Christian "faith" vs. plain "faith"

[Huggy Bear]

A man's word used to mean something. There was a time where you would take the word of a "gentleman" without second thought.

Your cynicism is more a reflection of the times you live in.

Hang on, WHEN did this period of a [gentle]mans word being acceptable on spec, take place? Because having studied history through from the dawn of civilisation shows continuous use of lying and manipulation.
Taking a mans word isn't a sign of that person's integrity, it is a sign of the gullibility and/or servility of the recipient.
You are expected to neglect checks and investigations as a mark of loyalty and obedience to the alpha-male under the implicit threat of reprisal.
This is why I never expect anyone to take me at my word but to investigate for themselves.

I guess you're not familiar with 18th-19th century warfare where it was common for a captured officer to be granted parole if he gave his word that he would not attempt escape. once granted parole, he was treated as a guest and free to move about at will.

http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/law/pow_parole.pdf

Parole is “[t]he agreement of persons who have been taken prisoner
by an enemy that they will not again take up arms against those who cap-
tured them, either for a limited time or during the continuance of the war.” The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) defines parole more broadly,
however: “Parole agreements are promises given the captor by a POW to
fulfill stated conditions, such as not to bear arms or not to escape, in con-
sideration of special privileges, such as release from captivity or lessened
restraint.”

Medieval knights were also bound by rules of parole. “A knight who
escapes although he had given his word to remain in captivity offends God
and man

During the American Revolution, officers on both sides generally
expected and received paroles. One British commander even paroled
American enlisted troops. The terms and application of the paroles were
not always the same, however. American officers who were paroled by the
British were committed to three essential pledges. They agreed to abstain
from military activity, to refrain from correspondence with the enemy or
criticism of the British and to present themselves if summoned.