Poll: Americans Ambivalent on Abortion

Michie · Jun 14, 2011

People tend describe themselves as either pro-life or pro-choice. But a new poll by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shows that the average American still holds conflicting views on abortion nearly 40 years after Roe v. Wade. Evangelicals remain much more opposed to abortion than other Americans, but they, too, often do not fit neatly into pro-life or pro-choice camps.

PRRI Research Director Daniel Cox said, For some time now, Americans have held a stable tension between two views: majorities both say that abortion is morally wrong and say that it should be legal in all or most cases. The binary pro-life and pro-choice labels dont reflect this complexity.

On the poll's simplest, straightforward abortion question, a majority said abortion should be legal. PRRI found only four-in-ten said abortion should be illegal. However, few took a consistently pro-life or pro-choice position.

Only 19 percent said abortion should be legal in all circumstances; 14 percent said it should be always be illegal. That leaves nearly two-thirds approving abortion in some cases but not in others. These results a similar to those by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. A similar question by Gallup finds fewer in the middle category, but overall the pattern is the same: most Americans approve of abortion in some, but not all, circumstances.

Among religious groups, white evangelicals stand out as being against abortion. Less than one-third (29 percent) said abortion should be legal; two-thirds believe it should be illegal. Support for the legality of abortion is much higher among other Protestants and Catholics.

This, however, is only part of the story. When asked abortion should be available to women in their community, 37 percent of evangelicals agreed. A majority of non-Latino Catholics and black Protestants said abortion should be available. Over 70 percent of Mainline Protestants and those unaffiliated with religion took this view.

Continued- http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2011/06/poll_americans.html

Fantine · Jun 14, 2011

I think that this is the result of people looking at individuals rather than behaviors.

Sonny1954 · Jun 21, 2011

It's hardly surprising that most Americans are ambivalent about such a difficult, multi-faceted subject.

I think it also depends on how the polls' questions are worded. "Are you personally in favor of killing unborn children" will generally draw different responses than, for instance, "Would you deny an abortion to someone who's religious principles otherwise permit it?" I always check and see which group or individual commissioned the poll in the first place.

jpcedotal · Jun 21, 2011

Sonny1954 said:
It's hardly surprising that most Americans are ambivalent about such a difficult, multi-faceted subject.

I think it also depends on how the polls' questions are worded. "Are you personally in favor of killing unborn children" will generally draw different responses than, for instance, "Would you deny an abortion to someone who's religious principles otherwise permit it?" I always check and see which group or individual commissioned the poll in the first place.

That's a good point...neither wording u used for an example was unbiased...and almost all multi-question polls are really pushing the person towards one view point in the end. That is why I do not put any worth in any poll. Anyone can make any poll come out the way they want by the wording and also by "choosing" the ones who answer from a common background.

AMDG · Jun 21, 2011

Ummm--I'm an American and I'm not at all ambivalent about abortion. Catholics (who follow Church teaching) in whatever country including America, are not all ambivalent either. We all *know for a fact* that abortion is wrong.

Lokke · Jun 21, 2011

God will not bless any country that kill babys.

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Poll: Americans Ambivalent on Abortion

Michie

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Fantine

Dona Quixote

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Sonny1954

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jpcedotal

Old School from the Backwoods - Christian Style

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AMDG

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Lokke

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