In the wake of the two latest Republican primary debates, Rick Perry’s unwavering support for the death penalty in Texas is sparking allegations that this policy doesn’t jive with his “pro-life” ethic.  Our CEO, Dr. Robert P. Jones, takes on the question in this week’s “Figuring Faith” for the Washington Post On Faith.  He explains that many Americans – and most Republicans – also believe that pro-life and pro-death penalty positions are compatible.

Perry’s identification as a strong supporter of “a culture of life” and what he called the “ultimate justice” of capital punishment, however, raises some potentially thorny questions about the meaning of being “pro-life.” In campaign season, the question is whether American voters, especially voters who identify as “pro-life,” are going to raise concerns about why Perry’s position doesn’t represent what some Catholic theologians call “a consistent ethic of life,” opposition to both legalized abortion and capital punishment. A quick foray into public opinion, however, seems to indicate that Perry may be facing little pressure on this front…

Only about one-in-ten (11 percent) Americans hold a “consistent ethic of life” position, opposing legalized abortion and capital punishment. In fact, in the general public, there is no significant correlation between attitudes about the legality of abortion and views on capital punishment. Fully two-thirds of Americans overall say they favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, compared to only three-in-ten who say they oppose it. Support for capital punishment is virtually identical to the general population among Americans who say abortion should be illegal (69 percent) and among those who identify as “pro-life” (69 percent).

For the full column, click over to Dr. Jones’ blog.