Yes I pick on all religions.

[Mudhammam]

And yet many "critical thinkers" are theists of some sort or the other. Whatever grounds we feel have not been justifiably met, they disagree, or the grounds by which we are expecting justification to arise are in different regions altogether. Or metaphysical naturalism itself cannot meet its own burden of proof and therefore the two alternatives each become one of preference rather than verification.

No.

They just compartmentalize their theistic beliefs.

They put them in a special place in their minds where they refuse or fail to evaluate them with the same level of critical thinking they use for all the other supernatural and extraordinary claims they have rejected.

Ask these critical thinking theists why they reject; bigfoot, UFO abductions, ancient aliens, levitating gurus, crystal healing, Tarot, etc, etc and they will almost assuredly reject them for the correct reasons (lack of: evidence, reasoned argument and valid/sound logic).

Ask them why they believe in a god, and you will not get the same level of critical thinking. You will get mental gymnastics.

Not really.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM2mcbdEH00
Where are the elite scientists and professors at prestigious schools who ascribe to any of those ideas you just mentioned? Maybe they're non-existent because there's a stark difference in the reasoning behind them?