I was scoping out a bunch of Gallup polls recently and ran across this survey data about Americans' views on a range of moral issues. Thought it was kinda interesting. It's the results of annual survey Gallup conducts about moral issues. They name an issue and ask people whether they think that behavior/action is morally acceptable in their minds or not and a number of related questions. The link shows the survey results from 2001 to the present, so you can see how public opinion has changed over the last couple decades.

Here's the percentage of Americans who view the issues inquired upon as morally acceptable as of May 2020:

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Birth control: 90%
Drinking alcohol: 86%
Divorce: 77%
Sex between an unmarried man and woman: 72%
Gambling: 71%
Smoking marijuana: 70%
Gay or lesbian relations: 66%
Having a baby outside marriage: 66%
Stem cell research using human embryos: 66%
Medical testing on animals: 56%
Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: 54%
The death penalty: 54%
Doctor-assisted suicide: 51%
Abortion: 44%
Sex between teenagers: 38%
Pornography: 36% ...Sorry VGC.
Cloning animals: 34%
Polygamy: 20%
Suicide: 18%
Cloning humans: 12%
Married men and women having an affair: 9%

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Personally, I'm mostly in agreement with the majority view in my country on these issues. There are a few exceptions though.

Exception 1: While I recognize teen pregnancy as a real social problem...I just think it's ridiculous to argue that sex itself between teenagers is intrinsically immoral.

Exception 2: I don't view suicide as generally a moral failing on the part of a person who kills themself, I view it as typically a failing of society that they chose to do so. I also can't help but notice the contradiction here between most people being okay with doctor-assisted suicide on the one hand but nonetheless condemning suicide itself on the other. That doesn't make sense to me.

Exceptions 3 and 4: Americans condemn the termination of fertilized eggs by poor women who can't afford more children, but are fine with the state executing actual, inarguable human beings who are also mostly from poor backgrounds. I was about to say that I don't understand that logic, but as I actually write this out, it's actually starting to make rather offensive sense to me.

Anyway, how about you? Is your opinion similar to the prevailing views of Americans shown here? If not, where do you differ?

Thread closed for insolence.

(J/k. Like half my threads get closed.)

This is an interesting view. I mean concerning human cloning. What are the merits of human cloning in your view?

Married people having affairs is the only one I find morally reprehensible from that list.

You're thinking of polyamory. Polygamy refers to one man marrying multiple women, i.e. a structurally unequal marital relationship.

I think all of them except the last two. Also when it comes to abortions, I think its morally wrong after like 16 weeks.

What does birth control means? State controlling birth rate or personal birth control methods like pills and condoms? Well, for me:

Shouldn't even be subject of moral debate:

- Birth Control

- Drinking Alcohol
- Divorce
- Sex between an unmarried man and woman
- Gay or lesbian relations
- Having a baby outside marriage
- Polygamy (if it's consensual)
- Suicide: I don't see this as a matter of moral debate, unless we really looking for it from a religious standpoint

Morally acceptable

- Gambling
- Stem cell research using human embryos
- Abortion
- Sex between teenagers (if they are 14 or over, but it's a loose definition)
- Pornography
- Cloning animals


Morally debatable

- Smoking marijuana: Smoking itself is alright, but most of weed here comes from illegal traffic that kills thousands of poor youth a year only for some upper middle class guys have some fun, this is so fucked up. I would never buy illegal marijuana knowing how negatively it impacts society
- Medical testing on animals: It's cruel and shouldn't happen, but well... we need tests right?
- The death penalty: I'm not pro death penalty myself, but I don't find it at all imoral for people who just can't live in society. The only problem is, death penalty is definitive, while life imprisonment is not. So better go for life imprisonment even if it's much more expensive
- Doctor-assisted suicide: I can't pick a side here
- Cloning humans: Don't know enough

Morally unacceptable

- Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: Synthetic fabric is much cheaper and is higher quality, absolutely no reason for this kind of animal exploitation
- Married men and women having an affair: Monogamous relationship is a social contract, having a case is a betrayal of this mutual agreement. It may not be a crime, but it is not moral

What is wrong with suicide

Medical testing on animals: 56%- May be immortal depending on the animal and the test.

Buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur: -Immoral
The death penalty: 54%- Possibly moral depending on standard of evidence. Not moral in our current legal system.
Sex between teenagers: 38%- Not immoral, but should be discouraged.
Suicide: 18%- Moral, but we should require a mandatory long term inpatient intervention. If they still want to do it, then I guess.
Cloning humans: 12%- Too many questions on how it would be done.
Married men and women having an affair: 9%- If the spouse doesn't know and approve, immoral. Otherwise, moral.

Poor women shouldn't be getting knocked up by guys that don't care about them.