Americans Negative About United States' Moral Values, Poll

Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs survey revealed that Americans are overwhelmingly negative about the future of moral values in the United States with 73 percent believing that moral values are deteriorating and are likely to continue getting worse.

According to Gallup, Americans today are slightly more negative about the state of moral values than they were last year, but less than they were in the 7 years prior.

What precisely do Americans mean by lack of moral values? Lack of tolerance, respect, or consideration for others was the top ranking problem. Overall, Gallup found that Americans believe the most important moral problems centered around matters of civility, family structure, and religion rather than popular political issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

The poll also asked about political party affiliation with 82 percent of Republicans, 72 percent of independents and 53 percent of Democrats have a negative opinion of U.S. moral values.

Also on HuffPost:

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• Salt Lake City, UT

  73,487 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Temple_Square_October_05_%288%29_c.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Birmingham, AL

  Metro area Birmingham-Hoover, AL<br> 70,990 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/16th_Street_Baptist_Church.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Oklahoma City, OK

  60,249 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Bricktown_Canal_Water_Taxis_in_Oklahoma_City.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Memphis, TN-MS-AR

  Metro area: Memphis, TN-MS-AR<br> 58,847 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Hernando_de_Soto_Bridge_Memphis.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Pittsburgh, PA

  57,695 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Pittsburgh_WEO_Night_1.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Chicago, IL-IN-WI

  Metro area: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI<br> 57,162 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/2011-08-07_2000x3000_chicago_from_skydeck.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Providence, RI-MA

  Metro area: Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA<br> 56,840 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Providence_Cathedral%2C_RI_edited.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Boston, MA-NH

  Metro area: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH<br> 56,765 religious adherents per 100,000 persons.<br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/USA_09562_Boston_Luca_Galuzzi_2007.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• New York, NY-NJ-PA

  Metro area: New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA<br> 55,595 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> (Photo: In this March 26, 2012, file photo, One World Trade Center towers above the Lower Manhattan skyline and Hudson River in New York. One World Trade Center, the giant monolith being built to replace the twin towers destroyed in the Sept. 11 attacks, will lay claim to the title of New York City.)

• Dallas, TX

  Metro area: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX<br> 55,536 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/The_Catholic_Cathedral_of_Santuario_de_Guadalupe_in_the_Downtown_Dallas_Arts_District%2C_10-26-10.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Houston, TX

  Metro area: Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX<br> 55,144 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Aerial_view_of_Texas_Medical_Center.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Buffalo, NY

  Meto area: Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY<br> 54,706 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/20080310_Soldiers_and_Sailors_edit.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD

  Metro area: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD<br> 54,668 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Independence_Hall.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• San Antonio, TX

  Metro area: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX<br> 54,093 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/Rio_del_pasio_05.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• New Orleans, LA

  Metro area: New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA<br> 53,479 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Altaner.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Minneapolis, MN-WI

  Metro area: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI<br> 52,061 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Minneapolis_05042012.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Milwaukee, WI

  Metro area: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Alis, WI<br> 51,823 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/St_Stanislaus_Catholic_Church.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Charlotte, NC-SC

  Metro area: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC<br> 51,764 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Southpark_aerial_Charlotte_NC.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Los Angeles, CA

  Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA<br> 51,382 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Hollywood_boulevard_from_kodak_theatre.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Cleveland, OH

  Metro area: Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH<br> 51,185 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/StTheodosius.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Nashville, TN

  Metro area: Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN<br> 50,694 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Nashville_Downtown.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Louisville, KY-IN

  Metro area: Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN<br> 50,445 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Cathedral_Assumption_Louisville.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Richmond, VA

  50,113 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Cathedral_of_the_sacred_heart_.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Jacksonville, Florida

  50,093 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/ChurchJax1.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Atlanta, GA

  Metro area: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA<br> 49,721 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Shrine_of_the_Immaculate_Conception.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Kansas City, MO-KS

  49,702 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Community_Christian_Church_KCMO.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• St. Louis, MO-IL

  48,889 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Tower_Grove_Park_Scene_1.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Hartford, CT

  Metro area: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT<br> 47,226 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Cathedral_of_Saint_Joseph_in_Hartford_3%2C_2009-09-02.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

  Metro area: Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN<br> 44,672 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Cincinnati_oh_skyline.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Detroit, MI

