Haleivi – I don’t have the source offhand; I heard it five years ago from a RY of mine. I can try to find it.
When I used the word kfira I meant in a logical sense – doing physical actions when in reality they do nothing – is in its essence a statement that we believe they do something.
The obvious counter-argument here is that Hashem wants us to do the [otherwise] meaningless action, rendering it a correct action.
The answer is, that in a utopian world – i.e. like Adam in GE, or to a lesser extent Jews in desert, – no hishtadlus is necessary.
The only reason why for us it is necessary, is because we are not on the level of the relationship and trust that existed in those situations.
Hence, hishtadlus, is a necessary evil, permitted to us while we work on our relationship to need it less and less.
As far as whether there are other shitos than the Maharal – I’m sure there are.
BTW everyone assumes that my screen-name is my statement about what I am. It is intended to be a statement about what I think is important. It was a reaction to the name of this website more than anything else.