How is faith in God attained?

[nds1]

Adstar, you keep talking about this great "Message of Jesus," yet you really can't explain what that message is exactly.

What makes the Message of Jesus different from the Message of MANY OTHER RELIGIONS?

Love God, Love God's Will, Love your neighbor, Love your enemy, Love everyone.

Hinduism teaches the EXACT MESSAGE OF JESUS. The only difference is who they believe Jesus was and what authority Jesus has. But we're talking about agreement with the "MESSAGE", not the person giving it.

You stated earlier that faith comes by agreement with the message of Jesus.

So by agreeing that we should love God's will and love everyone means that we will suddenly have all this faith in God?

According to you, if I agree with God's will, then I will believe in a God. This obviously makes no sense at all.

 

[nds1]

Again, you, Adstar, claim that Jesus performed miracles solely to attract people to hear his word. While I believe that Jesus would have performed them solely to PROVE WHO HE WAS AND TO VALIDATE HIS WORD.


Miracle Turning water into Wine
John 2:11
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
KJV

Miracle: Miscellaneous
John 2:23
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
KJV

Miracle: Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead
John 11:45
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
KJV


Also, about God not desiring to use miracles to gain believers:

John 20:30-31
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
KJV

John 1:45-49
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

In this case, the miracle convinced this man Nathanael that Jesus was the Son of God, not just some prophet. The miracle led him to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. What merited a miracle to be shown to Nathaneal so that he could believe? I mean, the guy mouths of and says, "Yeah right. I'm sure the Son of God has come out of that scumhole Nazareth. LOL. Good one." Yet even with his sarcasm he still gets his miracle.

John 9:35-39
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" 36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" 37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him [when He gave you your sight] and it is He who is talking with you." 38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
NKJV

This story is about the man born blind who Jesus made see with a spittle of clay. After giving him sight, the formarly blind man was kicked out of the Jewish Church because they didn't like anyone believing in Jesus, which the blind man did after receiving his sight.

This story shows how the blind man believed Jesus was the Son of God after receiving his sight from him.

John 2:18-22
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" 19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
NKJV


In this case, Jesus' miracle prophesy proved the validity of his message, or word, to the disciples. It also proved that he was who the old testament said he was, which is the Son of God, the Christ. They needed for Jesus' prophesy to come true so that this miracle could prove to them that Jesus' word was the truth, and that he was who the Scripture (Old Testament) said he was.

So Adstar, you have to Admit that Jesus' miracles were not solely to attract people to hear the word. They also were done to PROVE THINGS AS WELL.

 

[Saquist]

The definition of Faith According to the Bible:

Hebrew 11: 1

"Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities, though not yet beheld."
It means Faith is expectation of salvation through what we know though we have not seen the end out come.

What does it mean by realities?

John 17:3

"This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you the only true God and the one whom you sent forth."

Jesus provided many demonstrations of his fathers abiity to cure the sick and put an end to death. That is the evident demonstration he refers to.

But theres a process you can't just have faith no more than suddenly you know all the facts on the periodic table....

John 6:66-69

Jesus turned to his apostles. 'Shall you go away from me also? Simon Peter responds. "Who shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life. We believed and have come to know that you are the chosen one of God."

We all start of small with 'milk' taking in and believing but over time we progress to 'solid' food. That belief with experience and understanding becomes knowledge...knowledge is the understanding of life facts.

This is the basis of faith.

 

[nova900]

Jesus provided many demonstrations of his fathers abiity to cure the sick and put an end to death. That is the evident demonstration he refers to.

Fortunately Jesus did not demonstrate the other side of Yahwehs nature--genocide,approval of rape and slavery,outright murder,bizarre behaviour,etc,etc.

 

[Saquist]

Probably because that's not his nature...
I presume you're usual athesist troll that roams through?

 

[nds1]

Saquist,

1. How do you have faith that anything in the Bible is true, especially when it talks about the life of Jesus and his words?


2. Do you have faith in Jesus, or do you have faith in a book which talks about a man named Jesus and what he allegedly said?


3. Why did Jesus perform miracles?


4. What was the "Message of Jesus"?


5. If you were born blind and a man touched your eyes and made you see again, would you believe what that man said to you?

 

[Saquist]

Faith is trust in knowledge.

I study on the regular basis. But to be honest I rely on real wold comparison that establish the foundation of my faith. My faith in the bible is based on five points.

