It was not necessary for the apostles to write a catechism so as to deliver their doctrines professedly. It was enough for them to hand down to us those doctrines in accordance with which all symbolical books and catechisms might be constructed. If they did not formally write a catechism, they did materially leave us either in the gospels or in the epistles those things by which we can be clearly taught the principles of religion (katécheisthai).
It is easy to denounce the practice of memorizing and reciting creeds as boring. However, it is children who complain that cleaning teeth morning and evening is repetitive and boring. When you stop these basic activities you begin to see the difference they make. By marginalizing the church, the West has deprived itself of finding life's meaning and purpose. It has deprived itself of the institution that cultivated its moral character.