In one of my webhaunts, the author asked about 'faith', what our view of it was and whether it was useful in our lives. I answered:

What is 'faith'? What has it been made to mean? I think of a quote found in a book compiled by Leo Rosten, "Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense and understanding" --MARTIN LUTHER , and I shudder with horror.

That is the 'faith' that breeds inquisitions and witch burnings. Fortunately, that is not how most people define it.

This is a definition I remember from childhood:
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

I think that's from the Christian Bible. 'The substance of things hoped for', for what do we hope? What gives certainty in things 'not seen'? And what are these things? For me, I think of a phrase "The faith that gets us through the night". What is this? All around is uncertainty, we do not know day to day what life will bring.

I say I have faith in that which is Divine in me. I call to her, my Muse, and there is insight, wisdom and the seeds which bring courage. It is in this aspect, nearest and dearest to me, that I have faith.

What of the gods? What of that which I have experienced? And I have had experiences. To these, I don't put 'faith'. I say I have had these experiences. I will not say for the sake of the skeptic that I did not have those experiences. But I don't want to get dogmatic about them. I say it is my best understanding at the time, how I view that experience.

'The substance of things hoped for'? If I go into a working without faith in my ability to bring about change, how could I proceed? There is no Ba to empower whatever Ka I might create. The pattern without the power, it will not 'fly'. (Envisioning the heiro for BA, the human headed bird.)

If I apply reason to this, I say, because I have succeeded in X, there is a good chance I will succeed in Y. But there seems to be a necessity of gut level empowerment that comes from faith in oneself.