Religion, Beliefs about Human Life, and the Abortion Decision

The religion-abortion relationship is often assumed to reflect the theology of various faiths in regard to the personhood of the fetus. This study examined the relationship of religion and beliefs about the beginning of life to the decision for or against abortion among 58 women with problem pregnan...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Williams, Dorie Giles (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage Publications 1982
In: Review of religious research
Year: 1982, Volume: 24, Issue: 1, Pages: 40-48
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:The religion-abortion relationship is often assumed to reflect the theology of various faiths in regard to the personhood of the fetus. This study examined the relationship of religion and beliefs about the beginning of life to the decision for or against abortion among 58 women with problem pregnancies. Neither conservative religious affiliation nor high religiosity were related to rejection of abortion. A comparison between Catholics and non-Catholics, however, revealed differences in the expected direction. The groups did not differ significantly in their perceptions of religious teachings concerning abortion, although findings were again in the expected direction. Beliefs about the beginning of life and attitudes toward abortion were highly related to the decision. Results raise questions for future research concerning the relationship of religious doctrine to personal beliefs and decisions in problem pregnancies.
ISSN:2211-4866
Contains:Enthalten in: Review of religious research
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3510981