Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Man is a novice shoemaker. Many years ago he created a good pair of shoes. He wore them and they served him well for a time. But in the name of progress, or in this case, becoming a master shoemaker, man had to make a new pair of shoes. And make a marvelous new pair of shoes is exactly what he did.
Man created religion because he couldn't understand the world around him. So, he created an explanation: religion. For millennia, man no longer questioned from whence he came, and lived happy with his religion, but man evolved, and in the name of progress, man created science.
Even though his new shoes were better than his old, man still refused to accept this new shoe. For years it had taken him through the best of times, and through the worst of times, and now he wondered if perhaps the old shoe could stay a bit longer...
Though science is perhaps a better explanation of the way things work than religion is, man is hard pressed to let go of religion. He thinks there are still many things we don't know, and maybe religion should stay a while longer.
One day soon, we shall finally remove the old shoe and dawn a new shoe, but for now, religion still holds a place among man. Its teachings still remind us of some of our most basic ethical principles. For now, perhaps, the old shoe hasn't quite worn out its welcome, but the new, shiny pair of shoes stands ready...