Continuity: The Bible in it's canon form is made up of 66 book with 40 different authors. And yet there is a common thread of salvation for human kind despite the first sin and our current condition of sin and death.

Lineage: The lineage of the bible creates a firm archaeological foundation for leading us into a past that is far from well known. History documents Jesus as a result of his line of fore fathers. Historians have been able to plot courses to famous figures like Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzer, and Pharoh through cuniform discoveries made else where. So if this line is true through hundreds of year then the bible has shown it's self historicaly reliable. And it continues to be the book of comparision for new discoveries.

Medicaly: When it comes to the medical care we now enjoy in modern times it's due to Jewish traditions which were founded in the Law Covenant handed down by God. It showed the practice of quarentine and propper disposal and discarding of waste and biological hazards...and the way to keep clean.

If only certain countries to day would use these teachings such as India and the Afican nations...teachings that existed long before the discovery of microscopic organisms

Scientficly: The bible also gave us the first true perception of our home from space and the nature of it's foundation in the heavens before Copernicus deduced the Earth's radius frome shadows from different points through the use of math. The flood as well shows detail to the Earth's function and the Creation account has sciences seal of approval for the chronolocial order of the appearance of plants and animals in a startiling detail.

Fifth: and most Importantly, Prophecy:
The bible has an uncanny ability to predict the future and show us what there is to come. There are doesn't of prophecies that give stark detail of the desruction of Jerusalem, the prophecy of the weeks of years, the coming of the Messiah and his coming to reign as King over the Earth. The first Prophecy is in Genesis one that has yet to be fully fullfiled. Genesis 3:15. Somebelive it's chance or merely hindsigh is 20/20...but the bible has soild record for predicting the future.

As a result of study in these five points I've been able to define a consistency in the bible to tell the truth as a result Jesus teachings become real and I put my faith established by knowledge into his promises and his miracle which were to show the coming of greater things to come. He raised the dead, brought sight to the blind, speach to the dumb, curing diease and every sort of infirmaty. He tells us that his comming will outst Satan as the ruler of this world and establish a Kingdom of God in the Heaven and on the Earth. That's what I hope to live to see...and If I don't I hope to be resurrected to see his kingdom still and that was his message that we can take part in his Heavenly or his Earthly Kingdom.

If...a person had cured my sight...I'd be inclined to listen to this one...
I thought I'd just add my perspective to the discussion.

 

[Medicine*Woman]

Strange that you should ask, M.W.

*************
M*W: Why is it strange? I do not believe the existence of Jesus. I believe everything surrounding christianity is an astro-theological myth. My point of bringing up the timing discrepancy is to show you that christians don't understand their own holy book. Three days is a total of 72 hours, not 36, which is 1 1/2 days only. So somebody lied or they just didn't get the story straight. Just because I don't believe in any reality of it doesn't mean I don't want to question certain aspects of the story. I'd do the same thing if I were reading War and Peace or Dr. Seuss.

 

[Adstar]

Adstar, you keep talking about this great "Message of Jesus," yet you really can't explain what that message is exactly.

I have and Jesus has, but you are not listening. Your too busy putting across your thoughts to really listen to any thoughts coming from other people.

People who are the best speakers usually are the worst listeners.

What makes the Message of Jesus different from the Message of MANY OTHER RELIGIONS?

Other religions are about people reaching up to God. Christianity is about God reaching down to People.

Hinduism teaches the EXACT MESSAGE OF JESUS. The only difference is who they believe Jesus was and what authority Jesus has. But we're talking about agreement with the "MESSAGE", not the person giving it.

Nope the message of Hinduism is not the Message of Jesus.

You stated earlier that faith comes by agreement with the message of Jesus.

So by agreeing that we should love God's will and love everyone means that we will suddenly have all this faith in God?

According to you, if I agree with God's will, then I will believe in a God. This obviously makes no sense at all.

Correction: To you it makes no sense at all.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Adstar]

Again, you, Adstar, claim that Jesus performed miracles solely to attract people to hear his word. While I believe that Jesus would have performed them solely to PROVE WHO HE WAS AND TO VALIDATE HIS WORD.


