Religion, Human Rights and Matters of Life and Death: Exploring Attitude Toward Abortion and Euthanasia Among Adolescents in England and Wales

Abstract

This study explores the association between attitude toward euthanasia and abortion and both religious practices (personal prayer and worship attendance) and self- assigned religious affiliation (Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, and non-religious) among a sample of 966 students between the ages of 14 and 18 years in England and Wales, after taking into account personal factors (age and sex) and psychological factors (extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism). The data demonstrate that religiously inclined students are less accepting of euthanasia and abortion. Religious practice is one key indicator with a significant negative correlation between prayer frequency and acceptance of euthanasia and abortion. In addition to prayer fre- quency, religious identity is a second key indicator. Muslim students and Catholic students are less accepting of euthanasia and abortion than Protestant students and non-religious students.