  Metro area: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI<br> 44,583 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Ste_Anne_de_Detroit.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV

  Metro area: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV<br> 44,576 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Cherry_Blossoms_and_Washington_Monument.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Raleigh, NC

  Metro area: Raleigh-Cary, NC<br> 44,469 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Downtown-Raleigh-from-Western-Boulevard-Overpass-20081012.jpeg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• San Jose, CA

  Metro area: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA<br> 44,189 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/San_Jose_Basilica.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Rochester, NY

  44,066 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Colgate_8751.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Austin, TX

  Metro area: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX<br> 43,921 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/AustinSkylineLouNeffPoint-2010-03-29-b.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• San Diego, CA

  Metro area: San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA<br> 43,917 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/San-diego-mission-chuch.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Riverside, CA

  Metro area: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA<br> 42,293 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Riverside_06Skyline.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Indianapolis, IN

  Metro area: Indianapolis-Carmel, IN<br> 42,213 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Indiana_State_Capitol_Market_St.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Baltimore, MD

  Metro area: Baltimore-Towson, MD<br> 42,077 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/E-mt.vernon.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Orlando, FL

  Metro area: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL<br> 40,631 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Orlando_downtown_2011.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Virginia Beach, VA-NC

  Metro area: Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC<br> 40,417 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Sunset-_Waves.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Miami, FL

  Metro area: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL<br> 38,058 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Mouth_of_Miami_River_20100211.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• San Francisco, CA

  Metro area: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA<br> 37,796 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/SF_From_Marin_Highlands3.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Columbus, OH

  37,702 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/ColumbusNightSkyline2.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Phoenix, AZ

  Metro area: Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ<br> 37,518 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Phoenix_AZ_Downtown_from_airplane.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Denver, CO

  Metro area: Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO<br> 36,968 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/DENCP.JPG" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Sacramento, CA

  Metro area: Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Rosenville, CA<br> 36,512 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Sacramento_Skyline_%282%29.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Las Vegas, NV

  Metro area: Las Vegas-Paradise, NV<br> 35,761 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Sacramento_Skyline_%282%29.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Seattle, WA

  Metro area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA<br> 35,643 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Seattle_Ferry.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Tampa, FL

  Metro area: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL<br> 34,761 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Tampa_Florida_Lawyers.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

• Portland, OR-WA

  Metro area: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA<br> 31,591 religious adherents per 100,000 persons. <br> Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Original photo <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/TomMcCallWaterfrontPark.jpg" target="_hplink">here</a>.

Comments

[jhunted7667]

12:04 PM on 01/05/2013

ten year olds DON"T RUN THE COUNTRY , here is a valid format for a statiscal study with determinating factors , all arguments soon will leave the political forum and enter the religious arena , People in Government today are corrupt , this is the argument in a nut shell , they are GROWN-UPS born for the most part pre -1960 as children some of them might have had school prayer and the 10 Commandments to shape there moree's and norm's as far as their moral compass'es are concerned , these are the people who are the few and far between honest ones , post 1962 prayer and the 10 Commandments came off the walls and so did the moral controls , MY CONCERN , I'm 54 soon to be 55 WHO WILL CONTROL MY SOCIAL SECURITY and what are there moral values , see where I'm going here , each following generation should always be a little bit better and brighter than the preceedng Generation , I have my integrity I cannot force it on anyone , soon they wish to put into law a bill internationally which will prevent American mothers and fathers from even breathing heavy on children , no discipline , NO MORALS , this is how we will end up , depression ,world war , sexually transmitted diseases will decimate the population , spiritual revivalism will take over the nation and the meek will inherit the earth

[delia ruhe]

04:11 AM on 08/28/2012

You are never gonna have an adequate level of “consideration of others, compassion, caring, tolerance, and respect” in a country obsessed with its “competitiveness.” The State sets the example. In the 1980s, when it looked as if Japan was going to surge ahead of the US economically, you had official badmouthing of the Japanese. American cinema and fiction of the period are full of what's called "techno-Orientalism."

Today, it’s China -- China, the "threat" to American competitiveness. China’s primary interest is in making money, not war, yet what we see from the American state is a campaign of demonization, a so-called “pivot” to the Pacific in order to “contain China,” and a boot-licking media eager to whip up the American populace into an anti-China hysteria. China has no interest in participating in an expensive Cold War with the US, but Washington is desperate for one.

