Category: Science, Physics, and Philosophy of Science

“Many scientists hold religious beliefs or see ways for science and religion to coexist, challenging assumptions about widespread atheism in the scientific community.

Scientists are generally less religious than the general public:
A 2009 Pew Research Center survey found that 51% of scientists believe in some form of deity or higher power, compared to 95% of the American public.
33% of scientists say they believe in God, while 18% believe in a universal spirit or higher power.
41% of scientists say they do not believe in God or a higher power, compared to only 4% of the general public.

Religious affiliation among scientists:
48% of scientists in the 2009 Pew survey said they have no religious affiliation, compared to 17% of the general public.
21% of scientists identified as Protestant and 10% as Catholic, much lower than the general population.
Only 4% of scientists identified as evangelical Protestant, compared to 28% of the general public.
Jews made up a larger proportion of scientists (8%) compared to the general population (2%).

There is variation in religiosity among scientists globally:
More than half of scientists in India, Italy, Taiwan and Turkey self-identify as religious.
In some places like Hong Kong and Taiwan, scientists were found to be more religious than the general population.

Views on science-religion relationship:
Only a minority of scientists in each country surveyed believed that science and religion are in conflict.
Many scientists expressed nuanced views, seeing ways that religion and science can coexist or even complement each other.”

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