CNN Poll - What America Considers to be 'Morally Wrong'

Social issues ... the shifting views of what Americans consider to be 'morally wrong'.
There have been some big changes and some surprising changes since 1987.
I can't find the original poll. I can only find articles discussing the poll.
If it's accurate, the results are interesting.

2014 - 94% say Adultery is morally wrong. In 1987 it was 92%.
2014 - 90% say cheating on your taxes is morally wrong. in 1987 it was 86%.
2014 - 57% say having an abortion is morally wrong. In 1987 it was 62%.
2014 - 50% say engaging in homosexual behavior is morally wrong. in 1987 it was 82%.
2014 - 46% say looking at pornographic material is morally wrong. In 1987 it was 58%.
2014 - 35% say smoking dope is morally wrong. In 1987 it was 70%.
2014 - 32% say living with someone before marriage is morally wrong. In 1987 it was 54%.
2014 - 16% say drinking alcohol is morally wrong. In 1987 it was 38%.

I want to know who those 6% of Americans are who think adultery is just fine. YIKES!
MORE people think that married people cheating on their spouses and cheating on taxes are morally wrong.
LESS people think homosexuality, smoking dope, drinking and living together before marriage are morally wrong.

Christian Post - CNN Poll Reveals Americas Most Agreed Upon Sin

Ninety-four percent of Americans believe that "being married and having sex with someone else" is morally wrong, the highest figure on a list of eight actions that CNN asked 1,010 adults to ethically classify earlier this month.

"Cheating on your taxes" followed adultery with 90 percent of Americans classifying it as morally wrong. "Having an abortion," "engaging in homosexual behavior" and "looking at a pornographic magazine" came in at 57, 50, and 46 percent, respectively. ...

Americans showed the least judgment toward "drinking alcohol beverages" and "smoking marijuana," which was legalized at the beginning of the year in Colorado. Only 15 and 35 percent of Americans, respectively, agreed that those actions were morally wrong.

HUFFINGTON POST - shows the difference between this poll and one taken in 1987

Data for the poll came from interviews with 1,010 adult Americans conducted by telephone by ORC International on January 3-5, 2014. The margin of sampling error for results based on the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

reply to post by FlyersFan

I want to know who those 6% of Americans are who think adultery is just fine. YIKES!

They are called swingers and have existed since 60's.

None of those percentages surprise me really. The country has become less religious and more tolerant towards different lifestyles so those percentages that have dropped are a direct consequence. The ones that have gone up show that people are good liars about themselves (94% percentage of Americans think adultery is bad? I'm sure that there is FAR more than 6% of Americans cheating on their spouse).

reply to post by FlyersFan


None of this is surprising to me either.. it's mostly progressive if you ask me.. those seem like good trends for the most part, not bad..

Nothing to see here.

I read the other day that divorce rate is decreasing and they attribute it to the self-entitlement of the baby boomers, basically that generation got spoiled as they are such huge market and advertisers just make them believe that they deserve more and better, so if a marriage don't work they just need a divorce or an adventure.

Current generations were raised in less prosperous times that their fathers and therefore they are less self centered and don't do things like divorce so much as they know the damage it makes to the family (as probably they are also the result of the divorces of the baby boomers).

So basically what you are seeing here is the conclusions people reach of what affected them in their childhood, cheating is wrong because dad cheated and that affected me as my mom divorced from him, or something like that.

About the drinking, pot, homosexuality and other things ill just gonna blame tv

miniatus
Nothing to see here.

I disagree. I think there is a lot to see here.
America is becoming more tolerant and is minding it's own business more.
(ie - drinking, smoking, and what happens in people's bedrooms)

It's a good thing.

reply to post by Indigent


Divorce hasn't really gone down by THAT much since 2000. National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends

Also keep in mind that marriage rates have decreased over the years as well. Please explain that one.


As to your other points. Homosexuality isn't morally wrong, those who think so are bigots. It's just a simple fact. As for pot. Pot is considered morally wrong because of a propaganda machine from the paper industry that demonized it because hemp was poised to replace lumber as a great source of paper. If you actually believe that pot is morally wrong, then you just bought into the propaganda machine that we on ATS are so fond of calling out for their bs. Congrats. I have no opinion towards your opinion on drinking, that is just a choice between you and you alone (it is one of the most destructive drugs in existence).

I am going to safely avoid my personal opinions on most of those topics as I find myself in the minority on most....But how did cheating on your taxes make the same list as these others. It doesn't even seem to be in the same ball park!

reply to post by Krazysh0t


divorces had a hike from around mid 60s and peaked in the 80s

If you feel i gave an opinion on the morality of the others things that's your problem as i just stated the current rating is because tv

reply to post by FlyersFan

MORE people think that married people cheating on their spouses and cheating on taxes are morally wrong.

