No, I actually think science has flourished throughout the development of human civilization, though it's been at odds now and then with some religious viewpoints (and within its own ranks as well). In ancient times the very same people studied both science AND religion in many cases, and saw them as a common path toward knowledge, though utilizing different methods of inquiry.

I don't think of the Bible primarily as a record of history...but as a book of mainly symbolic and allegorical writings about spiritual inspiration...with some history included. Therefore, it isn't a question of violating "the Biblical record" to me, because I don't think of it as a record...rather as a form of spiritual guidance.

Yes, my idea of God is vague. The reason for that is because my knowledge is quite limited...so too my experience...and I am not in a position to be able to manage more than a fairly vague understanding of how to define "God"...because God is way larger than any definition I could possibly come up with. I can say all the words I want about it, but they won't begin to express it.

I wasn't wrong about Columbus. People who believed Washington Irving's story were wrong about Columbus! ;-D I may have believed that story once, a long time ago when I was a kid, but I don't really remember at this point.

You're right in what you imply...that most modern people just automatically assume Darwin was right, simply because that's the normal common assumption now in this primarily secular age, and they wouldn't dream of questioning it. They have accepted it on faith, believing what they've been told by others. A few have looked into it seriously, and they have something real to base their opinions on, but such people would comprise, I think, less than 1% of the population.

My own feeling about Darwin's theory is, it's probably partly right...though does not necessarily tell the whole story. But I can't say for sure, because my knowledge of that subject, again, is rather limited...mostly to textbooks and stuff I read on natural history when I was in my youth.