How is faith in God attained?

It seems odd to me that the ancient greeks would really believe that Hercules was the son of a God, and that he was real. I mean, they had temples of this guy and basically worshipped him as the hero of that time.

How could anyone believe such a mythical story? Yet these ancient greeks were born into families who believed in Zues, Hera, and the rest of the crew of Gods.

How did they attain faith in Hercules? They were told by their parents that he existed, the society around them was worshipping him and believed in him, and also there was scripture to back it up. The big three was in place: 1) Parents 2) Society 3) Scripture.
 
Photizo said:
It's not a matter of varying degrees of difficulty...all are equally spiritually dead no matter their location. Given this, it is equally impossible for any to become a Christian.
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If I told you to eat cow or monkey brains, or maybe a lung, would you do it? Of course not. If you were born in say, China, you would probably enjoy food like that. This is because people are "products of their environment," with some rare exceptions.
 
Photiza, when an infant dies before reaching 3 months old, do they go to heaven? I mean, they never consciouslessly accepted Jesus as their personal saviour.
 
SnakeLord said:
I cannot, no matter how much I squeeze, have belief in gods. All it takes is for those gods to come and show me themselves, but I cannot force my brain to believe in something that is not evident ... If we were given the chance that the ancient jews were to actually witness god in the flesh as it were then we too would be believers ... I face the "wrath" of god because he created me with an inability to believe in things without evidence. I have absolutely no say on what my brain does or does not believe, I merely know what it requires to have that belief.
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1. If God was to "show Himself" to you, how would you know that what you were seeing is in fact God? Do you know what God looks like?

2. You clamor for concrete physical evidence with respect to God, yet you believe in so many other things without demanding the same standard of "proof." Why is this?
 
nds1 said:
... when an infant dies before reaching 3 months old, do they go to heaven? I mean, they never consciouslessly accepted Jesus as their personal saviour.
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An infant isn't damned for eternity. Deuteronomy 1:39; Matthew 18:3, Romans 4:15 and 5:13, and Numbers 14:31 clearly show that sin isn't imputed to a child prior to the age of accountability.
 
1. If God was to "show Himself" to you, how would you know that what you were seeing is in fact God? Do you know what God looks like?
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I'm sure this god of your has it in him to be able to convince me that he's the genuine article. Apparently he has done so before.. the apostles were apparently convinced he was god, (ok they had the benefit of having him standing there doing miracles for them and whatnot). If he did it for them why not everyone else?

To answer your question though, yes.. I know what the christian god looks like. He's pale white, feminine looking and has long hair (even though god did state a man having long hair was a disgrace). He's kinda skinny and should buy a razor. Ok, that could also describe any guy that lived in the 60's but the miracles will help distinguish the difference.

2. You clamor for concrete physical evidence with respect to God
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Concrete? Anything tangible will do for now and yet there's nothing. There are the opinions, (vast amounts and vastly different), of ancient people. Of what honest value is that to anything other than an interesting look at the opinions of ancient people?

yet you believe in so many other things without demanding the same standard of "proof." Why is this?
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I do? Such as what?
 
Nutter said:
An infant isn't damned for eternity. Deuteronomy 1:39; Matthew 18:3, Romans 4:15 and 5:13, and Numbers 14:31 clearly show that sin isn't imputed to a child prior to the age of accountability.
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So why don't you support abortions (I'm assuming you don't)? By aborting a baby, you are giving he/she a free pass into heaven. No trials or temptations for them. They get to cruise into the heavenly realm, no questions asked.
 
Nutter, if a man came up to you, brought you to the cemetary and rose someone from the dead with the formerly dead person coming up out of the ground, and this man told you he was the Son of God, would you believe him?
 
Nutter said:
If God was to "show Himself" to you, how would you know that what you were seeing is in fact God? Do you know what God looks like?
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The abrahamic god? I know...he looks like Charlton Heston as he appeared as Moses in the Ten Commandments;)

Actually, I liked Moses better in that movie before he went up the mountain to get the tablet. He seemed so solemn and boring after that.Like all the life had been drained out of him.
His finest moment is when he fed the slaves from the temple grainery.
"The grain of the gods shall not sour in the belly of a slave"
 
yet you believe in so many other things without demanding the same standard of "proof." Why is this?

SnakeLord said:
I do? Such as what?
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Think of all the historical data that you believe - or your geographical beliefs. Have you visited every city, town, and country in the world?

Or consider all the stuff that you accept by faith when you read science textbooks. Your epistemological bar sure gets lower when dealing with these things.
 
Nutter, if a man came up to you, brought you to the cemetary and rose someone from the dead with the formerly dead person coming up out of the ground, and this man told you he was the Son of God, would you believe him?
 
Think of all the historical data that you believe - or your geographical beliefs. Have you visited every city, town, and country in the world?
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No I haven't personally visited every town and city in the world, but I have seen them on TV etc etc. This is evidence based understanding, not faith. Give it some thought because you're currently mistaken.

Or consider all the stuff that you accept by faith when you read science textbooks.
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Such as? You keep making these claims about me while;

A) Not knowing me

B) Being unable to back up those claims.

Kindly stop doing it or provide something of substance.

Your epistemological bar sure gets lower when dealing with these things.
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Your certainty doesn't mean anything. At the end of the day you're simply pulling one assumption after another out of some dark orifice.

Apparently He already has, given your quotation above.

God bless you, my good man.
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See? You're being naive. But anyway, what in my quote implies anything of the sort? Are you merely attempting to make yourself feel better or what?
 
Nutter said:
Think of all the historical data that you believe - or your geographical beliefs. Have you visited every city, town, and country in the world?
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That has got to be one of the lamest arguments ever. Are you actually trying to prop up your god belief by claiming a city doesn't exist simply because someone hasn't been there? Are you ten years old?

Or consider all the stuff that you accept by faith when you read science textbooks. Your epistemological bar sure gets lower when dealing with these things.
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Another puerile attempt at forming an argument, almost as bad as the one prior, but not quite. Have you never completed a science experiment in school, or are you in high school yet?

Sheesh, where do they get these jokers?
 
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