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Science AND Religion

8/30/2020

Many people see a conflict between science and religion. I do not. Below are my views on science and religion, written to my nephew in response to this email:

Hi Aunt Teresa!
I have been recently working a new job and I had a co worker ask me an interesting question that I thought you might be able to help me with. He asked me where I drew the line between when I believed in science and when I believed religion. I thought that was a good question and one I didn't really have an answer to, so I thought I would ask you about it. Do you have any thoughts and what are your thoughts on evolution and the origin story of the Bible.
I believe it all fits together I just can't quite see how
Thanks,
Your nephew

Dear (and darling!) Nephew,

Thanks for asking about science and religion. I have a strong opinion about this, an opinion I hope to be able to articulate and justify.

There should be no conflict between science and religion. Both are valid, powerful, effective ways of knowing. Science is a way of knowing based on evidence, observation and measurements and shared consensus. Religion is a way of knowing based on faith, revelation, and personal experience. They are different ways of knowing and, as such, are used in different ways. Science helped me know how to administer to my grandmother when she was physically ill. Religion helped me know how to minister to my heart when my grandmother passed away. They are different ways of knowing, not conflicting ways of knowing. Which is more useful, a hammer or a screwdriver? The answer is that it depends on what the tool is being used for. Which is more useful, science or religion? Again, it depends on what you are using it for. There should be no conflict between the two.

Having said that, there are a lot of perceived conflicts between science and religion. Evolution is one of those...and is a favorite of mine. Evolution means change over time. Organisms change over time. . It happens. To deny it happens is like denying the sun rises in the east. It is stupid and pointless. Does the fact that organisms change over time mean that God is not the Creator? Heavens no!!!! What if the Creator created evolution?

Creationists love to use the analogy of the watchmaker to “disprove” evolution. They say the presence of a watch necessitates the existence of a watch maker. I say, what if the watchmaker were able to make a watch that repaired itself? A watch that could adapt to changing situations and evolving environments? If ice covered the land, the watch could adapt itself to work in sub-zero conditions. If climate change happened and the Earth became unbearably hot, it could develop a cooling system. Would not that watchmaker be more skilled, more awe inspiring than a watchmaker that simply made a superbly accurate, magnificently crafted but static watch? Evolution is an amazing, incredible, brilliant mechanism that allows life on Earth to adapt to changing environments. HOLY COW! To me, evolution is another indication that a Creator exists. It is a misconception that one must choose evolution OR creation. It is not an “or”; it is an “and”. One can accept evolution and creation.

People get hung up on timing. What about a six day creation or a 6,000 year old Earth? The scriptures tell us that time is relevant only to man (Alma 40:8) and the theory of relativity tells us that time is relative; it can expand and contract in relation to speed and location. If God does not measure time and man’s measurement of time is relative, how can we justify trying to fit the Bible’s events into an Earth-based time frame? We should not be surprised that they do not mesh. We also should not use the fact that they don’t mesh to discount either the Bible or the theory of relativity.

There are other things that do not yet mesh between science and religion, things like Adam as the first man and the skulls we have of primitive humans.. What is the story there? I don’t know yet. Notice I use the word “yet”. Science does not yet know all there is to know about the universe. New discoveries are being made at phenomenal rates. Religion does not yet know all the mysteries of God. Revelation is occurring at phenomenal rates. I am fully confident that one day there will be no distinction between science as a way of knowing and faith as a way of knowing. Until then, I will use each for the purpose for which it is best suited.

Love,
Aunt Teresa

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The UNFAIR 2020

8/16/2020

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T

They called it the UNFAIR…….. “2020 has been a pile of [picture a cowpie] and we think it is just UNFAIR... but we’re making the most of it.” says a video on the county fair website. “Join us on Aug 5-8 for Weber County’s First UNFAIR.” Though advertised as an UN-FAIR, in my opinion it was a SUPER FAIR. Let me tell you why…

COVID has caused chaos county wide. Country wide, actually. And,thanks to that little bugger, the county fair was essentially canceled: no commercial exhibit hall, no cotton candy, no chickens. Nothing really except an outdoor rodeo, a truck bed concert, Indian relay races, and the Junior Livestock Show. The entertainment events largely took care of themselves; the Junior Livestock Show required a major commitment of time, energy, and resources.

