1. Why should anyone have faith, especially since faith by definition is irrational?
Faith brings hope.
So you admit that your reason for believing in god is only for emotional comfort, and not rational investigation?
2. If you were taught about Russel's teapot, and if it appeared in ancient literature, would you choose to believe it?
I don't see why not. Especially if it was taught by my parents as a truth. And so would you. You believe in things that are written (more current text granted) that have no proof. Again I don't see the difference.
1. So you don't question the same things things now, that you are acknowledging you were once brainwashed to believe?
2. Actually I wouldn't, just as I don't. I was raised Christian, and I rejected the absurdities, assumptions, and circular logic found within all religious texts and religious concepts (the ones I was exposed to) when I reexamined them.
3. I only give credit to things that are written, peer reviewed, reproduced by the scientific community, and make logical sense.
A vague story passed down orally for generations, before being written by men, edited by men, and rewritten by men, with no actual factual verification, filled with obvious contradictions and absurdities has little sway over me. I filter my sources only to ensure that the messages I would be relying on are factual.
If something is not peer reviewed, I am skeptical. Even if the message makes sense to me.
If something has not been reproduced in a controlled environment, I am still skeptical.
If something doesn't make logical sense to me, I question it and pursue it further in case I have a conflicting misconception about it, or something that it fits with.
I have already mentioned that proof of almost anything is impossible. All I have is evidence.
The difference between us that you are overlooking, is our scrutinization of the source. If you don't consider the validity of what you read, you might start believing Harry Potter is a real person, who uses magic wands to fight evil wizards at Hogwarts.
Why is it that religion is exempt from the scientific method in your mind?