I think that anyone who wants to defend the statement mentioned in the opening post, should first give a thorough account of his understanding of the theory of evolution, and then also give a very precise definition of the word 'religion'.
Only when everybody agrees that we are talking about the same things can we start to agree or disagree about an argument regarding these selfsame things.
So first, what exactly is the theory of evolution?
And second, what do we mean by 'religion'?
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science." - Charles Darwin.