It only "kills god" if you define god as human ignorance.

If there is profit to be made I am sure there will be corporate sanctioned mass.

It will be called science.

Gee, what did the cavemen believe?

Only if they have an artificial god to believe in.

The biggest theological problem would probably be with regard to the Soul. Greek word psyche defines the soul as the breath of god being breathed into the human. A similar circumstance with Ruarch, the Hebrew word for the same (sort of!). This would probably kick off a marathon debate regarding when, if it all, is the soul introduced to the body.The doctrinal implications for Christianity would be immense. Is a synthesised human soul-less? Are they therefore less than human? If they are deemed to be without a soul are they to be considered able to be resurrected? If not, how are they to be accepted within doctrine. MAry Shelley with the help of husband Percy presented such a creature to the world. My feeling is, for Christianity at least, this creates a major theological conundrum to outdo the Arian Controversy that lasted for most of C400. All this is, of course, a theological debate with an outcome that should not concern us, other than the potential to create great harm for those who may be deemed to be without the touch of God, pariahs, Outsiders.

No. It's what it is. Artificial Life, nothing more.

It will just be new life. The act in itself will not be forming a new religion. If someone comes along and creates a set of beliefs based off of creating artificial life, then you have a religion. Still, that is a separate act than the act of creating it itself.

Since belief in things easily proven false is so common, why should adding a few new facts to the mix change anything?

Religion is about a belief (faith) in something that cannot be proven as factual using the scientific method. (How can we "kill god" when there isn't one to begin with?) Science, on the other hand, is about well-tested, provable facts. So, it only follows that if we create new life, it wouldn't become a new religion.

Not unless some fool makes one.

Can you have a religion based on something that can be demonstrated?

Like any other religion, a new one can only be started by people. If there are people out there crazy enough to found a religion based on man-made life, then there will be one. And it will be tax-exempt!

If scientists come knocking at my door in pairs, I may be glad of my hammer collection...

Uhhh...Nope.

Unfortunately, it probably will.