The County Commissioners and the Junior Livestock Superintendents did a truly SUPER job of stepping up for our kids. First they ventured out on a limb. Recognizing the tremendous value of raising, showing and selling livestock in the lives of our youth, they committed to make it happen; it would have been much easier (and probably politically safer) to let the fair go this year.

Second, to make the show COVID unfriendly (i.e. safe), they went to extensive extra-mile efforts. Tagging and weigh-in were by appointment. Masks were required in the show ring. And the show ring was moved from the small, social-distancing-would-be-impossible barn near the animal barns to the Golden Spike Arena (that is NOT next to the animal barns). Moving the show ring 100 meters is not a big deal for sheep, goats, and steers; they can be led. Moving it for hog raisers is a big deal; have you ever tried to lead a hog? One hundred meters of parallel chutes were erected; one chute leading to the show ring and one leading back from it. Those in charge of the Junior Livestock event, all of them volunteers, went to Herculean efforts.

Indeed the whole livestock community rallied around our kids. I feared that attendance at the auction would be minimal, given social distancing guidelines and the uncertainty of the economy. My fears were groundless; attendance was awesome and prices were at or above where they have always been. (i.e. VERY generous).

On a personal note, Miles had a good fair. Both of us loved Wanda, his pig this year. She was a beautiful animal. Her shoulders were super wide, she was long, and she had a very muscular butt. She was also sweet, gentle, and playful; oh how she loved rolling in her mud puddle and eating hand-fed marshmallows.. It was much harder than it should have been for us, a seasoned 55 year old farm “girl” and a macho 16 year old boy, to say goodbye. Wanda was truly, as Charlotte the spider might say, “SOME PIG”.

We did not have a buyer lined up so we entered the auction with very low expectations. Miles said “Anything over $2/lb will be great with me.” When he entered the auction ring, the auctioneer started the bidding at $4/lb. No one bid. He dropped it to $3.50/lb and then $3/lb. Finally, at $3/lb, someone bid. This is exactly what has happened to us in the past. The auctioneer starts it at what has been the starting bid for the previous animals, has to drop it significantly because no one bids, finally someone gives a pity bid, no one bids against the first bidder, and the animal sells for much less than most of the animals that are sold before and after. So, someone bid $3/lb and….then someone bid $3.25….and then $3.50….and on and on and on until $4.75/lb. Astounding. Totally astounding. Never in the history of Hislop animals at the Weber County Fair (except for the time Lance bid against himself on Grace’s sheep) has bidding continued for more than 3 bids. Happy day!!!! Happy day!! Thank you so much to (Tyler) Scoffield Construction of Plain City, UT. (1730 N 5100 W, 844404).

And thank you to the wonderful people who make the Weber County Fair such a positive experience. Most of them I don’t know by name; just by smile. I will mention those few whose names I do know….Thanks to Laurel Sellman for her constant willingness to help, to Steve Bell for being a friendly face and helping hand, to Jamie Doak for her great example of friendliness and community spirit, to Coltan Ingram and Ray Smalley for numerous summer visits and generous physical and emotional support, to Joe Giordano for his relentless energy in building the livestock program, and super special SHOUT OUT to Brian and Terry Douglas for endless hours, quiet service, and immense wisdom generously shared.

Unfair means “not based on or behaving according to the principles of equality and justice”. In one sense, the 2020 Weber County Fair was very unfair but it was not unfair according to the common interpretation of the word. Normally one thinks of “unfair” as meaning getting less than is deserved. In this case, our kids got more than they deserved. In this time of uncertainty, chaos, and cancellations a group of great people stepped up and made it happen..and that is more than fair….One could say SUPER fair!

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Women's and Children's Camp 2020

8/11/2020

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We forgot the watermelon last year…..

Watermelon and Women and Children’s were inseparable for years. Last year I forgot the watermelon. This year I remembered to purchase the watermelon…. I bought it at WinCo with the other groceries. When I arrived home I took the other groceries into the house and left the watermelon in the truck. My plan was to leave the watermelon outside on the picnic table; no sense bringing it into the house just to haul it out again when I packed for the trip.

