I was just thinking to myself: How often do we use faith outside the bounds of religion? Often I take exceptional risks in life because I feel the innate need to do so in order to live or survive. Does this non-religious faith act in accordance with what is usually called logic?
Instinct for survival isn't exactly faith, but you are right, we do take a lot for granted, or show faith, in daily lives. We have faith that the other driver's won't hit us if we cut them off in traffic, although where I come from, they shoot you for it. But is that really faith? Faith in human nature? Maybe?
It takes a measure of "non-religious faith" to open this can of ravioli. It takes a measure of said faith to operate in our daily lives, because who has the time and resources to methodically test all their food, or air, or any of those things that could pose a potential threat? Maybe "faith" was never the problem to begin with; maybe it's what some people do in the name of it that's been the problem. IMHO our lives are more characterized by what we don't know than by what we do. Being alive means we have to take a massive leap of faith just to get out of bed.
The primary thing I have faith in is that the entire world was not designed to fool me. I have faith that logic and common sense really do govern the way the world functions. I have faith that I am awake and not dreaming this moment. I have faith that my life is not the truman show.
I think that's what I was trying to say but thanks for that last little bit of "clarifying the obvious."