I think that science fiction should tangle more with both science and religion, and not because "it's an opportunity to write something interesting," but becaus

I think that science fiction should tangle more with both science and religion, and not because "it's an opportunity to write something interesting," but because in our real world the two are still fighting and, for now at least, one of them has the upper hand on fundamentally shaping our perception of human nature and on loudly proclaiming what's the meaning of life. Sadly, your run-of-the-mill author and your run-of-the-mill editor are often shy of that type of conflict, and more interested on writing about interstellar conflicts and exploitative mining mega-corporations.