Americans may have misplaced their collective moral compass on a majority of issues—but apparently extramarital affairs are still off limits.
According to a new Gallup poll, Americans are still on board with the 7th Commandment: “Do not commit adultery.”
Only 9 percent say adultery is morally acceptable.
Americans are softening their stance on other moral issues that are traditionally considered sinful—reaching levels of acceptance never seen before.
Birth control, divorce, sex between an unmarried man and woman, gay or lesbian relations, having a baby outside of marriage, doctor-assisted suicide, pornography and polygamy all had the highest percentage of U.S. adults claiming they were morally acceptable since Gallup began asking about each issue, according to LifeWay.
The largest approval jump is of gay or lesbian relations—support has grown by 23 points since Gallup first started polling on the topic. Only adultery has a consistently low level of approval.
LifeWay Research found most Americans agree that morality is declining but can’t agree on what’s moral; there is disagreement over what constitutes adultery.
A Deseret News poll found that a majority of Americans consider having sexual relations with someone other than your partner—whether regular or a one-night stand—constitutes cheating. However, many also agreed that romantically kissing someone other than your partner, sending explicit messages, having an online dating profile, being emotionally involved with someone besides your partner and even going to dinner with someone you’re attracted to—could count as cheating. {eoa}
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