New poll reveals interesting data about Catholics and choice.

I had the pleasure of participating in a conference call with Catholics for Choice yesterday morning to hear about the release of a recent poll the organization conducted about Catholic voters and their opinions on healthcare reform and reproductive healthcare coverage.

923 Catholic voters, selected randomly, participated in the poll, and 84% of participants attend church regularly.

Some of the more interesting results included:
-Catholics were completely split on the question of whether an abortion should be covered whenever a woman and her doctor feel it appropriate, with 50% in favor and 50% opposed.
-However, participants felt an abortion should be covered when a pregnancy threatens the life of a woman (84%), when a pregnancy was a result of rape or incest (76%), when a pregnancy poses long-term health problems for the woman (73%), and when any test shows the fetus has an seriously abnormal condition (66%).
-Catholic voters do not believe abortion coverage should cause Catholics to oppose healthcare reform. 68% do not believe that as a Catholic, you should oppose a healthcare plan because it includes coverage for abortion.
-In fact, 68% also disapproved of American Catholic bishops taking the position that Catholics should oppose a healthcare plan that covers abortions.
I personally was not surprised by the data because I have long suspected that the general Catholic population in the U.S. is more moderate or progressive than their leadership, or even their own reputation.

That being said, the one result that did surprise me was that only 51% of those polled believed that condoms should be paid for by the government. It appears this is one place where the leadership has had a strong influence.

I suppose to me the idea of “universal condom coverage” just makes too much sense for so many people to oppose.

Last week I wrote about the “Open Letter from Religious Leaders to Members of Congress Supporting Inclusion of Abortion Services in Health Care Reform” published by the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Rights. The President of Catholics for Choice, Jon O’Brien, was among the over 70 signers of the letter.

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http://feministsforchoice.com/new-poll-reveals-interesting-data-about-catholics-and-choice.htm

...I expect it's more a case of "You want to get laid? Buy your own."

Go and get them free at planned parenthood offices

Oh, right, you don't have those.

Most Catholics I know are sane people, not fire breathing misogynist, hate-mongers like the hierarchy of their church.

The brain washing to follow unquestionably hasn't taken with average Catholics the way it has with right-wing Protestants. At least that is my limited observation.

There is no way for an individual to provide feedback to the hierarchy, except by leaving. And the Church doesn't even recognize and acknowledge that!