3+4PM American views on immorality

In a fascinating survey conducted at the beginning of May and published last week, Americans were asked whether various behaviors were morally acceptable or morally wrong. So what were the things they most agreed upon as morally unacceptable? Adultery was number 1 at 92% wrong (6% said it was acceptable, and I don’t know whether that’s worse or that it means 2% weren’t sure…), Polygamy was number 2 at 90% disapproval (7% in favor!), Cloning humans was number 3 at 88% (9% favor), and Cloning animals was number 5 at 63% (31% favor). But it’s number four that I find the most fascinating. Although it’s encouraging, I suppose, to see that 77% of Americans believe suicide to be morally wrong (15% support it), making it number 4 most agreed-upon immorality in the offered list, the thing that I find freaky is that if the issue is changed to “doctor assisted suicide,” the disapproval rating drops to 46%. This means that 31% of the respondents thought that suicide was only wrong if you did it on your own without a doctor. That’s a mindbogglingly large deference to medical authority, and fascinating coming in the same week that Dr. Kevorkian died.

But what hasn’t made as much news is the items on the list that showed how much America’s view of divorce has shifted. The number one most approved-of item on this list of behaviors with a 69% acceptable rating was divorce, which only 23% said was morally wrong. Divorce is actually less objectionable than gambling (61% support), wearing fur (60% support), and medical testing on animals (59% support) So by this measure, you can be less socially offensive by getting a divorce than by wearing fur, gambling, or supporting the use of animal testing to save lives! I’m not sure whether this says we’re off about everything else or whether we’re just that ridiculous when it comes to understanding the sanctity of marriage. Again, I’m not all that surprised by the findings, I just think it’s amazing that breaking your vows through sex can be seen as wrong by 92% of people, but breaking your vows of staying together forever by divorce is only seen as wrong by 23% of people.