I think this shows the double minded people we really are in this country. These two have the highest percentages, yet they are two of the more prevalent practices in our culture. I'm sure incest would rate even higher than these two, yet it is rampant in our society in every class.

S&F. If this poll hasn't been skewed, it's an interesting look into the mindset of our society.

reply to post by Indigent


Ok then I apologize. I guess I misread it a bit and got heated that someone (especially on this site) would believe things like pot being illegal is due to some sort of immorality when it is well documented that it is illegal due to shady business interests.

I'd still like to know your opinion on why marriage rate is declining.

reply to post by Krazysh0t


the logic i gave could explain this as well, as current people is the product of baby boomers and got affected by their divorces they simple don't want a divorce at any cost, the best way to not divorce is not getting married

reply to post by Indigent


Ok, I can see that and it also helps to explain why the percentage of people who think that living with someone before marriage has also gone down (as shown in the OP).

Quarles
I am going to safely avoid my personal opinions on most of those topics as I find myself in the minority on most....But how did cheating on your taxes make the same list as these others. It doesn't even seem to be in the same ball park!

Maybe because the question wasn't asked if respondents thought its okay to be cheated on by the taxman.

The only one that I would agree to be immoral 100% is adultery. Although immoral may not be the best descriptive word.

When you look at people who are married, or inside of a relationship. They have made a commitment and a promise to be with only each other (unless they happen to be swingers, or something similar.) So, whenever you cheat on that person, you are basically just shattering your agreement/promise. You would be carrying out a selfish act that would hurt someone pretty badly. The least you could do is break it off first, then go out and do whatever you want, rather than fooling the other person and dragging them along in a bogus relationship.

2014 - 46% say looking at pornographic material is morally wrong. In 1987 it was 58%

Surprised why 2014 poll is not saying 1%.

Everyone and their grandma knows its normal now.

edit: oh wow... this is a bit embarrassing... in my 27 yrs of life... i thought Adultery meant prostitution.

reply to post by Lingweenie


So I'm not so sure about civilian life (mostly because I haven't heard of it happened in civilian life), but in the military there is this thing called contract marriages. Two soldiers or a soldier and a civilian get together and agree to get married so that government gives the soldier(s) more money on payday. The funniest thing about all this (besides making a mockery of the institution of marriage) is that the soldiers do this and then expect their spouse to remain faithful. By the way domestic abuse (especially immediately after a deployment) is through the roof in the military.

Krazysh0t
reply to post by Lingweenie

 

So I'm not so sure about civilian life (mostly because I haven't heard of it happened in civilian life), but in the military there is this thing called contract marriages. Two soldiers or a soldier and a civilian get together and agree to get married so that government gives the soldier(s) more money on payday. The funniest thing about all this (besides making a mockery of the institution of marriage) is that the soldiers do this and then expect their spouse to remain faithful. By the way domestic abuse (especially immediately after a deployment) is through the roof in the military.

Yeah i am aware of that. And it surely is something shady and wrong to do. Simply because your basically just running a scam to get more money from the government. Unless these two people honestly what to be married, then of course that would be an exception. And it would definitely be a mockery of marriage. Although I'm not someone who goes around and calls it "sacred." It's just a commitment, maybe you could even call it a contract between two people. And people should honor the things that they say and uphold them. Too many people don't do those things though. And they drag their spouse into a shallow relationship built on lies and excuses. Too me, I wouldn't wish anything like that on anybody. It would just be a domestic "hell."

reply to post by Lingweenie


I agree with you. I don't consider it sacred either. Christians hijacked marriage and make it sound like it is their sole domain, but in reality civilizations across the world have all developed their own forms of marriage independent of Christianity and long before Christianity was even a thing. Personally, I don't want a wife any time soon (I'm already 28 btw). Seems like a huge hassle to me. I'd rather just have girlfriends that I can easily end the relationship with if I get bored and no longer want to be with them.

Krazysh0t
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

I want to know who those 6% of Americans are who think adultery is just fine. YIKES!

They are called swingers and have existed since 60's.

None of those percentages surprise me really. The country has become less religious and more tolerant towards different lifestyles so those percentages that have dropped are a direct consequence. The ones that have gone up show that people are good liars about themselves (94% percentage of Americans think adultery is bad? I'm sure that there is FAR more than 6% of Americans cheating on their spouse).

Swinging isn't adultery. Swinging is a consensual relationship choice between both parties. Adultery is cheating, one party doesn't or isn't supposed to know, otherwise polygamists would be "cheating" on one wife with another.

According to Christians even staring out the corner of your eye at some hot babe is adultry. Seriously who has never done that?

"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Matthew 5:28

Do married Christians maturbate with a clear conscience? I'm sure there is a bible verse forbidding that too.