"Fact is, I am a bigger skeptic than certain evolutionist lap dogs who have the history of the universe memorized from their favorite textbooks."
Ok, the assumption that you base this statement on is that higher level science education is based entirely upon reading and regurgitating passages in textbooks. While I am admittedly not a scientist, I was married to a chemistry PhD student, and I can tell you from direct observation that your assumption is dead wrong.
The principles learned in graduate level sciences are learned by doing, not by reading. The mathematics involved are not memorized, they are learned by working them through. I remember my ex's differential equations class had him just about throwing himself out a window, but he learned it.
Again, none of real science education involves rote memorization, or taking things on faith.
Of course. But when it comes to the common man, he must reply upon, i.e. trust, what is reported to him. Right?