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Americans Hold Record Liberal Views on Most Moral Issues

P

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
http://www.gallup.com/poll/210542/americans-hold-record-liberal-views-moral-issues.aspx

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans continue to express an increasingly liberal outlook on what is morally acceptable, as their views on 10 of 19 moral issues that Gallup measures are the most left-leaning or permissive they have been to date. The percentages of U.S. adults who believe birth control, divorce, sex between unmarried people, gay or lesbian relations, having a baby outside of marriage, doctor-assisted suicide, pornography and polygamy are morally acceptable practices have tied record highs or set new ones this year. At the same time, record lows say the death penalty and medical testing on animals are morally acceptable.
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These results are based on Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs poll, conducted May 3-7. Each year, Americans are asked to rate whether different practices are morally acceptable or morally wrong. Gallup first asked the question in 2001 about 13 issues, with additional items added in subsequent years.

The leftward movement in perceptions of what is morally acceptable has been ongoing, with Gallup also noting shifts in 2014 and 2015. Since then, there have been additional, albeit slight, changes in a more permissive direction. All of the new highs this year are one or two percentage points above previous highs.
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On an absolute basis, Americans are most likely to view birth control, divorce and sex between unmarried people as morally acceptable. At least two-thirds say each of these is OK.

Americans are least likely to believe suicide, polygamy, cloning humans and extramarital affairs are permissible; fewer than one in five say these practices are morally acceptable.

The public is most divided on abortion and medical testing on animals. Currently, 43% of Americans say abortion is morally acceptable, and 49% say it is morally wrong. Meanwhile, 51% say medical testing on animals is OK, while 44% disagree.

Over Time, No Issues Show Movement Toward Conservative Positions
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Americans have adopted more permissive views on matters of morality than they held at the beginning of the 21st century. Much of this change was apparent a few years ago, but opinions continue to shift in a slightly more left-leaning direction. Some of this change reflects increased social tolerance, while some is attributable to generational changes. It would appear that U.S. opinions will continue on this path, as younger, more liberal generations replace older, more conservative ones in the U.S. population.

Not only is the more liberal outlook apparent in the perceived morality of issues, but it is also evident in the increasing percentage of Americans who describe themselves as liberal on social issues. Currently, about as many Americans say they are socially liberal as say they are socially conservative; in the past, conservatives outnumbered liberals by a significant margin.
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Incoming "shocking news" posts.
 
D

DEO3

Member
And yet every branch of the federal government, and the majority of state offices, are held by Republicans. How is this possible?
 
T

TheSaddestSort

Member
phanphare said:
they kind of did, hillary did win the popular vote after all
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Yeah I know Hillary won the popular vote by several million. I'm guessing that most of these people moving the scale live in metropolitan areas that historically tend to be more liberal anyway though. Who knows.
 
T

The Lamp

Member
sphagnum said:
36% for porn


sure
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A country full of Christians believes porn is bad for moral reasons because it's lust but also because their churches teach them the porn industry exploits women, so don't be too surprised.

DEO3 said:
And yet every branch of the federal government, and the majority of state offices, are held by Republicans. How is this possible?
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Voter suppression and gerrymandering and electoral college.
 
K

kirblar

Member
TheSaddestSort said:
Yeah I know Hillary won the popular vote by several million. I'm guessing that most of these people moving the scale live in metropolitan areas that historically tend to be more liberal anyway though. Who knows.
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Around 80% of the country now lives in metropolitan areas.
 
P

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
I find the cloning animals figure a bit odd. Didn't know so many people would view that as morally unacceptable.
 
A

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
The Lamp said:
A country full of Christians believes porn is bad for moral reasons because it's lust but also because their churches teach them the porn industry exploits women, so don't be too surprised.
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And every single one of them watches it.
 
T

Toxi

Banned
DEO3 said:
And yet every branch of the federal government, and the majority of state offices, are held by Republicans. How is this possible?
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What Americans say they believe doesn't necessarily translate to what they vote for.
 
J

Josh7289

Member
Yet our political system is so rigged in favor of Republican politicians -- who obviously don't hold liberal views -- and wealthy donors that they remain in power.
 
S

Secret Fawful

Member
This is a great, hopeful trend, but I'd like to see the numbers on how these people view race and ethnic issues as well and see where it leans then.
 
Geno Breaker

Geno Breaker

Banned
Volimar said:
Among consenting adults it doesn't hurt anybody unless one of the parties can't deal with it. So as long as it does no harm, why not?
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That's true. What pops up in my head is a dude getting like 5 wives. I probably just have the wrong idea/impression.
 
P

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
Toxi said:
They hear cloning and think "Oh my God it's like Star Wars!"
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Yeah was thinking it might just be scientific ignorance but the numbers on animal testing & stem cell research aren't that low. I guess "playing god" is what people think of.
 
W

wutwutwut

Member
Geno Breaker said:
That's true. What pops up in my head is a dude getting like 5 wives. I probably just have the wrong idea/impression.
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Yeah, the patriarchal angle is what most people think of "polygamy". The 4/5 wives thing done broadly across society is definitely bad.

But modern "polyamory" will often not be patriarchal.

There's many subparts to it that might be concerning though. For example cuckolding can have a racial angle to it (though I know happy couples in a cuckold relationship where there's no racial angle whatsoever, it's just what they get off on).
 
T

TheBryanJZX90

Member
The Lamp said:
A country full of Christians believes porn is bad for moral reasons because it's lust but also because their churches teach them the porn industry exploits women, so don't be too surprised.
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Uh churches also aren't the only place where you can find out about exploitation in the porn industry
 
L

legend166

Member
The Lamp said:
A country full of Christians believes porn is bad for moral reasons because it's lust but also because their churches teach them the porn industry exploits women, so don't be too surprised.



Voter suppression and gerrymandering and electoral college.
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Christianity also teaches sex is to be enjoyed exclusively in the context of marriage and that divorce is wrong, and yet an overwhelming majority see both as morally permissible.

It also teaches against latent materialism And the love of money, and yet the entirety of American society seems to be built on both.

American Christianity is generally hypocritical on pretty much everything (I say this as a church going Christian, but not American).
 
T

thefro

Member
wutwutwut said:
That's a lower bound, isn't it? Many people think it should be legal but don't think it's moral personally.
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Yep, there's a pretty sizable "I find abortion to be morally wrong, but I am pro-choice in all/some cases" block.

Ultimately technology will make it so that women can have 100% control of their bodies and whether they're pregnant without having to abort a fetus/embryo to do it (better birth control, nanomachines, artificial wombs, etc).
 
Monocle

Monocle

Member
Who the fuck are people kidding with that porn stat? Bloody hypocrites.

ponpo said:
Yeah was thinking it might just be scientific ignorance but the numbers on animal testing & stem cell research aren't that low. I guess "playing god" is what people think of.
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I hope they reject prescription medication too then. Disease is natural! What gives us the right to tamper with nature?
 
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