I have noticed it since I first started reading sf. Robert Silverberg retold the Gilgamesh epic, Robert A Heinlein mined the Bible extensively for
his stories and novels (and one of his most popular characters was named Lazurus.)
It's way of allowing us to face our demons, both personal and societal, without admitting that we need a Higher Power. Plus it's a good way to make
us think outside the box where religion is concerned.
If you question God, you may be condemning yourself to Hell. But if someone approaches organized religion the way Heinlein did in Stranger In A
Strange Land, then you smile and wonder what it would be like to grok completely and be able to say "Thou art God!" But just remember that Micheal
Valentine Smith paid the Ultimate Price for his herasey just as Jesus did!

