PRINCETON, N.J. (ABP) — A week after releasing a poll for the first time showing a majority of Americans describe themselves as pro-life, the Gallup Organization reported new numbers showing public opinion moving to the right on a number of other social issues as well.
In a May 20 poll, fewer Americans said it is morally acceptable to clone humans, have an abortion or conduct stem-cell research using human embryos than those polled a year earlier.
A majority still finds stem-cell research morally acceptable, but support for such research dropped five points to 57 percent. Just one in three Americans (36 percent) believes abortion is morally acceptable, down four points in the last year. Support for human cloning fell from 11 percent to 9 percent.
A slight majority said sex between an unmarried man and woman (57 percent) or having a child out of wedlock (51 percent) is morally acceptable, both four percentage points lower than last year.
While nearly two-thirds said divorce is morally acceptable (62 percent) the number is down from 70 percent in May 2008. Five percent fewer Americans now view gambling as morally acceptable (58 percent) compared to a year ago.
Most Americans (62 percent) view the death penalty as moral, same as last year, and just under half (49 percent) approve of gay or lesbian relationships, up one point. On the question of buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur, 61 percent said it is moral, an increase of seven points from 54 percent who said so last year.
The survey said most movement toward the right occurred for Republicans. Support for stem-cell research declined nine points among Republicans, to 41 percent, while the percentage of Democrats finding it moral remained steady at 74 percent.
Democrats' attitude toward divorce also remained unchanged, with 74 percent finding it morally acceptable, while among Republicans that view dropped from 64 percent a year ago to 52 percent now.
Both Republican and Democrats increasingly expressed doubts about the morality of gambling, but the drop was faster among Republicans. Among Democrats, acceptance of gambling dropped from 67 percent to 64 percent, while among Republicans it dropped six points to 55 percent.
Half of Democrats (52 percent) accept the morality of abortion, compared to fewer than one in four Republicans (23 percent).
Nearly twice as many Democrats (66 percent) as Republicans (35 percent) affirm same-sex relationships.
Few Americans view a married man and woman having an affair as moral (6 percent). About the same number (7 percent) said it is moral for a man to be married to more than one woman at the same time.
Fifteen percent said suicide is morally acceptable, the same percentage as last year.
The survey was based on telephone interviews with 1,015 adults conducted May 7-10. The margin of error is 3 percent.
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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.
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