New Poll: Ambivalence on Abortion, Support for Stem Cell Research

New Poll from The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life:

A consistent majority of Americans (65%) are opposed to overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision establishing a woman's right to abortion, according to the latest national survey by the Pew Forum and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. But most Americans also favor restrictions on abortion. Nearly three-quarters (73%) favor requiring women under age 18 to get parental consent before being allowed to have an abortion.

The survey also finds continuing strong public support for stem cell research. By nearly two-to-one (57%-30%), the public believes that it is more important to conduct stem cell research that may result in new medical cures than to not destroy the potential life of embryos involved in such research. Support for stem cell research has been growing steadily among major religious groups — with the notable exception of white evangelical Protestants. Only about a third of white evangelicals (32%) support such research, compared with large majorities of seculars (77%), mainline Protestants (70%) and white Catholics (61%).

The poll report also includes findings on public opinion about the death penalty, end-of-life issues and gay marriage.