Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Barack Obama tried speaking their language and made repeated overtures to active church-going American voters during the election. Yet, the latest Gallup poll shows them backing John McCain in similar levels as prior presidential elections and abortion appears to be the reason why.

Obama has talked about reducing abortions, but the most active Catholic and evangelical voters didn't buy the rhetoric it appears.

The apparently got the message that Obama supports unlimited abortions throughout pregnancy, wants abortions paid for with taxpayer funds, and favors a bill that would overturn pro-life laws and measures that reduce abortions nationwide.

A new Gallup poll finds Obama supported by just 28 percent of those voters who attend church on a weekly basis. That's a one percent drop from the 29 percent of those voters -- who make up one-third of the American electorate -- that John Kerry captured in the 2004 election and Al Gore won in 2000.

Pollster John Green of the Pew Forum calls the fact that pro-abortion candidates fail to win even 30 percent of the most religious voters in America a "religion gap."

Why did Obama fail to convert more pro-life religious voters to his side? Abortion appears to be the answer.

The religious forum at Saddleback Church revealed some of the biggest divides between Obama and McCain. While Obama said knowing when human life begins was "above my pay grade," Senator McCain clearly articulated a pro-life position on abortion and said his administration would reflect pro-life values.

Richard Land, a Baptist leader, told Politico that abortion was the central reason behind Obama's failure to capture pro-life voters -- despite the efforts of groups like Catholics United and the Matthew 25 Network to hide his pro-abortion views.

“It’s abortion,” Land explained.

“I think pro-choice people in this culture have absolutely no idea of the depth and intensity of the moral outrage of the people who are pro-life," he said. “They think that conservatives use it only as a wedge issue.”

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told the political web site he agreed.

“There is no other way to explain it than Obama’s position on the issues, particularly the issue of life,”

Still, McCain needs to continue reaching out to pro-life religious voters in the final days of the campaign as Gallup shows him getting 65 percent of the weekly church-going vote compared with the 71 percent President Bush received in 2004.

If McCain can close the gap, thanks in part to pro-life voter education efforts this weekend, he may be able to solidify his hold on some of the battleground states and gain in places like Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida -- must-win states for him to capture the election.

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