Indeed, hyper-militarized countries tend to suffer from a shortage of “consideration of others, compassion, caring, tolerance, and respect.” If Americans need an objective view of that, they need only look at Israel. The more muscle-bound their military gets, the worse they treat the Palestinians and the more land they steal from them.

[LearnerLine]

05:04 PM on 06/03/2012

One thing that may to be affecting peoples “lack of moral values”.

The article puts; Consideration/Compassion/Caring/Tolerance/and Respect at the top of the list. One has to wonder if this has something to do with how people regard free speech.

Everyone believes in and supports free speech. It’s a wonderful thing, cherished by most people and made vital by the First Amendment of our Constitution. But there are a few things that people don’t seem to realize about this one sacred and special right. What is called the ‘abuse of free speech’ as it stands in our laws and in our consciences.

There are laws regarding: defamation of character, slander, libel, bearing false wittiness, inciting a riot and criminal threatening. While these are state and local laws and often considered misdemeanors, they are still laws and serve as ethical guidelines. Too many people seem either not to be aware of these statutes, or seem not to care, or think that they might not be there for a reason.

Being abusive of these simple civil laws is a bit like excessively breaking the speed limit while driving. It sends out a signal that one doesn’t care about the principals of, and-or, the country they live in. This in turn leads to more abuses, infractions, and finally to the breaking of more serious laws and regulations.

Thanks for reading.

[Varys]

04:13 PM on 05/28/2012

I like how "lack of morals" is on the list, seems kind of redundant doesn't it? I also find it amusing that it ranks below "lack of faith."

[BlueIndependent]

01:28 AM on 05/29/2012

That was one of the first things I saw too. The fallacy of logic this country's populace makes when it comes to morality, is that it must be based in religion. What I'd also like to know is how the answers for each category break down by affiliation. I can't help but get the feeling that the Dems are concentrated on the tolerance issue, and their pet causes, and the Republicans the same, with independents spanning the field. I will say I'm surprised tolerance was at the top of the list.

[fitness101]

10:02 PM on 05/27/2012

Ishmael-and so you have rationalized that America is so bad that you can do anything. How sad that you have such a low opinion of America. I know that you must be looking for some other place to live because who would want to live here among such evil people. Please write and tell me when you have found your Utopia.

[justCannot]

07:40 PM on 05/26/2012

Overall, it sounds like a good report. If the main observation is lack of tolerance, etc. then we aren't as bad off as would be expected, what with so many who seem to support morals that are defined by their lack of tolerance. This is good news, if it's a fair representation, right?

[mabinog]

06:25 PM on 05/26/2012

then Americans are overwhelmingly ignorant of the history of this nation.

[Ishmael BabaGaia]

05:49 PM on 05/26/2012

Perhaps the moral failings began when the Pilgrims stole the land from the native inhabitants, enslaved and dehumanized anyone who wasn't part of their Ancestry, spent their time creating wealth and not helping the poor, sick, and needy and endowed things with greater value than humanity.

Again...if our entire history of invasion, murder, slavery, racism, lynchings, assassinations, lying, judgement, mass disenfranchisement and warmongering aren't the moral failings that are listed in BOLD at the top of the list I don't want to hear from anyone that the personal choices made in the privacy of my own home and family are the reason for some new immoral path we are on.

[Fenrir Lokison]

05:42 PM on 05/26/2012

Babylon, Greece, Rome, Japan, Russia, Europe...One thing all great nations have in common...All eventually fell because of the decay from within. They became predators of their own people. And when they saw that laws could not fix it, they legalized and then regulated it. The strong moral and ethical bonds that once formed them became a thing of the past as science and art and the desire to escape the "oppressive old ways" dominated logic and reason until those good things that was the foundation had crumbled and the great empires fell. Some totally and others just hang on by a thread.

America is no different. Life is cheap. We let shows like CSI determine if real life cases have enough evidence to put a person behind bars. We have abundances and yet people are literally dying from the elements, sickness, and starvation. It takes an act of congress to get a law up to say this is bullying and if you do it you will be punished, and yet an adult can engage in bullying until a child kills herself and nothing can be done. We want people to be smoke free and healthy, yet we keep the cigarette companies in business to make and sell us the poisons people huff into their bodies. Prostitution is illegal in all places except in certain parts of Nevada.

73% of the people is correct.