Miracle Turning water into Wine
John 2:11
11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
KJV

Miracle: Miscellaneous
John 2:23
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
KJV

Miracle: Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead
John 11:45
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
KJV


Also, about God not desiring to use miracles to gain believers:

John 20:30-31
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
KJV

John 1:45-49
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

In this case, the miracle convinced this man Nathanael that Jesus was the Son of God, not just some prophet. The miracle led him to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. What merited a miracle to be shown to Nathaneal so that he could believe? I mean, the guy mouths of and says, "Yeah right. I'm sure the Son of God has come out of that scumhole Nazareth. LOL. Good one." Yet even with his sarcasm he still gets his miracle.

John 9:35-39
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" 36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" 37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him [when He gave you your sight] and it is He who is talking with you." 38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
NKJV

This story is about the man born blind who Jesus made see with a spittle of clay. After giving him sight, the formarly blind man was kicked out of the Jewish Church because they didn't like anyone believing in Jesus, which the blind man did after receiving his sight.

This story shows how the blind man believed Jesus was the Son of God after receiving his sight from him.

John 2:18-22
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" 19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
NKJV


In this case, Jesus' miracle prophesy proved the validity of his message, or word, to the disciples. It also proved that he was who the old testament said he was, which is the Son of God, the Christ. They needed for Jesus' prophesy to come true so that this miracle could prove to them that Jesus' word was the truth, and that he was who the Scripture (Old Testament) said he was.

So Adstar, you have to Admit that Jesus' miracles were not solely to attract people to hear the word. They also were done to PROVE THINGS AS WELL.

You keep on posting posts like this when i have already answered your question. Why?


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Godless]

Because it's hard to make sense of non-serquitus, even harder to figure out all the circular arguments of yours!

 

[ashura]

Can I ask what your thought on my earlier statement is:

Someone who loves the truth would be skeptical of any strange and unnatural claims and would want to see some shred of evidence before he or she lent any faith towards it. This is because they want the truth, and not simply an easy convenient excuse for it.

I take His message in it's totality. I accept it all. I do not disregard the "good" just because of the part of the message that is harder to digest.

This confuses me. What makes it harder for you to digest Adstar? See for me, it's disgusting because it's basically holding a knife to someones throat, and that's evil/bad/etc. But you shouldn't have any problems with it since you think God's will is pure and good. Why do you say it's harder to digest?

The fact is that Hell has never been a good selling point when it comes to faith. More people are put off God because of hell than are attracted to him because of Jesus. Hell at best is a zero sum gain when it comes to bringing people to the truth. But having said all that i cannot deny the eternal Lake of fire as a real thing.

Why is hell in God's message then? If all he wants to do is spread Jesus' words of being better human beings and closer to God, then why mention hell at all? You don't need the latter for the former.

And you message of oppression? How effective is it in here???? not very effective is it. See fear of the lake of fire cannot sustain faith. No one who builds their faith upon the foundation of fear ever lasts long in the faith. Because people naturally do not want to live their lives in fear. The message that does survive as a foundation is the Message of Jesus.

People who believe Jesus don't fear the lake of fire.

Are you afraid of God Adstar?

The only possible oppression comes on those who believe in hell without believing Jesus.

So what you're saying is God will oppress every non-Christian, correct? That doesn't sound like a good and pure being to me. That sounds like a violent dictator who would hurt anyone that didn't agree with him.

And I notice that you say "the only possible oppression". So are you saying I, who doesn't believe in either hell or Jesus, won't end up going there?

 

[nova900]

Probably because that's not his nature...
I presume you're usual athesist troll that roams through?

It IS his nature.
Read the Old Testament. Lot's of juicy god sanctioned violence and slaughter there.
No, I'm not an atheist. Just a spiritual god believer tired of religous dogma and all the wonderfull b/s that goes with it.

 

[Adstar]

Can I ask what your thought on my earlier statement is:

Someone who loves the truth would be skeptical of any strange and unnatural claims and would want to see some shred of evidence before he or she lent any faith towards it. This is because they want the truth, and not simply an easy convenient excuse for it.

Someone who loves the truth would accept the truth when they heard it. The measure of Truth is God. It is not your measure. People with pride in self cannot accept this. People who are wise enough to know they are not wise take a meek and contrite approach toward God. And He blesses them with more wisdom then they would ever have achieved by their own limited thought process.

This confuses me. What makes it harder for you to digest Adstar? See for me, it's disgusting because it's basically holding a knife to someones throat, and that's evil/bad/etc. But you shouldn't have any problems with it since you think God's will is pure and good. Why do you say it's harder to digest?

