I've been thinking around this subject recently. Isn't the idea that by living a certain way, doing certain things, one will somehow ascend to become this higher level of being called an angel... evolution?
By the same token, assuming evolution as fact (or working theory), what sort of beings would a human evolve into? There are cascading degrees of all sorts of beings, creatures, we consider "lower" forms of life on earth. Why the assumption that there are no "higher" forms of life on earth already in existence? I mean, we are pretty fricken advanced beings, all things said. What would a being of the next real evolutionary step look like? How would they appear to us? As angels perhaps? Beings who have such an advanced understanding of nature and advanced... existence... that it is difficult for us to even perceive them?
How does a worm view man? Can it really even see us?
What is the chimpanzee, taught sign-language, introduced to all the scientific advances of man, but unable to truly understand them without historical, cultural, etc. context, if he returns to the forest? Is he a prophet having returned from visiting the city of angels?
Just thoughts... just thoughts... But I think that religion and science aim for the same goals, advancing the species (consciously or unconsciously) but just can't seem to stop arguing the specifics.
Such silly apes we are!