A recent Pew Research release (“What Do Americans Consider Immoral?”, March 19, 2026) is, I think, instructive. And hopeful in a way.

Unlike the usual polling on abortion issues (including Pew’s) that focus on the practical aspects of abortion – should it be legal? etc – this survey asked about the person’s own views on the morality of a variety of subjects. So the ambiguity of most people (“I oppose X, but I don’t think I should impose my moral position on other people” kind of thing) doesn’t show up in the results. Like most abortion-related polling, there’s good news and bad news. (The worst news is not about abortion: the end-of-life question split down the middle for those who view it as a moral issue.)

Bad: If you count “not a moral issue” as being the same as “morally acceptable”, it’s kind of a tie, 47% say it’s morally wrong/52% say it’s morally acceptable or not morally wrong.

Good: Of those who regard abortion as a moral issue, we respect-lifers outnumber the pro-death crowd two-to-one. Twice as many!

So here’s my glass-half-full take on the poll. I think (hope? pray?) a public opinion persuasion strategy that urges everyone to view abortion as a moral issue, a matter of fundamental moral importance that one cannot remain on the sidelines about, would be fruitful in convincing many more people to side with the “morally wrong” than with the “morally acceptable” position. We don’t have to bring them over to our side. They can get there themselves if we get them in the game for the first time.

The good thing about that is that once they’re “in”, they are more likely to stay on the respect-life side. A stance based on morality is much more likely to stick than one based upon practical considerations. Or as I like to say, change their hearts and not their minds.