I don't think it's a question of whether or not various existing religions will exist in the future -- they almost certainly won't. Predominantly because scientific advancement is erasing most of the basis we have for religion ("miracles," visions, and the like are easily explained away, talking snakes considered absurd), and especially because of the widespread acessability of this scientific information. More fundamentally however, religion is in increasing conflict with the liberal western ideals that are present in modern society. Sexual tolerance, gender equality and other things that are considered fundamental human rights are at odds with the abrahamic religions, and naturually the first step is for religious adherents to offer a watered-down account of their religion, though when it is realized that so many changes have to be made to the religion in order for it to become palatable, it will be abandoned.
I'm not sure there is much here that I agree with.
You seem to assume that the key basis for existing religions is 'miracles'. But I seem them more as attempts to answer a plethora of questions that we are faced with including origins, purpose, morality, choice, consciousness as well as apparent 'miracles'. To the extent that most of these questions remained unanswered by science and possibly outside the realm of science altogether, I can't see any reason for religion to disappear any time soon.
Secondly, as long as the possibility for God exists, I can't see how science will ever be able to discount miracles completely. Because such a God would always have the ability to suspend the laws of nature - no matter how often they had successfully been able to explain away other 'strange' events. Similarly, given that most of the key miracles to religions are historical rather than current ones, it's hard to see how science will be able to 'disprove' them. If Muslims believe that Mohammed split the moon, it's hard to see how a current scientific experiment will be able to show them that he didn't.
Thirdly, as far as I can see, evidence for a causal llink between greater education and the spread of scientific understanding and the fall in religious belief seems to be fairly thin.
Fourthly, I'm not sure 'Western liberal ideals' are so universally appreciated, even by those who live in the West. The breakdown of marriages and families seems to be causing quite a few people to ask if those ideals are really so ideal.
Anyway I think the greater question is, where do we go from here? It will be virtually impossible in this day and age for a new "Prophet" to convince more than a small cult of people that s/he has been sent by some sort of divine being, as the burden of proof would be too great.
I'm not sure that this is true either but even if it were, I could see pretty much unlimited scope for 'secular' prophets. If science has shown us that there is no true purpose or morality for humans and if these are the things that people use to guide their choices then the fundamental basis for people's lives is no longer reason at all (although that might tell us 'how' to interact with the world around us, it wouldn't tell us why to do so). Any 'prophet's' message of purpose has only to gel with what you feel inside to be 'convincing'. That might be nationalism, socialism, communism, environmentalism, objectivism or something altogether new. And if, in this new world, faith becomes synonymous with 'feel' anyway, I see no reason why the religions shouldn't continue to be part of the mix.
So the future of religion, I think, will be the adherence to various secular schools of ethics, which will become almost doctrinal to some. Life is a scary business, in the face of nihilism. Also when you have to think all the time.
If thinking has become redundant to the life choices that matter to you anyway, why bother. Just 'follow your heart'.
Cheers,
sparky
Topic: Future of religion