Does it matter?

My post from the Fans of John Shelby Spong blog:

For closing on 20 years now, I have volunteered to assist poor and near poor folks with their annual income tax filings.  Yesterday after returning from such a volunteer date, I was traveling through parts of rural SW Michigan on my return drive home.  

Seeing the poverty of rural areas as evidenced by the low quality of housing in some areas, at least as evidenced by the exterior of some homes (keep in mind that outward appearances can be deceiving), I started thinking that many of these families (and our clients) have different political and religious views than I do.  

We assume that folks in rural areas are more conservative in terms of religion and politics than folks in suburban or urban areas.  Of course, that may be on average and is certainly not applicable to all individuals or families or churches.

Does it matter?  Does it really matter that some folks may have more conservative political and religious views than I do?  

The Nicene Creed (version 1 and then version 2 years later) was invented (some may say divinely inspired, not me) in order to standardize what Christians believed.  Of course, it did not work.

There are those who still argued about how and when Jesus became divine, the degree of his humanity or divinity, the nature of the trinity, etc.  Even if the majority follow and believe the "party line", some to this day do not.

My question is this?  What difference does it make? 

Mark was quoted as saying that Jesus said paraphrasing here:  

Love God, Love your neighbor.

Matthew 25 seems to cement that especially for those on the margins.

I guess the Jesus Seminar folks might argue:  did Jesus really say those things.  

But I like to think he did.