ABSTRACT
In order to describe the effects of religious belief on abortion attitudes, it is necessary to describe the different theological bases of abortion attitudes. In an important sense, the Roman Catholic Church has been the most visible opponent of legal abortion. Indeed, for many, abortion is a Catholic issue. The Catholic Church has opposed both legalized abortion and contraception, and a brief analysis of the Church's position may illuminate the attitudes of lay Catholics in the United States. Approximately a third of Americans belong to one of the denominations classified "mainline Protestant." The mainline churches would include denominations such as Presbyterians, United Methodists, Episcopalians, and some Lutherans. Protestantism is, literally, based on a "protest" against aspects of the Catholic hierarchy. Rather than placing the power to interpret God's will into the hands of a stratified clergy, Protestantism establishes a "priesthood of all believers.".
