@Don
Yeah I feel it. I wasn't trying to suggest that you personally have a problem with the religious symbolism, just some Prometheus fans in general.
And I definitely get what you mean about wishing these movies would develop organically instead of trying to force the story to end a certain way. It's like starting with an answer and then trying to develop the question afterwards.
And you're right, Alien never asked the questions Prometheus did. The only real connecting theme I see is the "indifference of the universe". But, one could also argue that the subject of aliens inevitably leads to the discussion of the creation of the universe, mankind, etc...
I wonder if Ridley Scott even planned on connecting them at first?... like in the early stages of Prometheus's development?
But regardless, here we are. But I honestly think they can/will connect them in a clever way. Also, I think the religious factor will fade as we get closer to the first Alien... because the main things holding up the religious aspect was Shaw and the Prometheus film itself. So if Shaw is gone, and they start focusing more on the aliens and less on the Engineers, it will naturally form into a subject that is more akin to the first Alien.
Or I could be wrong and they could focus more heavily on the Engineers, or possibly beings that are more powerful than the Engineers... beings that might actually BE gods. Who knows. But I'm excited for the journey.
I have faith that they will connect them cleverly. At least I hope so. They have some pretty big expectations to meet. I hope the connection is something awe inspiring, rather than something where people are like "that's all it is?!". Of course there will always be people like that, and there will undoubtedly be people with expectations that are too high, so I'm trying to keep my own expectations in check. But like I said, I have faith and I think they'll do something cool and clever with it.