Thanks for the honesty, Something that is so rare these days, even on FR.
Yeah, not so good on the ego. It's only a problem when I'm trying to talk about something I think I know more about, the ego that is. To make matters worse, I think I misspelled hymenoptera and lepidoptera, not sure.
Sometimes you don't get to take the make up test because it's the final exam.
Would I study more science if I could live my life over? Botany, yes, and a more general knowledge about all the new discoveries that have come to light plus the old I missed because other subjects interested me more at the time. But there are areas of science I'd rather not work in our times, so maybe it's just as well.
I won't say it hasn't jolted my faith, what I have of it. I didn't pick it up so much at home, but biblical thinking was in my culture. The hardest part for me was to keep my faith and then be exposed to such different thinking in the university and particularly an Anthropology course my father encouraged me to take.
It caused a great amount of mental discomfort and anguish, and I never succeeded in reconciling it very well compared to the way some have. Notice the OP was mocked by some, not familiar with that poster, but that's kind of the way it is.
So I've put each in compartments, and can reconcile the conflict only in part, try to be open to different thinking but afraid of losing my faith altogether. Some seem to have no problem at all with it. And of course some turn to atheism which, to me, is like jumping into the abyss, but that's just me. But I have to be super honest and think that is part of what keeps me from pushing the envelope on certain aspects of it more.
Have to take a break, didn't expect such a good discussion and answers with a lot aimed at my direction.