1. Omnist - I believe that there is truth to be found in all world religions. No single religion has it all figured out, but there is goodness, and beauty, and truth to be found to some degree in each one. God did not create religion; it's a human invention. God does not care which religion we belong to, as long as we live up to God's expectations of us. And if a given religion helps us become a better version of ourselves, then so be it. Different religions are a good fit for different people. It's all good.
2. Panentheist - I believe that God is not separate from God's creation. Rather, God is within all that God has created, in addition to transcending it all. The Bible talks about the in-dwelling spirit of God, how there is no where we can go to escape God, et cetera. This becomes relevant in point # 3.
3a. Trinitarian - strict monotheism does not jive with panentheism. Rather, it's like Deism in that God is separate from creation, which is not Biblical, nor my experience. God is everywhere, the Bible even says that there is no where one can go to escape the presence of God. Therefore, God cannot be just like a person, only without a material body and much more powerful. God cannot be made in our image. God is not just someONE, but also someTHING that is beyond our comprehension. The Trinity speaks to this. God is the Source or all-potential, God is the Logos or active force through which all things are made, and God is Spirit - that which animates and inspires creation. The Logos manifested in the incarnation of Jesus, in order to sanctify both creation and humanity in particular. God touches us directly, to show us that God is deeply involved with Creation, and not merely running the show from afar.
3b. Western Trinitarian - the filioque that is present in Western Christianity is a positive development of theology. The potential and kinetic energies of God (Father & Son) interact to create/love, and the result is an emanating Spirit through which each of us can reach God. It is the Spirit that dwells within us. It is the Logos/Jesus who models a good life for us. It is the Father who makes us. All three are the same One God. God is not "a person". I personally don't think God is "three persons" any more than I think God is "one person". I think the word "person" is misguided. But I digress.
4. Universalist - salvation, whatever that means exactly, is inevitable for all but the most ardently spiteful human beings. I have to reserve a small spot for those who would insist on choosing their free will over the presence of God even at the moment of death, even when face to face with their Maker. I know God would not force them into an eternity they do not want. Yet I also believe (again) there is no place where God is not, so those who choose to stay "distant" from God after death are in a psychological hell, if you will, completely in their own minds. Everyone will be in the presence of God just like we all are now and always. Salvation speaks to how we experience God's presence, and I do not think it begins only after death. The Evangelical threats of hellfire and brimstone are nonsense and fear tactics are not of God. No one should turn to God or follow Jesus because they got scared into it by the thread of eternal damnation. That's not at all "salvation", that's avoidance at best. Salvation is about being saved from the pitfalls of false thinking and the resultant negative actions and behaviors and emotions. Salvation absolutely can and should begin before death! I think if we don't come to Christ before death, we just don't have the benefit of already living in God's presence to the same degree as we could've. We do not get punished for it, nor is there a "natural consequence" extending into eternity. We come to Christ after death. Life and death are just phases of eternity. God is on both sides.
5. Follower of Jesus - I want to follow Jesus's example and teachings. I want to understand the motivation behind His teaching. I want to study the Gospels to glean insights that I can apply in my own life. I want to praise God with others who follow Jesus. I want to keep Jesus, and not a religion or certain church affiliation, at the center of my spiritual life. I need to study the Bible, pray, listen to Christian music, attend worship services that make me feel the presence of God (Orthodox Vespers, Catholic Lent/Holy Week), and fellowship with other believers at a reverent but more modern denomination where the liturgy is still there, but the old fashioned limitations on people's personal lives are not. Where care for creation is a value. Where both poor and otherwise marginalized people are ministered to, including LGBTQ people. Where women are on an equal footing with men when it comes to positions of leadership and decision making in the public sphere. I want to be a Follower of Jesus in the Episcopal church!
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