Nitpicker wrote:
Faith in science is just another way of saying "confidence in the skills one has developed" and/or "trust in the science already developed". To say that faith is always required in science (or by scientists) is not a controversial statement. Chris, I feel you are just wanting to avoid certain other connotations of the word "faith". Faith, confidence, trust and belief are synonyms in this rich language or ours. These words do not necessarily imply a lack of evidence.
Faith, n. [OE. feith, fayth, fay, OF. feid, feit, fei, F. foi, fr. L. fides; akin to fidere to trust, Gr. to persuade.]
1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony.
2. The assent of the mind to the statement or proposition of another, on the ground of the manifest truth of what he utters; firm and earnest belief, on probable evidence of any kind, especially in regard to important moral truth.
3. (Theol.) The belief in the historic truthfulness of the Scripture narrative, and the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called historical and speculative faith.
4. That which is believed on any subject, whether in science, politics, or religion.