"Not having seen or experienced something is irrelevant to its existence."

But completely relevant to whether you KNOW it exists or simply have faith
(believe) that it exists because someone told you so.  

But you're right, it is about semantics.  Everything is about semantics.
Let's consider a garden variety definition of faith...

1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.  
2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would
be substantiated by fact.  

So you DO have faith in science (confidence, trust), just not faith in the
way you're defining it.  So I suspect your religious friends clearly
understand your belief in science as "faith" even if you don't. 

"I do not BELIEVE these things exist. The scientific evidence supports their
existence."

And you BELIEVE the scientific evidence despite it being postulated, tested
and interpreted by humans with their own agendas.

For the record, I personally believe in evolution. And yes I said "believe".
Let's not forget that it's still only a theory.

Kristine Zickuhr
Registrar
Wisconsin Veterans Museum

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