It's really not that much of an issue in the scientific community these days anymore, but more so most scientists prefer a more professional objectivity when it comes to topics they don't know much about or topics we simply don't have that many answers to yet.

I am thinking some scientists are Christian in the sense that their parents brought them up believing in a God and going to church. But perhaps 'being a Christian' doesn't really mean all that much to them?

I know a lot of people that say they are 'Christian', but do not really believe in anything specific when it comes to the topic. Except for perhaps a higher power kind of non-Christian God, very much like the people you've spoke about.

Personally I think these kind of beliefs are very similar to stating you simply experience life the way it goes but hope you can somehow influence the grand scheme of things for a bit; think of it as worshipping mere chance.

It's interesting though, because in my opinion it says a lot about the character of such a scientist if he or she really is willing to take things on blindly on faith so much as to believe in a religion with a story for which little to no evidence at all exists.