The draft Roe ruling is a reminder that religion's role is older than the Republic

At its core, the abortion debate is between those who regard the fetus as a person and those who regard abortion as a rightful option for pregnant women.

While there are religious and non-religious people on both sides of the argument, the loudest voices are often those of religious traditionalists on one side and contemporary secularists on the other.

The discussion also entails biology, medical technology, policy questions and constitutional issues such as state's rights and a personal right to privacy. As the decades have passed, the discussion has also become saturated with partisan politics as the mix of opinion in the major parties has shifted dramatically.

But through it all, there is no denying the centrality of religion. It is not so much a matter of identification with one faith or church, but of the degree of intensity of an individual's involvement.

In a report issued Friday, Gallup senior scientist Frank Newport wrote:

"The pattern among Protestants and Catholics reflects the general pattern in the U.S. — the more religious the individual, the more likely that individual is to say that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances."