A record percentage of Americans believe that gay and lesbian relations, pornography and polygamy are morally acceptable, although a plurality believe that abortion is morally wrong, according to a new Gallup poll.
Gallup on Monday released its annual Values and Beliefs survey, which began in 2001 and surveys Americans’ attitudes on a host of issues. This year’s poll examined beliefs on 21 issues.
A record 67 percent of American adults believe that gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable, an increase from last year’s high of 63 percent.
The survey set records on several other issues. Among them:
- 76 percent say divorce is morally acceptable. Previous high: 73 percent (2017).
- 43 percent say pornography is morally acceptable. Previous high: 36 percent (2017).
- 19 percent say polygamy is morally acceptable. Previous high: 17 percent (2017).
The seven-point jump in the acceptance of pornography was driven by unmarried people, Gallup’s Andrew Dugan wrote.
“This year, the percentage of nonmarried individuals who find pornography morally acceptable rose 15 points to 50%,” he wrote. “Acceptance of pornography among married individuals, at 35% this year, is essentially no different from last year's 37%. Meanwhile, 67% of men aged 18 to 49 this year say pornography is morally acceptable, a 14-point increase from last year.”
But it’s not all bad new for social conservatives. The percentage of Americans who believe abortion is morally wrong is 48 percent, virtually unchanged from last year’s 49 percent. The percentage of those who say abortion is OK stayed at 43 percent.
Gallup also gauged attitudes on alcohol and marijuana: 78 percent say drinking alcohol is morally acceptable while 65 percent say smoking marijuana is OK. It is the first year Gallup has included alcohol and marijuana in the survey, which was conducted May 1-10 and interviewed 1,024 adults.
Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.
Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/MangoStar_Studio
Publication date: June 5, 2018