Things that are easy to understand are easy to digest quickly. But things that are hard to understand take time. Over time one comes to understand that God is not a Human. See that statement sounds basic. But it is not basic, it is deep. God is above us like we are above plants. God is on another level. This is something that many humans cannot accept. God is to them like a very powerful human ruler or an alien, maybe more powerful, maybe more advanced, but still on our playing field. But this is not the case. He is the creator we are the created. And that’s another thing many humans cannot accept. We want to see ourselves as the equal to anything our there. It is very frightening for people to come to the understanding that they are a level below something and that they have no chance of ever attaining equality with, their Creator. People fight with all their intellectual might to avoid this conclusion because it destroys their foundation beliefs and places them in a powerless and vulnerable position.

Why is hell in God's message then? If all he wants to do is spread Jesus' words of being better human beings and closer to God, then why mention hell at all? You don't need the latter for the former.

Being better human beings is just a side message. We cannot attain the level of goodness anyway. Through conscious effort we can only engage in damage limitation but every now and then the conscious falls down in exhaustion from all the effort and that’s why we need something more than a religion based on attainment of goodness to achieve eternity with God. That is why we need the atonement through the Messiah Jesus.

It says in the Bible that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Proverbs 9
10 “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

I have highlighted the Word "beggining" for a very important reason. Fear is the start but it is not the end, once one comes to understanding.

Think. How many people go out to seeking the will of God because they fear Him? If they did not fear God then would they take the issue of God seriously? When people come to some very serious information of eternal importance, that could have terrifying consequences, that focuses their mind on the problem and people go to great lengths to find the solution.

Now here is the understanding in the Bible that is the end of the search for those who embrace the Love of the Truth:

1 John 4:
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Coming to the understanding of the perfect Love of God through Jesus casts out all fear

So the fear of God was the beggining of the search it was the beggining of understanding But it is not the End. Because in the End we find out about the perfect Love of God and all fear melts away. I am saved by the loving gift of God, This i know.

Are you afraid of God Adstar?

Nope. I am in love

So what you're saying is God will oppress every non-Christian, correct? That doesn't sound like a good and pure being to me. That sounds like a violent dictator who would hurt anyone that didn't agree with him.

And I notice that you say "the only possible oppression". So are you saying I, who doesn't believe in either hell or Jesus, won't end up going there?

The only people who will be trapped in fear of hell while living on this earth will be those who believe it exists and believe that they could go there.

An atheist does not believe in the eternal lake of fire therefore How can they suffer any fear from it? Therefore an assured atheist does not suffer any oppression from the information about the Lake of fire because it takes belief to activate fear.

When i said "the only possible oppression". I was referring to oppression felt in this life time. I was not saying that those who reject The Message of Jesus will not have eternity in the Lake of fire. I believe they will.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[EndLightEnd]

Adstar how come it is so easy for you to dismiss the Gods of other religions, then criticize us for dismissing yours?

 

[Saquist]

It IS his nature.
Read the Old Testament. Lot's of juicy god sanctioned violence and slaughter there.

I am well versed in the Bible, Hebrew Scriptures and Greek Scriptures. I am fully aware or all major events that transpired under God's direction and why.
That being so...I cannot concure with your previous assesment. Nor can I in anyway aggree with your implications with the above statement.

No, I'm not an atheist. Just a spiritual god believer tired of religous dogma and all the wonderfull b/s that goes with it

Then you should be cautioned of that tone and perspective you're adopting, which to is defined as dogma.

 

[nova900]

I am well versed in the Bible, Hebrew Scriptures and Greek Scriptures. I am fully aware or all major events that transpired under God's direction and why.
That being so...I cannot concure with your previous assesment. Nor can I in anyway aggree with your implications with the above statement.

Sure, I understand..it was gods will and I have no right to object!
Even if these actions of his conflict with a basic sense or right and wrong..it's called morality.

Then you should be cautioned of that tone and perspective you're adopting, which to is defined as dogma.

It's not your place to caution me!
As far as dogma... I follow none and my life has improved for doing so.
You and all the fundies of course come across in the usual way..self righteous,pompous windbags,each with an arrogant claim of knowing the absoulute one and only "truth".

 

[Saquist]

Sure, I understand..it was gods will and I have no right to object!

Are you actualy presuming to speak for me so as to represent my own knowledge and experineces? You should not.

Even if these actions of his conflict with a basic sense or right and wrong..it's called morality.

