By: E&P Staff Reporting a number that will surprise some, The Gallup Organizations today said its latest poll found that 75% of Americans support euthanasia -- allowing a doctor to take the life of a patient who is suffering from an incurable disease and wants to die. This, Gallup noted, was up 6% since 2004.
Even evangelical Christians said they backed euthanasia, at 61%, as did 71% of rural residents.
There is a bit of a gender gap, with 84% of males supporting euthanasia and 66% of females. Weekly churchgoers also support the concept (51%). So do self-described conservatives (63%), though that trails liberals (82%).
The exact wording of the question that 3 in 4 overall answered yes, was: "When a person has a disease that cannot be cured, do you think doctors should be allowed by law to end the patient's life by some painless means if the patient and his family request it?"
Given a specific scenario, and mentioning the word ?suicide,? a smaller proportion of Americans, but still 58%, support doctor-assisted suicide for patients in the same condition.
In another interesting finding, 59% of the overall sample said they would consider ending their own life, if in sever epain, by some painless means, but 38% said they would not.
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