Would the bible draw parallels between the spies returning from Canaan and modern biblical criticism? When the spies returned from Canaan, to verify the kind of land God was going to gives them, all but two said, among other problems, that there was 'big strong men' there. Therefore, if they tried to take the land they would be killed.  

Not only did these spies doubt but the whole camp wanted to stone the two spies that had faith, as they hated their blind confidence on being able to destroy those 'big men'.

God himself says:


  “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? (NIV Numbers 14:11)


In light of all this, I am wondering whether we can draw the similarity that many who are exposed to Christianity and feel certain 'doubts' they have are 'too big' to kill are really no different then these faithless explorers (assuming these doubts keep them from faith. ) Is it fair to say biblically that such cases are just modern intellectual honesty, or would it be reasonable to say biblically it is contempt of God, as in the case of the spies? Where does intellectual honesty turn into wicked contempt from a biblical perspective?

I am only looking for answers that are made from the scriptures. Is this a fair biblical comparison, or would the Bible not draw these parallels?
I am answering the question you asked in bold, not the one in the title. However, I recommend against equating modern biblical criticism with wicked contempt or intellectual honesty.

@DJClayworth: This question is totally about Christianity.

There is an deliberate parallel between the ancient Israelites' obstinance and today's encounter with Jesus. The parallel is this: a person who has seen God and does not believe accuses God of not being who he claims. In other words, the boundary between intellectual honesty and wicked contempt is when God reveals himself to you.

In the context of Numbers, God had revealed himself to the Israelites several times; at Mount Sinai for example (Exodus 19). These signs are referred to in the verse you quoted. In spite of the them, the Israelites denied God out of their fear of the Nephilim (the "big strong men"). Their fear produced an accusation that God was not able as He claimed to bring them into the land promised.

Fast forward to the NT. We find similar examples of unbelief. In a parallel to Exodus 19, the disciples encounter God on a mountain:


  After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led
  them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transformed in
  front of them, and His face shone like the sun. Even His clothes
  became as white as the light. (HCSB Matthew 17:1-2)


Yet in the following story they don't have the faith to heal a demon-possessed boy:


  Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and
  from that moment the boy was healed. Then the disciples approached
  Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” “Because of
  your little faith,” He told them. (HCSB Matthew 17:18-20)


Fast forward to a few years ago. When I was considering who Jesus is, I first looked into intellectual matters: How can I reconcile science and faith? Are the Gospel accounts trustworthy? Eventually I had those answers, but the intense question remained: Is Jesus who he says he is? It was no longer an intellectual matter; to answer affirmatively required God to reveal himself in the way he did to Simon Peter:


  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living
  God!” And Jesus responded, “Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed
  because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in
  heaven. (HCSB Matthew 16:16-17)


I had this kind of experience, after which I could not deny Jesus being who he claims while keeping an honest conscience. After that point I would have been in contempt of God.