What is? Can two social reforms not take place simultaneously, and even reinforce each other? The bigger question is: What social entity or agency is capable of making the necessary changes?
Outside of Islamic countries the mingling of religion and government is more or less something of the past.
But the religious institutions are not very happy with this; each desires more power than it has. All the more reason not to divide the citizens of a heterogeneous (imported, supposedly secular) culture into hostile camps.
I'm disappointed that Dennett seems so obsessed with religion.
He has some concerns that are not altogether trivial, and may be relevant.
1. Food and water security.
The Raputurites don't care. This will only affects us left-behinds, and we deserve to suffer.
2. Overpopulation and climate (not necessarily global warming)
Religions of all kinds are
hugely responsible for opposing population control of all kinds.
3. Energy security
4. Economic stability tied with nuclear proliferation and war in general
Climate change deniers and ecology destroyers tend to be overwhelmingly right wing. Their idea of energy security is to start unwinnable wars, which, in turn, further destabilize the political and economic relations that threaten energy security. They're not real big on supporting the theoretical sciences and practical technologies that produce better energy-generation, either. Guess whose political support they count on to get into power, and whom they then owe favours in return.
5. Neo Marxism and post modernism and their assault on rationality.
I'll match any examples of Marxist assaults on any kind of rationality with examples of religious attacks on rationality. Add them as allies to neo-nazism. Then count the number of Americans who identify as fundamentalist Christian and white nationalist and compare that number to those who identify as marxist or communist. That priority may slip down the list a couple of notches.
6. Reactionary political movements.
7. Authoritarian government and the erosion of free speech.
8. Religious fundamentalism
Not sure I see how these three concerns can be considered separately from one another world-wide. How they line in the US is not entirely clear, but traceable to some common factors.
9. The manipulations of mass media and tech companies.
By whom? A free press is the enemy of the people. Obviously.
10. Environmental degradation especially in our agricultural land
11. Epidemics
12. Failing infra structure and poor planning.
13. AI and related social instability
14. Poverty and racial relations
These are not primary religious issues and probably of little interest to religious factions. They are of considerable interest to some progressive factions, however, and no religious organization would ever support them.
15. Nietzsche's concerns about a lack of cultural cohesion.
I don't consider him relevant to our times or countries. I hear this kind of rhetoric from the European right-wing factions, and find their solutions unacceptable.
In the Americas, this is no issue at all. Indigenous cultures were largely destroyed in the first century of European incursjon. There has been no cultural cohesion in the new world since 1600. Some attempts have been made by the emerging post-colonial nations to build up cohesive social structures, but most of their efforts were undermined by divisive religious, ideological and economic interests, both internal and external.
16. Natural disasters and lack of preparation
Defunding and beheading FEMA and the EPA are an effective step... over the cliff.
I could go on but the point is that religion is no where near the top of the list and the dismissal education in history that elementary and secondary schools provide complicates any attempt to provide religious education.
None of those concerns are going to be addressed by kids who grow up educated in isolated church basements, to protect them from the sinful affects of knowledge.