US

Shocking Poll: Most Mainline Protestants and Catholics Now Support Abortion

PRRI survey of 22,000 Americans reveals 61% support legal abortion, with majorities of mainline Protestants and Catholics in favor.

Michael Ringer

Michael Ringer

— 2 min read
Abortion rights demonstrators and pro life activists gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court building

A newly released survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has found that 61% of American adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, with striking majorities among mainline Protestants and Catholics supporting legal abortion access.

The survey, based on interviews with more than 22,111 U.S. adults conducted throughout 2025, reveals that 65% of white mainline Protestants, 62% of Hispanic Catholics, and 57% of white Catholics believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases.

The findings come nearly four years after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned abortion regulation to individual states.

Among religious groups showing the lowest support for legal abortion were white evangelical Protestants at 27%, Jehovah's Witnesses at 21%, and Mormons at 31%. The highest support came from Unitarian Universalists at 89%, the religiously unaffiliated at 82%, and Jewish Americans at 80%.

Respondents who pray weekly constituted the overwhelming majority (68%) of abortion legality opponents.

The PRRI data also highlighted a significant correlation between religious practice and abortion views. Among those who support legal abortion, 67% seldom or never attend church services. Meanwhile, 46% of those who support legal abortion seldom or never pray, compared to those who oppose it, where weekly prayer was far more common.

Pro life marchers carrying signs walking toward the U.S. Capitol during the annual March for Life rally in Washington D.C.

Geographically, support for legal abortion was highest in Vermont at 78%, Massachusetts at 77%, and Rhode Island at 76%. The data also showed that support for abortion legality tends to be strongest in states with fewer legal restrictions on the procedure.

Notably, the survey recorded a decline in abortion support among some Christian groups. White Catholics dropped from 62% support in 2024 to 57% in the latest data, while white mainline Protestants fell from 69% to 65%.

Black Protestants showed 70% support for legal abortion in all or most cases, adding further complexity to the religious landscape surrounding the issue.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let the numbers sink in. Majorities within churches that claim to follow Christ now support the killing of the unborn. This is not a political failure. This is a spiritual one. When the pews are filled with people who cannot distinguish between compassion and complicity, the Church has lost its way. Every year, tens of millions of children are destroyed before they draw their first breath, and we are told this is "healthcare." It is not. It is the gravest moral crisis of our age. The fact that those who pray the most oppose abortion the most tells you everything you need to know. This is a battle for the soul of Christendom, and silence is surrender.

Take Action

  • Pray: Commit to daily prayer for the protection of the unborn and for the hearts of those in churches that have embraced the culture of death.
  • Speak Up: Have honest conversations with fellow Christians about the sanctity of life. Share this article. Do not let comfort replace conviction.
  • Support: Donate to crisis pregnancy centers and pro life organizations working on the ground. Consider Heartbeat International or Care Net.
  • Defend the Faith: Support ministries defending persecuted Christians and the unborn worldwide at www.TheShepherdsShield.org.
  • Contact Your Representatives: Call your state and federal legislators and demand they support pro life legislation. Find your representatives at usa.gov/elected-officials.
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