People who hold both scientific and spiritual beliefs show higher levels of life satisfaction, challenging the common assumption that science and religion don't mix. But research by Brunel University of London challenges that thinking on a global scale, showing that people who think religion and science can be compatible tend to be happier and healthier. In one of the largest international studies on the subject, the team surveyed more than 55,000 people from major world religions, alongside atheists, agnostics, and non-religious people in 54 countries.
"When we look at how well science and religion work together which we call belief system compatibility, and how that affects well-being, we see a really strong connection," said psychologist Dr. Michael Price. Across many non-Western countries, especially in Asia and Africa, people often find their religious and scientific beliefs sit peacefully side by side.
Seeing the world this way is linked to greater optimism, sense of purpose, and overall well-being: "Our findings suggest that the perceived clash between science and religion is mainly a Western phenomenon," said Dr. Price, who co-wrote the study with the University of Oxford's Prof Dominic Johnson. "In the West, strong scientific tradition, especially in evolutionary theory and Big Bang cosmology, conflict with creation stories in the Bible.
In the U.S., evangelical Christians have aggressively opposed the teaching of evolution in schools.
" Religious beliefs are more str.