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Fewer and fewer Americans say having children outside of wedlock, birth control, and gambling are morally acceptable, according to a new poll — revealing a rising Puritanical streak.
The share of Americans who say birth control is morally acceptable dropped to a record low of 83%, according to a new Gallup poll published Tuesday.
That marks a steep drop from 90% last year, and is the lowest figure since Gallup began polling the issue in 2012.
Slightly over half of Americans (58%) said having a baby outside of marriage is morally acceptable, down from a high of 70% in 2022 and 2023.
And most Americans believe that sex between teenagers is not OK; with only 35% approving, dropping from a high of 46% in 2022.
Gender transitions also hit a record low, with 57% of respondents saying it’s morally wrong.
One of the biggest drops is the belief that cloning animals is OK, with just 27% calling it acceptable.
Other behaviors and practices Americans found morally wrong in the polling include extramarital affairs (89%), human cloning (86%), polygamy (77%), suicide (70%) and pornography (64%).
Belief in the moral acceptability of gambling dropped 6 percentage points to 57% in the past year.
Support for gay and lesbian relationships also dropped 2 percentage points in the past year, to 62%, although that still represents a 22 percentage point rise since 2001.
In the wake of multiple stories about Canada’s controversial euthanasia law, belief that doctor-assisted suicide is morally acceptable dropped another 4 percentage points to 49%.
“Over the past two decades, Americans have grown generally more accepting of most of the behaviors measured by Gallup, which include those associated with sex, marriage, and certain medical and end-of-life issues,” according to Gallup.
“However, this trend toward more permissive attitudes has largely plateaued or pulled back in recent years, though acceptance levels on most behaviors remain higher than they were 25 years ago,” the statement continued.
The data showed several stark divisions along party lines.
For example, Democrats were far more likely to find abortion and changing gender morally acceptable than their Republican counterparts.
On the other hand, Republicans were much more likely to back the death penalty, buying and wearing clothes made of animal fur, and medical testing on animals.
One thing that’s gotten more popular over the years: Divorce. Approve among Republicans, for instance, has risen 12 percentage points in the last year.
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