(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States see no problem with two specific behaviours, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 70 per cent of respondents believe divorce is morally acceptable, while 63 per cent feel the same way about gambling.

The death penalty and medical research using stem cells obtained from human embryos are next on the list of acceptable issues with 62 per cent, followed by sex between an unmarried man and woman with 61 per cent. More than half of respondents have no moral qualms about medical testing on animals, having a baby outside of marriage, buying and wearing clothing made of animal fur, and doctor-assisted suicide.

Americans are evenly split on homosexuality, with 48 per cent deeming it morally acceptable and 48 per cent claiming it is morally wrong. Two-in-five respondents think abortion is acceptable, and one-third feels the same way about cloning animals. Conversely, more than three-in-four respondents believe married men and women having an affair, polygamy, cloning humans, and suicide are morally wrong.

In April, Texas authorities raided the YFZ Ranch—which is owned by the polygamist Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS)—following a phone call from a still unidentified woman who claimed to be the victim of physical and sexual abuse. Child Protective Services (CPS) spokesman Darrell Azar declared: "There was a systematic process going on (at the YFZ Ranch) to groom these young girls to become brides."

Polling Data

Next, I’m going to read you a list of issues. Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong.

Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,017 American adults, conducted from May 8 to May 11, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

Results of 2007 Poll

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