What if scientists had the ability to take an ape embryo and flip all the genetic markers necessary to make it human? Insert a little DNA here, snip a little out over there. It would open up any number of moral, ethical, legal, and religious questions.

• Is it human?
• Does it have a soul?
• Does it have the same rights as (other) humans?
• Is it an ‘it’ or a ‘he or she’?
• If creating life is precious and good, would religious people have to acknowledge that scientists had done a good thing?

Religion has always been at war with science because science has always had the power to damage religion. Scientists continue to say that science and religion can co-exist and, up until now, I agreed. I’m not so sure anymore. Science is fast reaching a point where it will be asking questions that I don’t think religion is prepared to answer.

I do know this: science has never had a greater ability to threaten religion than it does now.

And the sudden sense of urgency in the religious attacks on science begins to make sense. How loud would you shout if you heard the death knell of your worldview?