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Mark 4:40
And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

"Is faith something that a human can be without?
I know people call it "faith" when you sit in a chair or ride a bus ... but it seems that faith carries a different meaning in scripture, and it is a gift of God, lending understanding and even "evidence."
James speaks about "dead faith," and there is this quote above from Mark
... anyway, I guess the question is really : 'Is faith something that a human can be without?' or are there those that have faith but misplace it ... ie. faith in themselves rather than the Lord Jesus."

Here is my own answer, below. Please comment. I think this is a very good topic to discuss. Their is much wisdom in this question, which will leads us into even more understanding in the asking and the discussing...a continued "ripening" of our faith, as a wise brother in Christ once said :-)

There are many types of “faith”

There are many things which man places beneath his feet, so he may stand. If a man had no faith at all, he would be unable to move, forever trapped by fear, eventually consumed therein.
I feel this relates to certain phobias where people are rendered helpless because of fear, lacking even basic faith in themselves and their environment so they may live life. This is one faith, purely human faith and faith in what we see, think we know, and have become accustomed to or the perceived “evidence” as you have said...(i.e. If I enter this elevator, it will not fall - faith in technology and those who built it though we were not there when it was installed, nor do we truly know its current condition, nor if it is still able to support our weight, etc. - faith in our environment and the works of men)...a way to overcome fear.
I would call this carnal faith or worldly faith. Of course, it gets much larger when it comes to larger issues of the world like war, the economy, disease, drought, etc. This becomes faith in the world and humankind, to always work out or overcome all major problems in time. This is where faith starts to go astray and becomes misplaced. As Jesus told us, “Human power is of no use at all.”
When fear extends outside our immediate personal world and leads to thoughts that maybe the world or man may not be able to overcome the problems we see in the news, nor explain why things are the way they are (i.e. death, injustice, etc.), then people turn to religion, looking to put their faith in something beyond the world and humankind. This is also a way to alleviate fear. This type of faith (spiritual faith) can lead to the great joy, but can also be very dangerous. For as God said, “The Atheist will have it far better in the Day of God’s wrath than these false religions.”

So then faith in one’s self leads to death. Faith in the world leads to death. Faith in mankind leads to death. Faith in false religions leads to death. For all of these shall pass away, a mere wisp of deceptive wind holding us captive in a world of fear.

When Jesus said to the disciples, while in the boat, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” He knew, because of fear, they had lost all faith....faith in themselves, faith in the boat, faith in the world to save them, and most importantly, faith in God and His Son, though He was right there with them. This was a trying of their faiths, a stripping away of all that was worldly, leaving only one choice, a turning to the One who was not of the world, so they would come into the full knowledge that human power is of no use at all and without Him, they can do nothing (a humbling)....that indeed, they were in need of a Savior, and that there is but one faith that conquers all things and is the ONLY faith that leads to life in abundance, even eternal life. At that point, they were yet of the world; and by this, Jesus was quickly moving them from the world, though they yet resided in it. And by their new faith, they will no longer be of the world and eventually by that same faith will they leave the world completely.

So what is first, must be last, and that which is last, must be put first.

So then, concerning faith and works, faith is first, then works, because works without faith is dead, but from faith do good works follow. Faith and works are one and connected, but faith is the greater...then shown by works done in that faith. But as works without faith is dead, so also is faith, because faith without works is no more faith, having never been faith in the first place, but rather a lie.

Without faith, one can do nothing. Yet works done in faith will serve to strengthen that faith. So then, faith is something a human can not be without...faith is an absolutely necessary part of life, but there is only one faith that leads to eternal life... faith in Christ, for He is the Giver and the Author and Finisher of our faiths. Amen.

Your Brother in Christ’s service and love,
Timothy