Dobson Quotes Pew Study But Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

At yesterday’s Stand For the Family rally, Dr. James Dobson spent far less time discussing anti-abortion topics than he did addressing terrorism and the “homosexual agenda.”

However, Dobson did take a moment in the last five minutes of his speech to talk about a Pew Study released in August.

“The sanctity of human life,” Dobson said. “It is with great pleasure that I tell you that we are winning that battle.”

“We have done it, and now 73% of the American people say abortion is morally wrong.  66% say we should limit it or ban it altogether.”

Although technically correct, what Dr. Dobson does not mention is that the 73% figure has remained steady since 2005, however, the number of people who believe it is morally wrong in “nearly all circumstances” has declined by 5%, and those who believe it is morally wrong “in some circumstances” has increased by 8%.

From the study’s findings:

As in 2005, a large majority of the public (73%) continues to view abortion as morally wrong in at least some circumstances, while only 24% say that abortion is not a moral issue. But slightly fewer now say that abortion is morally wrong in nearly all circumstances (24% now compared with 29% in 2005), while there has been a small increase in the number saying that abortion is morally wrong in some circumstances (49% today compared with 41% one year ago).

“Dobson ignores the facts about public attitudes on abortion,” states Sarah Stoesz, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota.  “Polls consistently show that a majority of Americans support a woman’s right to make her own health decisions. “

The same poll that Dobson quotes supports Stoesz.  Only 11% of those polled believe that abortion should be completely illegal.

Public opinion about the legality of abortion is largely unchanged from previous polling. While about one-in-three (31%) prefer for abortion to be generally available to those who want it and one-in-ten (11%) take the opposite position that abortion should not be permitted at all, most Americans fall in between, preferring what might be described as a “legal but rare” stance.

Making abortions more rare is something Stoesz supports, and would prefer Dobson focus on as well.  “If he truly cares about reducing abortion Dobson should join with Planned Parenthood in advocating for birth control access so that women can prevent unintended pregnancies.  Birth control is the key to stopping abortion.”