This does not make sense. Reitterate you statement.

It's not your place to caution me!

I caution your hypocrsy. My current location is irrelevant.

As far as dogma... I follow none and my life has improved for doing so.

Then reducing your tone to illistrate such would be advised so as to not be misrepresented as dogmatic in approach.

You and all the fundies of course come across in the usual way..self righteous,pompous windbags,each with an arrogant claim of knowing the absoulute one and only "truth".

Needless accusations are often view as dogmatic espeically when unsubstaniated. Or worse it could be viewed as prejudice. Unless you are implying that you know me. Are you sure you haven't become what you have learned to hate? Does your behavior befit one that has learned that speaking ill of others before knowing the content of their character is foolish and abrassive?

You described self righteous, pompus and arrogant as traits and yet you did not even deign to introduce yourself appropriately to say nothing of good manners.

Is this your thread, however open the forum is? Would not hijacking the thread to shout down opposite view points be percieved as...self righteous and pompous?

Is this your way of saying Hello?

 

[nova900]

Then reducing your tone to illistrate such would be advised so as to not be misrepresented as dogmatic in approach.

Sounds logical to me

Is this your way of saying Hello?

No, just my way of saying how much I object to arrogant self righteous people who claim to know the will or words of god.
Don't presume to know you at all. It's just that I know ALL the usual defenses from people when the bible is critisized.

Anyways, if your faith works for you. Great!

 

[SnakeLord]

Faith is trust in knowledge.

No. Faith is belief in something despite any evidence to the contrary. It is a desire, a dream - much like the millions that 'believe' they'll really win the lottery this week.

Continuity: The Bible in it's canon form is made up of 66 book with 40 different authors. And yet there is a common thread of salvation for human kind despite the first sin and our current condition of sin and death.

If a person well versed on the bible now decided to write a new new testament it would undoubtedly also continue that trend - not because of anything mystical. The same would be undoubtedly true if someone decided to write a book 4 of LotR. This of course does not stop them adding their own elements to it, their own bias and perspective etc etc.

Of course if there were many more than 66 'new new testaments' now written people would get together to decide which ones they should print from an already settled bias. There are many 'books' that weren't incorporated because - regardless to their possible truth - they didn't fit in with that bias. Needless to say, those 'books' aren't really books. Many of them are two page letters.

Lineage: The lineage of the bible creates a firm archaeological foundation for leading us into a past that is far from well known. History documents Jesus as a result of his line of fore fathers. Historians have been able to plot courses to famous figures like Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzer, and Pharoh through cuniform discoveries made else where. So if this line is true through hundreds of year then the bible has shown it's self historicaly reliable. And it continues to be the book of comparision for new discoveries.

The same is true of many other ancient texts. The same is also true of many modern day works of fiction - that incorporate real places, people etc etc. Further to which, who were jesus' fore fathers? His father was supposedly god so he would have no link to the people the bible claims he does.

Medicaly: When it comes to the medical care we now enjoy in modern times it's due to Jewish traditions which were founded in the Law Covenant handed down by God. It showed the practice of quarentine and propper disposal and discarding of waste and biological hazards...and the way to keep clean.

Not really, no. A woman on her period was unclean - anyone that even dared touch her or anything she sat on would be considered unclean until evening, (and then they seemingly magically became clean again). She must then take 2 turtledoves of pigeons to be killed to forgive her for the sin of having a period. That is not modern medical care. The wearing of a tampon is not due to ancient jewish culture. Needless to say, if we were clinging to jewish tradition we'd be killing animals all over the place which would somehow, in doing so, make us clean. That's not 'medical care'.

However it needs to be stated that these laws are not jewish tradition - indeed appearing long before that time in Sumeria.

Scientficly: The bible also gave us the first true perception of our home from space and the nature of it's foundation in the heavens before Copernicus deduced the Earth's radius frome shadows from different points through the use of math.

Where?

The flood as well shows detail to the Earth's function

Eh?

Creation account has sciences seal of approval for the chronolocial order of the appearance of plants and animals in a startiling detail

Uhh, no.

Fifth: and most Importantly, Prophecy:
The bible has an uncanny ability to predict the future and show us what there is to come.

How so? Where?

He raised the dead, brought sight to the blind, speach to the dumb, curing diease and every sort of infirmaty

So says a book. Another book claims Gilgamesh was a demi god that fought ogres and scorpion men etc etc. What was the point?