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I don't think the 'high powered' religious intellectuals that Andy refers to could do much salvaging. True, they do not believe in the most grostesque fantasies of Christianity or Islam, or they shouldn't. However, the so-called liberal defenders of religion that Salon prints are pretty lame folks - they make serious logical mistakes and ad hominum arguments.
I suppose Andy is referring to St. Augustine as one of those serious 'intellects'. St Augustine justified the state torture of heretics, leading to the Inquisition, for instance. Not a small matter.
Religion used to play a role in cementing 'tribes' and groups together against other groups, and might have played a role in survival. However, at this time in history, fundamentalist religion is actually playing a large role in threatening the human races' survival on many levels - the environment, war, prejudice, economics and general irrationalism.
