Janet Parshall Commentary

Winning Hearts and Minds

         Abortion is the killing of an innocent human life.  It’s also one of the most contentious issues in our country today.  But, do men and women think differently about this issue? 

         Every year, Gallup does an annual survey on abortion.  The most recent results indicate that 43% of respondents identified as “pro-life’, which is a 2% gain over the previous year.  There were also upticks in the percentage of people who thought abortion was “morally wrong” as well as those who thought it should either be “illegal” or “legal in only a few circumstances.” While small in percentages, any movement in the right direction is always a good thing.

         Where the survey gets interesting is what is reveals about the difference between men and women on this issue.  According to Gallup, 61% of women and only 41% of men would call themselves “pro-choice.”  Historically, men and women held similar views on abortion.  And in 2019, men were actually more likely than women to identify as “pro-choice.”  But now, there is a 20%-point difference between men and women, with men opposing abortion more than women. The gender gap was the highest in the 30 years that Gallup has conducted an annual survey measuring public opinion on abortion. 

         Dr. Michael New, of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, picked up on one unreported finding that should be highlighted.  What he discovered was that pro-lifers made substantial gains among young adults.  The percentage of young adults aged 18-29 who thought “abortion should be legal in all circumstances” fell from 54% to 44% - a ten-percentage point drop. 

         Dr. New also points out that “between 2023 and 2025, the percentage of young adults who identified as “pro-life increased by 8% points and the percentage of young adults who thought “abortion should be legal in all circumstances” fell by a whopping 14 % points.”

         What Dr. New points out cannot be ignored.  That 18- to 29-year-old demographic is the bullseye for those who market abortion – and abortion is falling out of favor.   Why is that?

         Young men, in particular, might be responsible for this significant shift.  Dr. New rightly observes that church attendance by young men, both here and in the U.K., is on the rise and that might be playing an important part in this change of thinking for 16- to 34-year-olds. 

         After the Dobbs decision, multiple states put near-total bans in effect: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina ban abortions after six weeks gestation while Nebraska and North Carolina have 12-week abortion bans and Arizona has a 15-week ban. North Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming have pro-life laws tied up in court. 

         Slowly but surely, we are winning the battle on this issue.  But we are winning it, one heart at a time.  May God give us the strength to persevere. 

         Those are my thoughts.  I’m Janet Parshall.