It takes faith to believe in anything. It takes faith to say that this is reality, that we aren't just some creatures play thing. It takes faith to believe in physics, most of the concepts are so abstract and cannot even be proven or seen with pure observation... only by the immediate effects. It takes faith to believe that we can improve humanity, even when we see no true instances of mass numbers of people changing. It takes faith to get up every morning if you don't know what will happen that day. What if you're in an accident? What if someone dies? What if you accidently kill someone? The "what ifs" continue, but still we have faith that if do get out of bed then chances are we will be okay. Life offers no promises. We have to have faith to do anything. You have to have faith to say that there is no being such as god. You have to have faith to say there is. You even have to have faith to say you don't know. Because then you are resting your faith in your own ability to reason.. you have faith in yourself.
Faith isn't such a strange concept. It's actually one of the only ones that causes progress. No scientist would have discovered anything if he didn't have faith that there was something out there to discover. No philosopher would have thought anything if he didn't have faith in his ability to rationalize and theorize. No religion would exist if we didn't have faith that there is a way to end the suffering of humanity. No school would exist if we didn't have faith that people could be taught. No person would strive for anything if we didn't have faith that we could achieve it and be happy.
Think about it. All the things that we strive for every day. The major problems in the world.
Have we ever seen world peace? No, but people still believe that it will happen.
Have we ever seen a completely educated society? No, but we still have schools with the desire to educate everyone.
Have we ever seen a 100% turn out at the polls? No, but we still believe that the right of the people should be heard through the waves of democracy.
Have we ever seen everyone completely happy? No, but we still believe that everyone can be.
That's all faith is; the belief that things can change, that things can be ideal, that people can live in peace and happiness. We've never seen these ideas, but we still follow them. A belief in God is simply a way to acheive these things that we've never seen. Following scripture is some people's way of pursuing happiness, change, peace. Some seek it through the faith that money will bring it to them. Some seek it through asceticism. Some seek it through altruism.
But I ask you? Who is the most happy, who has the most peace, who actively seeks change from lifes suffering? Those who believe in something that has the possibility of change, or those who think this world is nothing but molecules strewn together in random progression. Whether this faith in a God is unfounded and silly or not, I cannot help to point out that I've never met someone of true devotion to their God, whom ever the God is -- Allah, God, Vishnu, ect., who isn't happier and more content then the rest of the general population. Putting your faith in something greater than you brings answers to your questions. Whether it's true or not, the rewards it brings are far greater than the sacrafice that it entails.