Buddha neither asks for, nor requires, faith.

I will not proclaim myself as some type of guru in regards to Buddha/Buddhism/Dharma practice, etc. However, it does occur to me that whether or not Buddha existed is not truly critical to the philosophy contained within. No one is required to put faith in Buddha, as they would Jesus Christ or God. It is not about accepting Buddha as a guiding force in your everyday life. Whether or not Buddha, or Jesus Christ, or God, exist or not is not crucial to right now.

Ultimately, this is a prescription for dealing with the complexities and difficulties of life (aka the suffering that we all endure to some degree throughout our lives). It is a path that helps you accept the reality you live in, with all of its suffering and its finite length. Past and future are only abstract. We cannot change the past, nor can we take action in the future. The only time we can do anything is right now. To the extent that we need to think about the future, it is only in terms of projects that we are not yet able to complete. We cannot ever do anything in the future, as all of our possible actions can only be implemented right now.