Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- New polling data shows if Catholic voters knew Barack Obama voted against a measure to offer medical protection for unborn children they would be more likely to vote against him. The same poll also showed Catholics who are active churchgoers are more likely to oppose abortion and support pro-life candidates.

The survey found that, if pro-life groups continue to drive home the point that Obama voted against a bill in the Illinois legislature to protect infants, they could make a dent in his support between now and the elections.

The poll, conducted by the National Scientific Survey Center asked both Catholic and evangelical voters if a presidential candidate voted against a law to protect babies “born alive and unharmed” after an abortion, would they still support the candidate.

The survey found 62 percent of churchgoing (or active) Catholics would be less likely to vote for such a candidate and 53 percent of non-churchgoing (secular) Catholics would as well. Another 69 percent of evangelicals said they would be less likely as well.

Wile both active and secular Catholics generally agreed on the infanticide votes Obama cast, they have starker differences on other abortion-related issue.

On those questions, the poll confirmed what other surveys have already shown -- that active Catholics and evangelical voters are strongly pro-life and want to support pro-life candidates only.

Asked if they would vote for a presidential candidate with a different abortion view than their own, 48 percent of evangelicals and 42 percent of active Catholics said no while only 33 percent of secular Catholics did.Asked whether someone can be a faithful Catholic or Christian if they hold a pro-abortion position, just 39 percent of evangelicals and 40 percent of active Catholics said yes while 50 percent of secular Catholics agreed.

For Catholic voters, 49 percent of active Catholics said they favored the nation’s Catholic bishops speaking out against pro-abortion Catholic politicians while only 38 percent of secular Catholics agreed.

Looking at abortion in general, all Catholics and evangelicals agreed that abortion is morally wrong with 78 percent of active Catholics saying it is orally wrong all or most of the time; 66 percent of secular Catholics and 81 percent of evangelicals say the same thing.

In another question, all three groups strongly believed that “human life begins at the moment of conception” with 80 percent of active Catholics, 66 percent of secular Catholics and 79 percent of evangelicals saying so.

However, the split was shown in a follow-up question asking whether more legal restrictions should be placed on abortions to drive the number down further.
Some 54 percent of active Catholics and 58 percent of evangelicals said yes but just 41 percent of secular Catholics strongly or somewhat favor more legal restrictions on abortions.

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