How can religious faith be epistemically justified?

Hope this is the right place to put this question! I am a person of faith (more specific, a Christian) and most of the time people consider me somehow inferior for my belief. I am not antisocial, not sick, nor crazy, but rather rational (even if apparently this is in contradiction with "faith"). I feel that many times when discussing with some people. After reaching religion in our discussion, when I tell them that "I am a faithful person" the answer I get is something like: "Oh, faithful... I see..." (from non-believing persons). In another situation, I was having a conversation with a person who seemed impressed by my thinking and education, and we were going along this way for some time. However, after mentioning about my faith, that attitude disappeared and a despise-superiority one came out. Why is this happening in our time, since in the past there were many great faithful personalities (Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, George Washington, or even Mother Teresa)? Somehow, people see me as some inferior kind of human, maybe even crazy - no matter of my other capabilities or social position. For many, believing what Christians believe is a sign of weakness. Now, my question is: Why is faith seen in such a way in our times: as a sign of weakness instead of an unexplored land (considering the fact that we DO NOT KNOW an enormous quantity of things, fields, etc.)? Why do most people choose to despise, instead of accepting the possibility that we know too little about faith and its experiences? Basically, why do folks close the door without checking what's inside? EDIT: I do not need a "faith" definition, that's not the idea. Giving me examples or quotes from dead people that did not live in our time (in order to understand it), doesn't really help much. I know I am not inferior, I just feel people treat me like I would be, and what I need to understand is why. If you have any experience from your community, about believers (of any kind) who are seen as I am, the