It's disappointing to me when people talk about how faith is "blind". The common conception is that it has absolutely no rational basis.

Christians do not value faith that is blind, faith that believes despite all rationality and evidence. Here are some of the verses that encourage critical thinking:

A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. (Proverbs 14:15)
Test everything. Hold on to the good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)
Don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. (1 John 4:1, MSG)

Part of faith includes "evidence", as per Heb 11:1. Faith isn't proved in the same way a chemistry experiment is; but that doesn't make it less true or any less valid. Historical evidence alone cannot prove faith is true, but it can provide a firm foundation upon which faith can be built. (Thanks to the great short article Verses Skeptics Don't Know About on Rational Christianity for inspiring this post.)