Most Americans say religious leaders should not try to influence politicians' positions on the issues, and abortion is no exception: Nearly seven in 10 — including most Catholics — oppose denying Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who support legal abortion.
Sixty-eight percent of Americans oppose denying communion to such politicians; that includes 72 percent of all Catholics and a similar number of churchgoing Catholics. Even among Americans who oppose legal abortion, 57 percent reject the idea of denying communion to Catholic politicians who hold the opposite view.
These sentiments fit with broader public views: Nearly-two thirds of Americans say religious leaders in general should not attempt to influence politicians' positions on the issues. Again Catholics mirror the overall population — 65 percent share this view — although there are broad differences among other population groups.
The nexus of religion and politics tends to draw increased focus in election years. President Bush meets today with Pope John Paul II in Rome. And in Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick is leading a task force of bishops examining whether the Catholic church should deny communion to politicians who differ with church teachings. Bush's Democratic opponent, John Kerry, a Catholic, supports legal abortion.
Support for banning communion is highest, not among Catholics, but among evangelical white Protestants who describe themselves as political conservatives. In this group it's an even split: 41 percent support denying communion, 42 percent oppose it.
Religious Influence
There also are wide divisions on the broader issue of whether religious leaders should try to influence politicians. Liberals, Easterners, senior citizens, Democrats and the non-religious are among those most likely to say no. Republicans and conservatives divide, while a majority of conservative evangelical Protestants favors such efforts.
Should Politicians Who Support Abortion Be Denied Holy Communion?
ABC News/Washington Post poll
YES NO
All 22% 68
Catholics 22 72
Catholic Church-Goers 27 68
These views play out in vote preferences: People who say religious leaders should try to influence politicians support Bush over Kerry by 21 points in a three-way matchup including Ralph Nader; those who disagree support Kerry over Bush by 11 points.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll probed the so-called "culture war" with another question last December: Fifty-four percent of Americans said a president should not rely on his religious beliefs in making policy decisions, while 40 percent said he should. This, too, revealed deep splits among population groups, but again with Catholics reflecting the broader majority's view (60 percent said a president should not be influenced by his religious views). In contrast to evangelical white Protestants, most Catholics long have separated religion and politics in this way.
Abortion
On abortion itself, 54 percent of Americans say it should be legal, about the average in polls since 1995. That includes 23 percent who say it should be legal in all cases, and 31 percent who say it should be legal in most cases.
Should Church Leaders Try to Influence Politicians?
ABC News/Washington Post poll
YES NO
All 35% 64
No Religion 22 77
Catholics 34 65
Evangelical Protestants 43 56
Conservative Evangelical Protestants 55 45
Support for legal abortion is higher in the East (62 percent) and West (61 percent) than in the Midwest (52 percent) or South (46 percent). It jumps above 70 percent among liberals and non-evangelical white Protestants. Most Republicans, conservatives and evangelical white Protestants oppose it, peaking at 78 percent among evangelical white Protestants who attend church weekly (including four in 10 who are opposed in all cases).
Despite their church's stand on the issue, Catholics support legal abortion at the same rate as the broader public — overall 55 percent say it should be legal in all or most cases. However, legal abortion is opposed by 55 percent of Catholics who attend church at least a few times a month.
Should Religious Leaders Try to Influence Politicians' Positions on the Issues?
YES NO
All 35 64
Democrats 28 71
Independents 32 67
Republicans 48 50
Liberals 23 77
Moderates 29 69
Conservatives 49 49
No Religion 22 77
Catholics 34 65
Non-evangelical Protestants 27 70
Evangelical Protestants 43 56
White Protestants:
Evangelical 46 53
Church-going evangelical 53 46
Conservative evangelical 62 37
While there's not much of a gender gap on the issue of abortion among all Americans, there is among Catholics. Sixty-three percent of Catholic women support legal abortion; it's 48 percent among Catholic men. Still, Catholic men and women alike broadly oppose denying communion to Catholic politicians who support legal abortion.
Groups
On average in ABC/Post polls the past year, Protestants have accounted for 48 percent of the adult population, Catholics 22 percent, other Christians 12 percent, those with no religion 13 percent and all others 5 percent. Among Protestants, 57 percent describe themselves as evangelical or born again (computing to 27 percent of all Americans), while 40 percent of Protestants are non-evangelical (19 percent of all adults).
Abortion Should Be
Legal Illegal
All 54 44
HS or less 48 49
Some college + 59 39
East 62 35
West 61 38
Midwest 52 46
South 46 51
Democrats 62 35
Independents 56 43
Republicans 40 50
Liberals 77 21
Moderates 60 37
Conservatives 34 64
No Religion 68 30
Catholics 55 42
Non-evangelical Protestants 69 29
Evangelical Protestants 35 63
White Protestants:
Evangelical 35 64
Church-going evangelical 20 78
Conservative evangelical 21 77
Catholics:
Regular churchgoers 45 55
Not regular churchgoers 67 29
Methodology
This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by telephone May 20-23 among a random national sample of 1,005 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation conducted by TNS of Horsham, Pa.