Poll: Majority Opposes Cloning

Aug. 16, 2001 -- While stem-cell research wins majority support in this country, cloning is another matter: Most Americans say it should be illegal — for animals, for humans, and even if it could produce medical breakthroughs.

Six in 10 say cloning animals should be illegal in the United States. Six in 10 oppose "therapeutic cloning," the cloning of a human embryo to produce medical treatments. And 87 percent say it should be against the law to produce a child through cloning.

Most are undeterred, moreover, by policies elsewhere. Told that countries such as England allow therapeutic human cloning, more than eight in 10 Americans say it makes no difference in their view. Last month the House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban human cloning, therapeutic or otherwise, in this country.

This poll summarized two sides of the debate on cloning. For both animal and therapeutic cloning, supporters say medical breakthroughs could result. Opponents of animal cloning say it's morally wrong and may produce offspring with genetic abnormalities; opponents of therapeutic cloning say it could lead to the creation of a cloned person. These arguments trump the suggestion that agricultural or medical advances may result.

Religion

Religious beliefs fuel much of the opposition: Those who oppose animal, human, and therapeutic cloning are most apt to cite their religious beliefs as the main factor in their opinion. In contrast, those who support cloning are most likely to cite their education as having the most influence on their view.

White evangelical Protestants are among the most likely to oppose all cloning, while those who profess no religion are among the most likely to support it. Non-evangelical white Protestants are a bit more apt to support all cloning than the rest of the public. Catholics closely resemble the population at large.

Gender Gap

Men and women differ markedly on the issue. Men are 24 points more likely than women are to support animal cloning — indeed men divide evenly on the question, while women oppose it by nearly 3-1. And men are 14 points more likely than women to favor human cloning for medical purposes.

Higher-income Americans are far more likely to favor legalizing cloning than are low-income people (a majority of those with an income over $100,000 support animal and therapeutic cloning); and better-educated Americans are more supportive of cloning than are lower-educated people.

Majority opposition to any of these forms of cloning, finally, crosses political lines — taking in most Democrats, Republicans and independents alike.

Methodology

This ABCNEWS/Beliefnet poll was conducted by telephone August 8-12, 2001, among a random national sample of 1,024 adults. The results have a three-point margin of error. Fieldwork by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.

Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found in our Poll Vault.