The Roman Catholic Church has long-standing and steadfast positions on ‘sanctity of life’ issues. This article examines the views of Catholics in Britain on two of these issues: assisted suicide and abortion. It looks at whether Catholics still retain distinctive views on these issues compared to wider society and then examines which socio-demographic and religious factors underpin their attitudes. Catholics tend to be more likely than the general population to oppose assisted suicide and abortion in particular circumstances and to view them as less morally justifiable. Amongst Catholics, socially-conservative views on these issues are associated with various socio-demographic factors and both believing and behaving aspects of religiosity.
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Clive D. Field, “Another Window on British Secularization: Public Attitudes to Church and Clergy Since the 1960s,” Contemporary British History 28/2 (2014), 190–218, 211.
Clive D. Field, “No Popery’s Ghost: Does Popular Anti-Catholicism Survive in Contemporary Britain?” Journal of Religion in Europe 7/2 (2014), 116–49, 145.
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Clive D. Field, “Measuring religious affiliation in Great Britain: the 2011 census in historical and methodological context,” Religion 44/3 (2014), 357–382
Ted G. Jelen and Clyde Wilcox, “Causes and Consequences of Public Attitudes Toward Abortion: A Review and Research Agenda,” Political Research Quarterly 56/4 (2003), 489–500.
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The Roman Catholic Church has long-standing and steadfast positions on ‘sanctity of life’ issues. This article examines the views of Catholics in Britain on two of these issues: assisted suicide and abortion. It looks at whether Catholics still retain distinctive views on these issues compared to wider society and then examines which socio-demographic and religious factors underpin their attitudes. Catholics tend to be more likely than the general population to oppose assisted suicide and abortion in particular circumstances and to view them as less morally justifiable. Amongst Catholics, socially-conservative views on these issues are associated with various socio-demographic factors and both believing and behaving aspects of religiosity.
All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Abstract Views | 379 | 44 | 4 |
Full Text Views | 230 | 2 | 0 |
PDF Views & Downloads | 33 | 3 | 0 |