[all deserve human rights]

06:38 PM on 06/06/2012

What do you mean? They saw laws they could not fix so they legalized and the regulated it. What are you talking about? Be specific. That's why Jesus was preaching to live by a set of morals. Man needed to learn morals thus the need for the religion. Men are of a dominating nature and have always taken advantage of the weak. Strong morals and ethical bonds, if you know history, were not a strong point of men in history. Was not a moral world. Never any social programs, maybe Greece wanted to educate it's citizen and give them running water. Those wealthy kings and priests were demanding from the poor. They were so rich they sewed jewels and gold in their cloths while people in the streets ate rats. Is that the morality you were thinking of? The world was nothing but taking over and oppressing people, who can control the most land and people. People made to change their nationalities and languages over and over.. Man in general was always controlling and brutal in history with no regards to morals. We are coming of an age where we finally have people who are allowed to speak out. I think prisoners claim to be Christians because they want someone to come down from the heavens and save them from the evil they have done. Like you see children praying to God for a miracle on test day. Man needed to learn morals thus the need for the religion.

[Hillbilly49]

09:33 AM on 05/26/2012

American Prisons are 90% Christian; what does that say about Christianity?

[Hugh Albert]

03:07 PM on 05/26/2012

Nothing, of course. To have any meaning you would have to give the percentage of Americans who are Christian, then work out, and subtract, the number of prisoners who see some advantage to claiming Christianity in the prevailing circumstances. Then of course you have those who think they must be Christian, but really aren't. Not so simple after all, Hillbilly?

[Fenrir Lokison]

05:33 PM on 05/26/2012

Good job...But, here are some add-ons...

1. First are they actually Christians? Just because one claims it, if one is not practicing, then is one truly? Its kind of like being a ninja...Just because I put on the black costume. Have my sword. A few throwing stars. An awesome "HIYA!!!!!" And I could do some martial art moves...Does that make me a ninja?

2. How many are what we call, backslidened Christians?

3. How many actually claim not to be a non-believer or agnostic and then later become jailbird converts?

You will find Hillbilly only lives by gross logic. There is no thinking behind it. I think of it like someone who is an elegant dancer in a fine China shop and who is the rampaging elephant. I am sure you can guess which one Hillbilly is. And you will find that with most non-believers.

[Hillbilly49]

09:18 AM on 05/27/2012

Being a Christian seems to be a scam for most folks.

[hawaiianstile]

01:54 PM on 05/24/2012

america is a moral and intellectual wasteland. and it does seem it will only continue to decline till the entire empire just crumbles under its own weight. the only thing valued in america is money, a result is rampant greed, little compassion, poor leadership, poor health, and the list just goes on and on.

[pjordan]

10:50 AM on 05/24/2012

values in America. We live in nation that worships money, if you have an extra dime there is always someone coming up with some kind of scam to take it away from you. We only seem to measure success by how much money or how many things one has aquired. Greed is rampant and people can never seem to get enough. We are ignorant of economics, politics, and our own history yet everyone seems to know who the winners are on "reality" tv, like dancing with stars, american idol and the biggest loser.
Shows like the housewives of where ever, The real world, wives of athelets, wives of mobsters etc show that way to resolve every issue and disagreement is to attack someone. The FCC censors the most minor of foul language and our country goes nuts at any glimpse of nudity on TV but the never ending barage of graphic violence, raped and mutilated bodies on cop shows...most of it directed towards woman, is totally acceptable "entertainment." We overfund the war machine and underfund education, we cut programs to the neediest among us to make the richest among us even richer. Is it any surprise at all that our priorities are hopelessly out of whack

[Ved Premi]

04:30 PM on 05/23/2012

The quintessence of Americanism is to take a complex multi-faceted issue and turn it into a one-dimensional poll. Bravo!

At one time, 'education' centred upon development of 'morals and ethics', with secondary emphasis on imparting knowledge that would help in making a living. Came the Industrial Revolution, and the 'scientific method', knowledge exploded, and there was a straining between these two.

Education eliminated the first and focused on the second, at which it does not do too good a job. Parents picked up the slack, for some time, till the corporations and speculators led us intothe 'two-income-family' trap. Result: we have an AMORAL society, not immoral, but amoral.

