Short answer
There is no agreed answer. Science is a method of investigating the natural world, while religions are broad systems of belief, practice and meaning, and each contains many different views. Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism are often mentioned as being comfortable with modern science, but you can find both supporters and opponents of scientific findings within almost every religion.
It depends on what you mean
“Aligned with science” can mean different things:
- Compatible with scientific findings, such as an old universe or evolution.
- Similar in method, such as emphasis on observation and testing.
- Historically supportive of science, through schools, patrons and scholars.
A religion can score well on one and poorly on another, and individual believers within it often disagree.
How scholars describe the relationship
A common framework, associated with the physicist and theologian Ian Barbour, describes four broad models: conflict, independence, dialogue and integration. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s entry on religion and science takes a similar approach, noting that the historical relationship has been more complicated than a simple war between the two. Many scholars reject the older “conflict thesis” as an oversimplification.
Traditions that are often cited
- Buddhism is frequently described as emphasizing observation, mental training and cause and effect, and some Buddhist leaders have engaged directly with scientists. Comparisons between Buddhist ideas and physics are popular but sometimes criticized as superficial.
- Hinduism includes very long cosmic time scales, and surveys by the Pew Research Center have found that many Hindus see little conflict between science and religion. Hindu traditions vary widely, however.
- Sikhism is sometimes cited for its texts’ references to many worlds, though such readings are interpretive.
- Christianity, Islam and Judaism have long histories of scholars who pursued natural philosophy, and many mainstream believers accept evolution and modern cosmology. Literalist readings of creation accounts in some groups conflict with geology and biology, which is where most public disputes occur.
None of these descriptions applies to every follower, and claims that ancient scripture “predicted” modern physics are generally not supported by careful scholarship.
Where conflicts tend to arise
Disagreement is most common over the age of the Earth, evolution and the origins of human beings, and over claims that religion makes about physical events such as miracles or healing. It is less about whether science is valid in general than about specific questions of interpretation.
The occult claim
Some esoteric movements have advertised themselves as scientific religion. Theosophy described itself as a synthesis of religion, philosophy and science, and Anthroposophy called itself “spiritual science.” These movements use scientific language, but their claims are not accepted by mainstream science. The general trend is discussed in New Age Spirituality and the Occult Revival.
Bottom line
The most defensible answer is that compatibility depends on the specific question and the specific believer. If you want to judge a particular religion, look at what its scholars and followers actually say about the scientific topic you care about.