Excellent point, to a degree I was blending the general term "faith" with individual beliefs and religions.
However, I do not think the two are completely mutually exclusive. Looking back to the old testament, surely you can agree that God was something to be feared, and living against his command put your self at some level of risk? Seems to be a very effective method of controlling the public.
Here again is where you are using the 'antiquated' characters of God. Yet, I do agree that living against his command was of high risk:
"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain."
There are a multitude of offenses of disobedience that were extremely offensive to the creator. Despite His patience over generations man continued to disobey.
As a Creator or a father, parent or authority figure you would display impotence if you never brought accountability for disobedience.
But, we Christians live under a New Covenant in Christ:
"For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But
God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord."
"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "
This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.""
I do have a problem with the comment "evidence of things unseen." Religion has no real evidence. We can discuss all day the divine inspiration that was given to the human writers of biblical text, but in the end you are largely taking their word for it. A human with the intelligence level of our generations placed into the biblical times, easily could have taken control of the public through the creation of a religion. It actually doesnt even take a true intellect to gain power to religion, must we discuss Joseph Smith, L. Ron Hubbard?
But yet again you refer to religion.
As a Christian, I am not practicing a religion. I live in a relationship that is based in faith. This faith requires obedience. Obedience causes me to honor the New Covenant. Honoring the New Covenant I produce fruit of the Spirit in my life and the life of others that is the substantive evidence of the things hoped for - the definition of faith.
I am not taking anyone's word for anything.
This is not a mathematical equation. It is a reciprocal relationship of obedience, faithfulness and fruitfulness.
I can practice the math for years and come to the same conclusion you do. Can you practice the obedience and faithfulness for years?
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
This thread has gone OT too many times and our discussion here is OT as well.
Best regards!