Bless that beautiful watermelon! Apparently it decided not to wait for assistance and tried to make it to the picnic table on its own. Bad choice. Leaving the truck, it tumbled to the ground and split open. Consequently, it ended up coming into the house after all and did not end up going on Women and Children’s. No watermelon again this year.

Not having watermelon at Women and Children’s was regretful but that was the only thing regretful about the trip. Well, maybe not the only thing….having to call a tow truck was also regretful…. But it was, overall, an absolutely delightful four days..

My sister Marjorie, her two youngest (Clarise and Jacob), her oldest (Lanae) and her two grandchildren (Ella and Dallin) camped with my mother and I at Duck Creek Campground during the last week of July. My oldest daughter (Tanah) joined us for a day.

Tanah brought drama to Duck Creek. She had to jump start her car to leave Ogden. She had to jump start her car to leave Cedar City. She could not jump start her car at Duck Creek so we spent a morning waiting for a tow truck. “That’s the greatest welcome I’ve ever had,” the tow truck driver said in response to the cheers we vocalized when he arrived.

We visited Mammoth Cave. The main cavern was closed due to COVID (apparently people are not to be trusted to social distance in a cave) but we had a great time exploring several side caves. Jacob, 13 years, was my adventuring buddy. We duck-walked and army crawled through tunnels together, all the while discussing which 10 animals we would be if being an animal were an option. At one point I noticed a sprinkling of feces on the cave floor. Hum…. Knowing that feces has a maker, I looked up to find the source. There, in a cuddle-bundle, were about 30 small, blonde bats. SO COOL!

Also cool was our Duck Creek stroll. The joy was in the journey. We did not reach any spectacular destination or pass any spectacular landmarks but we did have a spectacular time crossing fallen logs, pulling our feet out of calf-deep, shoes-sucking mud, and avoiding ankle-biting rocks. The water was pleasantly cool and the company was completely cool.

We spent an afternoon hiking to Cascade Falls, a 1.2 out and back trail that skirts a canyon wall, offering stunning vistas of the pine and aspen covered hills, red rock cliffs, and blue mountains.. Zorro (the dog Tanah brought with her in case her car broke down and she had to spend the night on the freeway) led Clarisse most of the way, Ella (2 years old) led Marjorie most of the way, Lanae carried Dallin (9 months old) all of the way, and Mom hiked the whole way on her own steam..

My mother… OH MY LANDS! She is 82 years old. She slept in a tent, waded in the creek, and went on two hikes. The second hike was a 2.2 mile loop that included an 800+ meter steep incline. Not many 82 year old women go camping. Even fewer 82 year old women sleep in a tent when they go camping. And 2.2 mile hikes, up and around and down mountain slopes, are not even an option for most women her age. YEA MOM!

I loved sharing a tent with my mom; there is something about taking midnight potty trips together that is quite bonding. I loved spending time biking and chatting with my sister. She fills my cup in ways that nothing else--besides maybe frolicing lambs and flower-covered mountain meadows--does. And so fun to get to know Lanae. She is a great conversationalist, a deep thinker, and has an intuitive understanding of human nature. Mom said “I had not realized before this trip how much alike you and Lanae are”--a comment I took as a deep compliment.

On the last day we ate salted-caramel-chocolate-lavender and raspberry-rose ice cream and then it was over. The cream cream was gone, the watermelon never arrived, and the good times will never be forgotten.

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Grandaddy Basin

8/2/2020

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Let the good times roll!

A couple weeks ago we (Joe and Michelle Drago, Micheal, Mikayla and Daisy Drago, and Lance and Teresa Hislop) rolled out of the driveway, on to the freeway, and then onto a winding mountain road that took us to the trail leading to Grandaddy Basin.

It was raining steadily by the time we arrived at the trailhead, not a downpour but not a sprinkle either. We put our backpacks and ponchos on and headed up the trail. I think it was about a 5 mile hike in…. I do not know exactly what the distance was but I do know that it rained the whole hike. The wind was not bad and the temperature was moderate so it was not nearly as miserable as it could have been. It was wet though, and wet turns to cold quickly. Lance shivered vigorously but it was nothing warm beef stew, hot apple cider, and a pair of dry wool socks couldn’t fix.

