Headline RoundupMay 10th, 2022

How Do Views on Abortion Differ Between Religions?

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The U.S. is home to many religious communities. How do they differ when it comes to views on abortion?

Data from Pew Research Center (Center bias) shows vastly different beliefs on abortions between religions in the U.S. Eighty-three percent of people who practice Judaism say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, along with 82% of Buddhists and 68% of Hindus. Among Muslims (55%), Orthodox Christians (53%), historically black Protestants (52%) and Catholics (48%), people are more divided. Support for abortion access in all or most cases is much lower among Evangelical Protestants (33%), Mormons (27%) and Jehovah's Witnesses (18%). For some religious people, including many Christians, life begins at conception. For others, such as many Jewish people, it begins at birth. 

Many sources across the political spectrum have covered the Roe v Wade Supreme Court leak in the context of religion and faith. News coverage from right-rated outlets often framed the possibility of Roe being overturned as a win for Christians, and painted pro-choice protests at Catholic churches as attempts to suppress religious freedom. Many on the right also highlighted protests at the homes of Supreme Court justices and a Molotov cocktail incident at the office of a pro-life group in Wisconsin as evidence that Christians were under attack for their pro-life stances. Conversely, some reports from the left highlighted religions in which abortion access is widely promoted and supported, and framed abortion opponents as a religious minority.

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