Culture Wars in Latin America: Religion and Attitudes toward Homosexuality and Abortion in Four Countries

The effects of religious affiliation and attendance on attitudes toward abortion and homosexuality in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay are examined. In general, Protestant affiliation is a stronger predictor of conservative attitudes on these issues than is Roman Catholicism. This finding provides support for market models of religious socialization, in which religious values are more easily transmitted to denominational adherents in religiously pluralistic environments.