The Orchid Journal

(Example lesson in a photo: We only see part of it. Frederick the cello-LCW 2009) Science and Religion, (for the purposes of this essay, here referred to as their societal and historical entities), have much more in common than either camp has deigned to admit over the past few centuries. As any cursory glance of history will prove, both have been wrong at one time or another. This fact is not easily swallowed by the followers of those who believe Science holds all the answers to the exclusion of Religion, and it is equally unpalatable to the followers who believe Religion holds the only answers to the exclusion of Science. These are the commonalities between Science and Religion: 1. They have both been wrong, resulting in dire consequences for humanity and the environment, for the well-being of those who are more vulnerable among us, and for humanity's general understanding of the world and our place in it. 2. They have both been right too,resulting in astoundingly beau...

(Burnt tree bark, Mount Lemmon, Catalina Mountains- LCW -Tucson, AZ 2009) After a wedding in 2014, my cousin blurted out, "Laelia, you worry so much! I don't even believe in God and most things just eventually work out..." That comment was the impetus for a lot of soul searching. I knew it was true that I worried too much. I had only recently been facing how deep and long that Fear had been in my heart. And if I was supposed to have a God who I can trust, then why DID I worry so much? As a Christian since I was seven, God was supposed to be my antidote to that fear. Even as a teenager, I memorized verses like, "Do not fear, for I am with you!" and I could identify with the disciples when they were terrified on the stormy seas even though Jesus was on the boat . Honestly, the world can be a scary place. Even if God is real, horrible things have happened, which Christians often attempt to rationalize with weak platitudes in order to hide pain and drown q...