Survey Shows Most U.S. Adults Support Laws Limiting or Regulating Abortion

[RobertLGarrett]

usccb.org/comm/archives/2008/08-206.shtml

WASHINGTON—A nationwide survey commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has found that four out of five U.S. adults (82 percent) think abortion should either be illegal under all circumstances (11 percent) or would limit its legality. Thirty-eight (38) percent would limit abortion to the narrow circumstances of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother; and an additional 33 percent would limit abortion to either the first three or first six months. Only 9 percent said abortion should be legal for any reason at any time during pregnancy.

The survey of 2,341 adults, conducted online December 10-12, also found that laws limiting or regulating abortion enjoyed support as high as 95 percent among those expressing support or opposition to the six kinds of laws examined in the survey:

95 percent favor laws ensuring that abortions be performed only by licensed physicians
88 percent favor informed consent laws (i.e., that require abortion providers to inform women of potential risks to their physical and psychological health and about alternatives to abortion)
76 percent favor laws that protect doctors and nurses from being forced to perform or refer for abortions against their will
73 percent favor laws that require giving parents the chance to be involved in their minor daughter’s abortion decision
68 percent favor laws against partial-birth abortion (i.e., aborting a child already partially delivered from the mother), and
63 percent favor laws preventing the use of taxpayer funds for abortions.

This is promising! Note that 49% are in favor of either complete restriction or severe restriction (rape, incest, life of the mother) of abortion. That is a huge percentage. We need to keep working on it, despite the terrible election results from a life perspective.

 

[AaronK88]

I don’t really like polls like this. While I would like to believe the results, I just can’t when I talk to many people around me about the issue.

 

[RobertLGarrett]

I don’t really like polls like this. While I would like to believe the results, I just can’t when I talk to many people around me about the issue.

I’m confused. You like the results, but you don’t like it when polls don’t match your local anecdotal experience? It seems to me that it would be helpful in discussing the issue with those around you.

 

[AaronK88]

I’m confused. You like the results, but you don’t like it when polls don’t match your local anecdotal experience? It seems to me that it would be helpful in discussing the issue with those around you.

I don’t believe it is correct based upon the opinions of those around me, yes. Maybe it is because I live in liberal Illinois.

I will agree though that most people think abortion should be banned after the second trimester… which is a start. I believe AT LEAST after the first trimester, that would be a real start. Of course, I believe it should be banned altogether, but I think small steps is the solution.

 

[stbruno]

The worst part is that Catholics fit into the category of believing that since abortion is legal, it must be okay for a mother to decide. Yikes! Would they agree about murdering their pets? No of course not, but their children, that’s no problem. I dont’ get it??

 

[cyberwolf001]

The worst part is that Catholics fit into the category of believing that since abortion is legal, it must be okay for a mother to decide. Yikes! Would they agree about murdering their pets? No of course not, but their children, that’s no problem. I dont’ get it??

There is a disconnect, people don’t see the fetus as a real live human being.

Once we get this through peoples heads we will be all but done winning the war on abortion.

 

[Starwynd]

Belief by numbers is not necessarily a truth.

If those percentages were for the belief of child molestation, would it be okay?

 

[RobertLGarrett]

Belief by numbers is not necessarily a truth.

If those percentages were for the belief of child molestation, would it be okay?

Wow…that is quite a non sequitur.

While you are correct - for example, if the majority believes abortion or artificial birth control are licit, that wouldn’t make it true - it has nothing to do with this thread.

What the numbers mean is that there is hope for Life in this country based on the results of that survey.

 

[irishpatrick]

I do not believe the poll. 54% of Catholics voted for Obama, and those Catholics cannot claim they did not know where Obama stands regarding abortion.

I also think we must parse those numbers a bit more. The poll basically says that 89% of all people support abortion in some way throughout the nine months of a woman’s pregnancy…not exactly so encouraging when you look at it that way.

 

[RobertLGarrett]

I also think we must parse those numbers a bit more. The poll basically says that 89% of all people support abortion in some way throughout the nine months of a woman’s pregnancy…not exactly so encouraging when you look at that way.

I would agree with you if abortion were illegal, and people were trying to make it legal. That is not the problem today. Since it is 100% legal at any stage, it is indeed encouraging that 82% believe in some limits.

While I want it to be 100% illegal, I would be very pleased to see it limited to the first trimester. It isn’t enough, but it would be a start.

As far as Obama votes, your reasoning is flawed. It assumes that the 54% consider abortion legal, whereas more than likely, they just consider it less important than other issues. They were wrong, but it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t support restricting abortion.

