Religion will never end.
Everything which has a beginning also has an ending. Homo Sapien superstition has only existed for a micro-fraction of the age of the universe. Its end will be just as universally irrelevant as its beginning.
Only time will tell, looking at the implications of science and the direction we are headed with genetic engineering, I wonder if we haven't reached a point of no return. If we think of the Genesis story as an
allegory, rather then historical fact. I think the Genesis story holds more relevance today then in any time during our history.
Human evolution is now on the threshold of the door that allows humans to self-determine their own evolutionary path. One which could allow us to not only become Gods of our planet but later of the solar system and possibly our galaxy
... Right now we are hesitating as to whether to proceed, but how long before we are forced through that the door by our own progress? Have we possibly reached that tipping point of no return? The outcome of that action may not be certain. The only certainty is, when we go through that door we will be departing from the Garden of Eden.
Imagine for the moment the tree of knowledge is the evolutionary tree, the fruit is the knowledge that we have harnessed to manipulate our DNA. I love the fact the snake is also the symbol used on the Caduceus. That they are arranged in the double helix ascending the staff or evolutionary tree is strongly suggested, do the wings imply salvation?
The Garden of Eden is the world we have lived in, until man began DNA engineering creations evolution. Man has now plucked the fruit of knowledge from the tree, is this perhaps the new Genesis moment of humans evolution vs creations evolution.
In the first Genesis man chose to seek independent knowledge from God, in the new Genesis he becomes a God. In the first genesis gods disapproval could be interpreted as a selfish or non benevolent attitude. In the second version gods actions becomes more self evident, would you as a parent allow your child to play with a loaded gun? Are we possibly opening a door into Pandoras Box? Its not that nature will banish us from Eden; we will have destroyed it ourselves.
I think we are already trough the door, lets hope we are up to the job.