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Home > 2007 > MayChristianity Today, May, 2007  |   |  
Go Figure
Opinion polls on torture, moral behavior, and other recent statistics.



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28%

American evangelicals who say torture is never justified.



25%

Secular Americans who agree.

26%

American Catholics who agree.

29%

All Americans who agree.

* * *


92%

Evangelicals who believe that not reporting all income on your taxes is morally wrong.

79%

All Americans who agree.



82%

Evangelicals who believe that drinking alcohol excessively is morally wrong.

61%

All Americans who agree.



75%

Evangelicals who believe that homosexual behavior is morally wrong.

50%

All Americans who agree.



73%

Evangelicals who believe that having an abortion is morally wrong.

52%

All Americans who agree.



68%

Evangelicals who believe that smoking marijuana is morally wrong.

50%

All Americans who agree.



60%

Evangelicals who believe that sex between unmarried adults is morally wrong.

35%

All Americans who agree.



58%

Evangelicals who believe that telling a lie to spare someone's feelings is morally wrong.

43%

All Americans who agree.



57%

Evangelicals who believe that gambling is morally wrong.

35%

All Americans who agree.



46%

Evangelicals who believe that overeating is morally wrong.

32%

All Americans who agree.

* * *


2

Americans who leave Catholic churches for every one who joins.

3

Americans who join evangelical churches for every one who leaves.

Sources: Pew Research Center for The People & The Press , Religion News Service




Related Elsewhere:

See our earlier Go Figure postings from April 2007, March 2007, February 2007, January 2007, December 2006, November 2006, October 2006, and earlier issues.

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[Reader Reviews]
Average User Rating: 

Displaying 1 - 3 of 10 comments.See all comments
H. D. Schmidt   Posted: April 20, 2007 4:17 AM
However, it is my firm conclusion that this nation called into existance by God Himself, its Federal Government has completely gone off the track laid down by the Founding Fathers ever so slowly but surely. Just one quote from George Washington to prove my point: "Overgrown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican liberty". Dwigh D. Eisenhower repeated basically the same in his farewell address. He also said these: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger, from those who are cold and not clothed". A report has stated that 18000+ children die daily of hunger! Yet, America sends bullets rather than food! Will someone compare 400+ billions the USA spends yearly on war machinery, right? Is there a figure available as to how much America sends to feed the hungry and clothing etc., etc., etc.?

Connie   Posted: April 19, 2007 9:31 PM
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised by these numbers at all, except for the torture one. Did you know that one of the reasons the Founding Fathers of America included the 5th Amendment (the right to not incriminate oneself) was to discourage using torture as a means of exacting a confession? A man will confess to anything under enough pain, say what you will. Torture is un-Constitutional on a national level, and un-Godly on a bigger scale. As to the others, I agree w/ the commenter before me: exceptions are too often made for sin based on how bad we want to do them. Hopefully, the torture ration is not evidence of how many Christians want to torture people.

Derek   Posted: April 19, 2007 10:23 AM
I'm shocked that lag behind the general population when it comes to the use of torture. It'd be interesting to hear about the roots of this attitude/belief. I'd guess that its based on a desire for justice and safety. Yet, how does this reconcile against a) God is the One who ultimately administers justice and b) there are no guarantees for safety and comfort in this life. What a sad disconnect...

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