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The Abortion Controversy: Conflicting Beliefs and Values in American Society.
- Source :
- Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion; Mar92, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p32, 15p, 3 Diagrams, 2 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 1992
-
Abstract
- This study examines the ideological and structural bases for attitudes and political action relating to abortion. Data on abortion attitudes from a random sample of "Middletown" in the fall of 1989 (N = 400) indicated that the strongest effects on abortion attitude stemmed from a belief that life begins at conception, a belief in privacy rights, and religion. Social traditionalism was also found to play an important role in a pro-life stand, but it was influential only for conservative Protestants and not for Catholics. A general commitment to avoid taking anyone's life was significantly related to abortion attitudes but only for Catholics. For political action, the data showed that the pro-life movement was still more important in 1989 than was the pro-choice movement. Party identification was not related to an expressed willingness to use abortion as a political litmus test, but attending pro-Me churches did increase the likelihood that pro-life adherents would use abortion in making voting decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ABORTION
BIRTH control
CHRISTIANS
PROTESTANTS
CATHOLICS
RELIGION
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00218294
- Volume :
- 31
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 9607300861
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.2307/1386830