“ In Place of God “ was a lead article in the New Scientist (18 th November) It reported on a symposium for scientists in California recently where secular scientists such as Weinberg said “The world needs to wake up from the long nightmare of religion” and Dawkins said “we should role up our sleeves and get on with it” ( ie replace religion with secular science, cosmology or whatever). Many science people , including myself, see science and religion as quite compatible.
However this is the first time that I have seen prominence been given to fighting religion ,like fighting aparteid, for instance.
Perhaps it is time for Anglicans (for they are noted for liberal Theological discussions) to start a new mission for Jesus, based on “reason”.  A new mission but an old trick. The Scholastic School Is older than 1700 years and flourished when there were not many Bibles around. The “reason” part of Scholastics got buried under a mountain of political and academic theology and of course a torrent of tortuous human words.
The Bible is part of the problem. The Conquistadors achieved far more conversions showing the Bible behind a loaded rifle than many evangelicals proclaiming vehemently that ‘It’s got to be true”.  These same evangelicals may proclaim that Christianity is increasing. Certainly not in Europe or Asia where it is reported the majority do not even believe in a God. Perhaps in Africa their is a big increase in conversions, but then the Devil itself would convert multitudes by throwing trinkets at many of the sorry inhabitants.
The Pentacostals are leading the way here in Australia for conversions, but will large parking lots have the same drawing power in the future?  And will the Penacostals return the parking lots to cheap home lots or agriculture when the time comes
We should relearn the reasoning approach. Just start with a question---Are people masters of their own fate or not?