Your last sentence is very true. Aiming systems are faith-based. The fundamentalist zeal with which they are sold by the sellers and protected by the followers is disturbing IMO, and is why those pushing their agenda need to be challenged constantly.
Let someone turn Barton into Bartrum. Only then will myths be slain, and minds changed.
Fundamentally wrong.
All aiming is "faith based" because you don't have a laser line guiding your cue placement. All you have is your judgment.
Now your judgement can be completely feel based as in "this looks about right" or it can be augmented by OBJECTIVE alignment using the other equipment, the cue, the pockets, the rails, the balls, etc... the more objects you use the more objective your decision is. Once you learn that certain objective methods produce consistent results you then feel very comfortable trusting the line those methods produce.
Once again the top spots in all AZB shotmaking challenges belong to system aimers.
You are more than free to take those tests and declare that you aim by feel. Put yourself in as an example of a pure feel aimer who is a better shotmaker than the system aimers. I am assuming that your mechanics are adequate so that doesn't need to be part of the discussion.
Show us that you can replace the top shooters on AZB with your pure feel method.
I would bet on Stan Shuffett against any non-system aimer who is not a professional player. Shot for shot Stan will be more consistent, will make tougher shots and will make more bank shots, single and multi-rail. I say Stan because he is the person whom I know has spent the most time perfecting his use of a system. Others may be equally adept but I saw Stan make every challenge shot I presented to him.
So, to me faith comes also from proof and I have seen enough proof to believe in aiming systems. As well many pool playing engineers also believe in them.