took a little faith = ?

Faith is belief without evidence.
There is more than one kind of faith, one of which is called blind faith. Blind faith implies not only belief without evidence, but belief where there can be no evidence. To the atheist or agnostic, there is no evidence for the existence of god, so that qualifies as blind faith. For the beleiver in god, that is not an issue, but almost all theists say that god is unknowable, so one never knows if god will answer one's prayers, or if god is even listening.

This author is saying that he had to have faith that god is listening, and that god will answer his prayer. "It took a little . . ." of anything, is a figure of speech which does not necessarily imply a small amount, but it means that it was required, that it was necessary. So the author is saying that he had to have faith that god was listening and would answer his prayer, and that his friends would support him in his effort, without actually knowing in advance if that were going to be the case.

Setanta wrote:

Faith is belief without evidence.
There is more than one kind of faith, one of which is called blind faith. Blind faith implies not only belief without evidence, but belief where there can be no evidence. To the atheist or agnostic, there is no evidence for the existence of god, so that qualifies as blind faith. For the beleiver in god, that is not an issue, but almost all theists say that god is unknowable, so one never knows if god will answer one's prayers, or if god is even listening.

This author is saying that he had to have faith that god is listening, and that god will answer his prayer. "It took a little . . ." of anything, is a figure of speech which does not necessarily imply a small amount, but it means that it was required, that it was necessary. So the author is saying that he had to have faith that god was listening and would answer his prayer, and that his friends would support him in his effort, without actually knowing in advance if that were going to be the case.

from Dictionary.com
" faith   /feɪθ/ Show Spelled[feyth] Show IPA
noun
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof:
He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact. 3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion:
the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.:
to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith. "



Faith is also confidence WITH ample evidence,
which co-incides with knowledge; for instance:
I have faith that Setanta is a shameless, inveterate LIAR,
because he has persisted in telling too many lies.
Of course, it is theoretically possible
(however UNlikely) that he might have seen the light
and abandoned his efforts at deception,
but as to that, I have no faith.

Note that definition "2. belief that is not based on proof" does NOT say without EVIDENCE.
It says without "proof". Evidence that is sufficient to convince is proof.

See definition 4.:
" belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.:
to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty."
Someone CAN believe in it upon the basis of READING what it IS.
The writing that he reads IS evidence
of what the "code of ethics, . . . " IS.

Regardless of Setanta's representations
concerning lack of evidence, that is not necessary for the existence of FAITH.
Indeed, none of these definitions require the absence of EVIDENCE, as Setanta alleges.

I do not deny that if he searches sufficiently,
Setanta can find theologians or lexicographers who will support his position.





David