honestly? It’s enough for me.