"No one today can deny that there is a popular 'warfare' framing between science and religion," said the study's principal investigator, Elaine Howard Ecklund, founding director of Rice University's Religion and Public Life Program and the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences. "This is a war of words fueled by scientists, religious people and those in between."

The study's results challenge longstanding assumptions about the science-faith interface. While it is commonly assumed that most scientists are atheists, the global perspective resulting from the study shows that this is simply not the case.

"More than half of scientists in India, Italy, Taiwan and Turkey self-identify as religious," Ecklund said. "And it's striking that approximately twice as many 'convinced atheists' exist in the general population of Hong Kong, for example, (55 percent) compared with the scientific community in this region (26 percent)."

The researchers did find that scientists are generally less religious than a given general population. However, there were exceptions to this: 39 percent of scientists in Hong Kong identify as religious compared with 20 percent of the general population of Hong Kong, and 54 percent of scientists in Taiwan identify as religious compared with 44 percent of the general population of Taiwan. Ecklund noted that such patterns challenge longstanding assumptions about the irreligious character of scientists around the world.

When asked about terms of conflict between religion and science, Ecklund noted that only a minority of scientists in each regional context believe that science and religion are in conflict. In the U.K. —one of the most secular countries studied—only 32 percent of scientists characterized the science-faith interface as one of conflict. In the U.S., this number was only 29 percent. And 25 percent of Hong Kong scientists, 27 percent of Indian scientists and 23 percent of Taiwanese scientists believed science and religion can coexist and be used to help each other.

In addition to the survey's quantitative findings, the researchers found nuanced views in scientists' responses during interviews. For example, numerous scientists expressed how religion can provide a "check" in ethically gray areas.

"(Religion provides a) check on those occasions where you might be tempted to shortcut because you want to get something published and you think, 'Oh, that experiment wasn't really good enough, but if I portray it in this way, that will do,'" said a biology professor from the U.K.

Another scientist said that there are "multiple atheisms," some of which include religious traditions.

"I have no problem going to church services because quite often, again that's a cultural thing," said a physics reader in the U.K. who said he sometimes attended services because his daughter sang in the church choir. "It's like looking at another part of your culture, but I have no faith religiously. It doesn't worry me that religion is still out there."

Finally, many scientists mentioned ways that they would accommodate the religious views or practices of the public, whether those of students or colleagues. (Photo via Wikimedia)

"Religious issues are quite common here because everyone talks about which temple they go to, which church they go to. So it's not really an issue we hide; we just talk about it. Because, in Taiwan, we have people [of] different religions," said a Taiwanese professor of biology.

Ecklund and fellow Rice researchers Kirstin Matthews and Steven Lewis collected information from 9,422 respondents in eight regions around the world: France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S. They also traveled to these regions to conduct in-depth interviews with 609 scientists, the largest worldwide survey and interview study ever conducted of the intersection between faith and science.

By surveying and interviewing scientists at various career stages, in elite and non-elite institutions and in biology and physics, the researchers hoped to gain a representative look at scientists' views on religion, ethics and how both intersect with their scientific work.

Ecklund said that the study has many important implications that can be applied to university hiring processes, how classrooms and labs are structured and general public policy.

"Science is a global endeavor," Ecklund said. "And as long as science is global, then we need to recognize that the borders between science and religion are more permeable than most people think."

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Chris Pratt's Fascinating Take on Artificial Intelligence and God [Video]

ICYMI: 'Life Is a Gift'; Unity, Joy, and Hope at the 53rd Annual March for Life

'Total Con Job': Virginia Dems Seek to More than Double Their Pay, While Rushing to Impose Flurry of New Taxes

Florida Nurse Fired for Wishing Severe Injuries on Karoline Leavitt; Florida AG Calls for Her Nursing License to be Pulled

The Left Doesn't Want You to Know This About Alex Pretti, the Man the Border Patrol Shot

Minnesota Insurrection: A Special Forces Operator Has Seen This 'From Anbar to Helmand'

President Trump Tells Walz, Frey It's Time to Cooperate With Feds, Stop Stoking Flames of Division, Chaos, Violence

Megastorm Knocks Out Power to 800,000+ and More Than 11,000 Flights

A 'Big Ben Moment' for America: An Important Call to Prayer from Give Him 15

Faith in Action: Fighting Back Against Explicit Sex Education

Elon Musk Helps Doctor Fighting against Trans Lawfare

Flurry of Radical Leftist Bills Put Forth by Unleashed Virginia Democrats

JD Vance Was Absolutely Brilliant in Minnesota [Video]

Is This Why Lemon Wasn't Charged? Wife of Judge Who Shut Down Charges against Don Lemon Is an Assistant AG to Keith Ellison: Report

Convicted Minnesota Fraudster Alleges Walz, Ellison Were Aware of Widespread Fraud: 'Need to Be Held Accountable'

Iranian People, and Syrians Asking for Prayer: US Mobilizes as Iran Crackdown Intensifies; Reports Cite Hospital Killings

Trump Admin Ends Funding for Research Using Aborted Baby Tissue

Barron Trump Reportedly Saved a Woman's life after Witnessing Violent Assault on FaceTime Call

MAGA Baby Boom? Usha Vance Baby News Takes the Internet by Storm

HHS Deputy Secretary Shocked to Hear About 'Horrors' of Euthanasia Organ Donation in Canada