Blessedly the rain stopped falling about the same time we stopped hiking. We set up camp on a knoll above Grandaddy Lake. It was far enough from the lake to be legal for camping (200 feet) but not far enough away for a legal campfire (must be 440 yards). Lance hauled wood to the site, which we did not use. I heated water, which we did use. Joe took his fishing pole to the lake, which he did use to cast but did not use to hook anything. He also almost did not find his way back to camp. After an hour of wandering and as he was making a back up plan to spend the night with other campers, we heard his hollers and Marco Polo-ed him back to camp.

We began the next day’s adventures with a scouting mission. The goal: to find a campsite a quarter mile away from a lake that was flat, had an ample wood supply, and was far enough off the beaten path to give us privacy. About a mile from our first night’s camp Michelle found a site that met all the requirements. It was beautiful, peaceful, and almost mosquito-free too. Perfect! We walked back to the Grandaddy Lake camp, packed everything up, donned our backpacks again (Oh the joy!!), and hiked to what would be our home for the next three days.

And what a great three days it was!!! The men fished Mohawk Lake (twice with moderate success both times) and Fish Hatchery Lake (once with no success). The ladies read books, admired wildflowers, and chatted. Joe caught the biggest fish and Lance caught the oldest. I read my traditional Louis LAmour book. Mikaykla lost and found Daisy. Michelle saw a coyote pursuing a fleeing fawn. “Run, baby, run!!!” she yelled. Michael started fires, chopped wood and hauled water and navigated. (Note to self: Bring Micheal on every backpacking trip!) All of us admired the scenery…..gorgeous meadows lush with wildflowers, springs flowing through rivulets into lakes, lily pads bobbing gently on the water, towering pines piercing the sky….AMAZING!

It was a lovely trip, made especially wonderful by the fact that I shared it with Lance. He is not a huge fan (NOT AT ALL) of backpacking but he bellied up to the bar, so to speak, and came with me. He made a real effort to be present in a good way and I totally, TOTALLY appreciated it.

I love hiking and backpacking. I love, LOVE the physical challenge. I love pushing myself through discomfort, I love moving through exhaustion, and I especially love the feeling of accomplishment that accompanies the throbbing feeling in my feet when it is over. I love the challenge of living minimalist style, of making do or doing without. I also love the problem solving situations that naturally occur when one has to live with only what one carries on one’s back. LOVE IT. And I love, LOVE, LOVE the darling Dragos--such a blessing to have friends who not only accept us for who we are, but also love us the way we are….and who are willing to rain, shine, and adventure with us.

Michelle compiled a list of everyone’s thoughts about the trip. I will end with Michelle’s list and her thoughts..

Joe        LIKED: Bringing in a big fish
                                   Getting unlost
                                   Having my wife snuggle with me
                             Watching my son take the lead
Michelle    LIKED: Seeing a fawn chased by a coyote
                                   Building a fire with Mikayla that impressed Joe
                                   Seeing a misty mountain rain
                                   Spending time with some of the people I love most in the world
                                   Disliked cold feet
Michael    LIKED: Hiking with Daisy
                                   Running a mile with a 40 pound backpack
                                   Getting sunburned and having three women mother me
Mikayla    LIKED: Watching Daisy feel more comfortable in the water
                                   Seeing Daisy return to camp in answer to our prayer
                                   Finding Daisy eating the head of Lance’s fish
                                   Disliked the uphill climbs
Teresa    LIKED: Hiking around Mohawk Lake
                                   Chatting with Michelle while the men fished
                                   The meadow with the wild flowers
Lance    LIKED: My wife being nice to me, ex: chocolate pudding for breakfast
                                   Blocked out the memory of the hiking
Daisy    LIKED: Throwing dirt in my food
Running 40 yards out of camp and waiting for everyone to wonder where I was
                                   Leading on the trail
                                   Finding Michelle while she was doing her morning business

MICHELLE: A couple of thoughts about our trip…... Joe wouldn’t have gotten lost if we had left out a light. Heavenly Father has provided beacon’s for us to follow, like the temple, so we don’t get lost.

As we hiked in and out, we shared information with other hikers about how much further we had to go, where the best fishing was, and what bait worked best. We can help others on our journey through life by sharing how far we’ve gone, how much further they have to do, and what has helped us be successful.

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Science AND Religion

The UNFAIR 2020

Women's and Children's Camp 2020

Grandaddy Basin

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