"Improvement of morality, values, ethics, and desireable character traits in individuals are deteriorating. The strongest existing force for preservation or expansion of these values is in the transmission of the ideals of major religious teachings."
That claim requires evidence.
Is the average citizen of today more or less ethical in his or her behaviour than that of an ancient Roman, Celt, etc? How does a secular nation such as Australia compare with ancient cultures in terms of morality, Ancient Athens, Rome, etc?
''In the modern rational scientific world, we have plenty of wrong theories and fairy tales that have less benefit.''
Plenty? Are you taking into account that we know about what is wrong because the scientific process itself discovers and corrects errors?
And how does this compare with religion? Is Islam self correcting? Does Islam question the validity of its teachings? Does Christianity? Does Judaism.....can the same be said of Hinduism or any religious belief?
Do they test and review? Do they cull the errors and absurdities, the contradictions and, frankly, the nonsense?
