Poll on Morality
I’ve just blogged at curiablog, on a morality poll by UMR. Respondents were asked how morally acceptable (or unacceptable certain activities were. Below is the morally acceptable score for each activity and the net acceptable score (acceptable less unacceptable)
From most to least acceptable, they were:
- Divorce 81%, +68%
- Sex outside marriage 77%, +59%
- Having baby outside marriage 71%, +48%
- Stem cell research 63%, +38%
- Homosexual relations 61%, +29%
- Euthanasia 55%, +18%
- Abortion 55%, +21%
- Gambling 52%, +10%
- Animal medical testing 52%, +12%
- Wearing or buying fur 48%, +4%
- Death Penalty 43%, -7%
- Animal Cloning 27%, -40%
- Suicide 20%, -48%
- Married people having affairs 13%, -70%
- Polygamy 11%, -74%
- Human cloning 7%, -81%
Now this was asking about moral acceptability, not legality. So while only 55% think abortion is morally acceptable, that doesn’t mean only 55% think it should be legal.
Now what would my answers have been. None of the first ten I would regard as morally unacceptable. I do regard the death penalty as unacceptable – not keen on states being able to kill it citizens. Tend to regard suicide as morally unacceptable in most circumstances but not all (ie terminally ill). While generally I think it is not a good idea for married people to have affairs (and if married I would not), I’m wouldn’t label it as morally unacceptable as it is between those two people. I don’t think polygamy should be legal but nor do I regard it as morally unacceptable. And finally I don’t believe human cloning is automatically morally unacceptable. I favour very very tight restrictions on it, but think there are potential benefits.
So bottom line is there is very little I believe is always morally unacceptable. Mainly just the death penalty really.
I’m sure very few here will agree with me!