 

[irishpatrick]

I would agree with you if abortion were illegal, and people were trying to make it legal. That is not the problem today. Since it is 100% legal at any stage, it is indeed encouraging that 82% believe in some limits.

While I want it to be 100% illegal, I would be very pleased to see it limited to the first trimester. It isn’t enough, but it would be a start.

As far as Obama votes, your reasoning is flawed. It assumes that the 54% consider abortion legal, whereas more than likely, they just consider it less important than other issues. They were wrong, but it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t support restricting abortion.

I think what you are missing is that Catholics (54%) did not think abortion was important enough to consider when they voted…that is a huge issue and tells us the poll is not accurate. Let’s face it, if 89% of people really felt strongly that abortion should be limited, then Obama would not have been elected. The “real” poll conducted on November 3rd disproves this poll…imo.

 

[RobertLGarrett]

I think what you are missing is that Catholics (54%) did not think abortion was important enough to consider when they voted…that is a huge issue and tells us the poll is not accurate. Let’s face it, if 89% of people really felt strongly that abortion should be limited, then Obama would not have been elected. The “real” poll conducted on November 3rd disproves this poll…imo.

Again, your logic is incorrect, so, no, the vote for Obama tells us nothing about the accuracy of the poll.

You are correct that 54% “did not think abortion was important enough.” However, it does not logically follow that the 54% don’t believe in limiting abortion. The addition of the word “strongly” is where your logic falls apart.

 

[irishpatrick]

Again, your logic is incorrect, so, no, the vote for Obama tells us nothing about the accuracy of the poll.

You are correct that 54% “did not think abortion was important enough.” However, it does not logically follow that the 54% don’t believe in limiting abortion. The addition of the word “strongly” is where your logic falls apart.

LOL, saying my logic is not correct, does not make it so. Please cease with that, okay?

I think it is safe to say that Catholics know where the Church stands on abortion, if they do not, then they have been living in a closet. So, since 54% of Catholics snubbed their noses at the Catholic teachings and voted for Obama, that tells us that abortion is not very important to them. Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion person ever elected, and people knew that and did not care…that makes a farce out of the poll.

89% of people polled feel abortion should be legal in various ways, that is hardly a strong pro-life view, and people who do not feel strongly about an issue, will not vote with that issue in mind.

 

[RobertLGarrett]

LOL, saying my logic is not correct, does not make it so. Please cease with that, okay?

You’re right. Please take a Critical Thinking class.

irishpatrick:

I think it is safe to say that Catholics know where the Church stands on abortion, if tey do not, then they have been living in a closet. So, since 54% of Catholics snubbed their noses at the Catholic teachings and voted for Obama, that tells us that abortion is not very important to them. Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion person ever elected, and people knew that and did not care…that makes a farce out of the poll.

No, it does not. The poll didn’t ask people to rank abortion in importance with other issues, which is what people do when voting for a candidate who holds positions on multiple issues.

The only way election results would have any bearing on the poll would be if there was a national vote on abortion. There was not.

 

[irishpatrick]

RobertLGarrett,

Rudeness will get you nowhere. Good day.

 

[RobertLGarrett]

Rudeness will get you nowhere. Good day.

Just trying to send you in the right direction.

I explained the faults in your logic more than once, but you aren’t getting it. If you can’t understand logical arguments, that is not my fault. A Critical Thinking course can help you learn the skills needed to engage in debate in a logical fashion.

 

[irishpatrick]

Just trying to send you in the right direction.

I explained the faults in your logic more than once, but you aren’t getting it. If you can’t understand logical arguments, that is not my fault. A Critical Thinking course can help you learn the skills needed to engage in debate in a logical fashion.

Rudeness will get you nowhere. If you desire a mature conversation, I will be happy to engage. Thank you for the chat.

 

[RobertLGarrett]

Rudeness will get you nowhere. If you desire a mature conversation, I will be happy to engage. Thank you for the chat.

You are right. Rudely ignoring a logical argument was bad form on your part. Since you were unable to refute my points, I accept that you have agreed with what I said.

Have a good day.

 

[irishpatrick]

Have a good day.

Thank you, you too.

 

[Free_Radical]

The poll didn’t ask people to rank abortion in importance with other issues, which is what people do when voting for a candidate who holds positions on multiple issues.

Robert–Thanks for trying to shed some positive light on the issue of abortion. You sound like someone with whom it is possible to reason.