Interesting Gallup Poll on Morality

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I came upon a fascinating Gallup poll, unfortunately conducted only in the US, on the morality of certain issues. I think you might be interested:

http://www.galluppoll.com/content/default.aspx?ci=27757

I was quite surprised at their rating of marital infidelity. Strangely enough, it is considered immoral by more people than even polygamy. While I am hardly a fan of open relations myself, I have a hunch that at least a few of the 91% who considered it immoral have fallen short of their own standards.

 

Well, that's because many people are either perverse ("I wanna do it because it's WRONG!" ), or subconsciously realize they cannot attain the moral goals they consciously set. (and thus have unrealistic expectations, are setting themselves up for a fall, and probably are causing themselves a significant amount of psychological stress that they can't identify the source of...)

But it IS interesting to see what Americans are divided about, and what they're fairly agreed upon.

Funny that NO topic had more than 67% 'morally acceptable' responses, yet the biggest 'morally wrong' vote was 91% - what does that say?

 

If asked if something is morally wrong we humans tend to say what our family, friends, neighbors and what we perceive as society in general believe to be morally wrong. Also if given the choice is it morally wrong or right with no modifications we have to make a black and white choice. We may feel something is wrong in many or even most cases but believe there are exceptions.

 

Here's the part that I find surprising. Looking at the ones that have a high rate of acceptance, the law is often times at odds with what people think:

The death penalty 66%

Divorce 65%

Medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos 64%

Gambling 63%

So these issues we have about two-thirds of the people saying it's OK. However, the death penalty is not legal in all states. Using stem cells from human embryos is extremely restricted. Gambling other than in very specific, licensed forms is also severely restricted. About the only one there that the laws reflect the public's desire is divorce.

 

Very interesting.

On the marital infidelity: I believe people responding are assuming it is their partner that is cheating -- and therefore very wrong. After all, if they themselves cheat it is okay because their partner drove them to it (and/or the relationship was already over) ... shouldn't a person be able to move on to a new romance if their current romance is over???

Yes, I'm being cynical and have seen this many, many times.

 

At least America has some resemblance of a moral compass.

But here's the question: Why are fornication and homosexuality acceptable or reasonably close, yet polygamy so vilified? Again, assume it's all consenting adults here. What's the difference?

 

I think Gnarf that the way the question was asked helped. it only addressed men having multiply wives, not women having multiply men. but i also think more people find it unatural and wrong to have more then one partner at a time, regardless of sex. Personaly i think its okay as long as all involved accept it out of free will.

that the acceptance of homosexuality, unmarried having sex and divorces are rising i think is quite positive.

 

The issue of polygami is probably more a legal issue than a moral one. When all things are said and done marriage is nothing but a legal contract between two people, tossing in further parts muddles the issue and complicates it in ways the government dont want to meddle in. There are no laws against having multiple partners, just laws against writing binding legal contracts with more than one at a time.

 

yes but the gallup pull was about moral issues not legal issues. so when all things is said and done 90% of america still finds it morally wrong

 

Oh, 39% saying premarital sex is wrong? More than I had hoped for.

I find it very hypocritical, however, that people are more likely to accept premarital sex than an illegitimate child. So is premarital sex better when no children come out of it? Or does the existence of the child suddenly make the previous sexual act more immoral? Is it better when it doesn't come out? I don't like the implications.

 

Umm, I don't know how many of you read to the end of the poll, but they said those statistics were based off of only 1,003 individuals. That's a pretty low number for just about any statistic, especially one representing the US. While the general trends of difference and disagreement may be more or less accurate, I would lothe to quote any of the specific statistics from this 'research'.

 

Umm, 1003 is the standard sample size for almost any gallup poll. Statistically speaking, it's a large enough sample to get (relatively) accurate results within 1-3% of a much larger sample. Occasionally, they'll do 3000 - but most public opinion polls of this type use this model.

Either way - this is an opinion poll, meant to reflect the overall "snapshot" of opinions from it's subject group, not any sort of verifiable factual record. It is what it is. Believe me, I wish it were complete bs. But it's accurate enough to be depressing.

 

DR is right - in fact, if you look at all of the polls regarding presidential approval rating, races for political offices that are going on all the time, etc., the standard number is about 1,000 people. Heck, even the Neilson ratings, which are used to calculate the number of people watching national telecasts are based on a sample of only about 1,000 households.

 

Now the big question: You tell me that whether I believe homosexuality is wrong or not is irrelevent. Why is their opinion on Polygamy relevent?

 

To answer the questions, usually yes, and no. With the exception of people who actually plan on having a child without getting married, most people would say that premarital sex without a child is better. In no way does the act become more or less moral though, which is why it appears hypocritical at first glance.

My answer to this is "plausible deniability". Unless people go around flaunting it, you don't know if they are having premarital sex or not, so it's much less "in your face" than the one's who have a child - which is much harder to conceal.

To put it another way, an unmarried pregnant woman might be referred to as "loose" or "slutty" (and thereby less moral) than someone who isn't pregnant and is more discreet in their sexual escapades. Not that it makes it any better. I think it's a whole perception trumps reality thing.

 

It's hypocritical with Catholics and other Christians because they're against abortion and against contraception. And suddenly they believe it's worse when you become pregnant while having premarital sex. The implication is a preference towards contraception or even abortion in such cases. Or that it's only bad when they see you.

Add also the idiocy of the thinking that the independent, partially even random biological fact of conception is used as the base of a moral evaluation.

Hypocrisy all the way.

There are even still people who think illegitimate children are somehow subhuman. It's like racism. I hate that.

 

In polygamous relationships across the world, whether by Muslims in the Middle East or by "Mormon Fundamentalists" within our own borders, the women are usually being exploited and denied access to education or any other means of improving their lot.....and these women often don't even consent to the plural marriage. Homosexuality, on the other hand, lacks this distinction. My question for you, Gnarff, is why do you constantly vilify promiscuity while defending polygamy? As I see it, they are basically the same thing. The only difference is that polygamy makes it "official".

 

Drew: I was looking at them where other things are equal, Such as education and consent. Arguement is invalid.

Further, Polygamy involves a binding covenent, where as fornication doesn't. Legal, lawful and heterosexual. Personally I do have issues with it's practice, as I would be less likely to find a wife in such circumstances, let alone multiple wives, but the issue is what makes one worse than another...

 

Except that this is never how it happens....so it's very valid. At no point in our history (not even in the history of the early LDS Church) has polygamy been practiced on an "equal" level. There has always been an element of exploitation or inequality involved with it, so any comparison you make between an "equal" polygamous relationship and something else is purely a theoretical comparison. Sure, you can hold up any straw-man non-existent hypothetical that you want, but unless you are forming your comparisons from the way things actually happen, you are just spinning your wheels without actually saying anything.

[ June 16, 2007, 18:04: Message edited by: Drew ]

 

So gnarff would you accept a woman marrieng several men?