The Jamie D's and the Lloyd B's and Vikram P's are what we end up with. 'Agent Orange Corn', PCB's, marketing cigarettes to school-kids in Africa, blatantly false advertising, are the things we end up with. Fraudulent foreclosures, massive Ponzi schemes, mountaintop-removal-mining, strip-clearing of old forests, cruel factory farms for meat and fowl, these are what we live with.

Wowie!!

[Cindbird]

09:32 AM on 05/24/2012

Considering the many factors they looked at, it is not a "one-dimensional" poll. Education is not the only problem in this country. It plays a part, surely. But the intentional altering of the truth by certain news agencies, the deceptive practices by banks and other financial organizations and the lack of tolerance by religious organizations is a part as well. So is parents refusing to actually parent their children, allowing them to get away with anything because they feel guilty over having to work, teachers refusing to actually teach, and instead allowing the curriculum to strictly follow the questions on standardized tests. Religious leaders who are more concerned over the amount of money in the offering plates than the souls of their congregations play a large part in the wholesale defection of people from religion. It all plays a part, as does the rise of the internet. How many of us actually pick up the phone or write a letter any more? We've lost face-to-face human communication which causes a loss of human compassion and empathy.

[Ved Premi]

01:08 PM on 05/24/2012

You make a point, what I meant was the reduction of the results to one question. I wanted to reflect upon the complex causes.

I did not say that Education System is the only problem, I meant the all-round 'education' that we receive while growing from childhood to adulthood. In the not too ancient past, our way of life and our culture made us imbibe the message that well-being of self, family, community, and nature are intertwined. attitudes that served us well. What has changed is aptly described by the band-name 'Me First and the Gimme Gimmes'. You are very right in pointing out the 'loss of human compassion and empathy'.

But how do we get back? Without catastrophic corrections like the French or Russian revolutions? If only we could see what we are teaching our children, what a dreary world we will be leaving them, if we continue along this path!!

[nikkitytom]

03:37 PM on 07/28/2012

A succinct and absolutely accurate appraisal of the biggest problems facing our society today.

And the distinction between "amoral" and "immoral" is crucial. Because it means we have a chance to alter our course,.

[Mjollnir]

02:59 PM on 05/23/2012

There are severe issues with morality these days and "lack of tolerance" isn't one of them. It's been "tolerance" that's played the biggest part of declining morals. And it's "tolerance" that have lead to the demise of my beloved Norway and Sweden.

[CabinAgue]

04:15 PM on 05/23/2012

Can you elaborate on that "demise"?

[pdferguson]

05:07 PM on 05/23/2012

So you're saying that intolerance is the foundation of morals?

[SecularAdvocate]

06:23 PM on 05/23/2012

Good spot, pdf. Nice call.

Just about sums up the right wing Christian mind-set.

[bannorhill]

08:00 PM on 05/23/2012

Tolerance of immorality is immoral.

Much of Nazi Germany tolorated immorality instead of opposed it.

[HarleyOpenRoad]

02:32 PM on 05/23/2012

Obedience to the Law is no longer required for salvation.

That ended with Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. The Ruler of this World loa/thes this "New Covenant" between God and humanity. The new requirement for eternal salvation is now simple and straightforward: believe.

The GreatLie that humans cannot possibly be "good enough" for God has been destroyed, once and for all. However, people are still free to believe the_l.ie, though. Or, not to believe, at all.

[Funkstronaut]

05:27 PM on 05/23/2012

The "Ruler of the World", in absentia, left a couple billion stewarts. One's idea of how the "Ruler" wants things run is different from the others. So to abide by these rules, an ancient, and poorly written book. Sometimes it says "kill", and sometimes it says not to kill. What are these followers to think?
Except in reality... That "Ruler" is a illusion. It is simply a device for the powerless to claim a bit of power.
As for sacrifice... What sacrifice? As the story goes, the guy had a bad weekend. After three days, he dusted himself off, twinkled his toes, and magically flew into the air like Peter Pan, to live in unparalleled comfort and lavishness. Some sacrifice, eh? It isn't any wonder why it didn't do anything actually significant! It didn't stop wars, or end starvation. Such a minor sacrifice only worked as a phantasmal cure, for a mythological disease.

[HarleyOpenRoad]

10:43 PM on 05/23/2012

Yes, I've already come to the conclusion that you believe Christianity is all nonsense. All you do is come up with new ways of denigrating believers with derogatory and mocking terms.

Your only motivation is pure_ha.te.

I know. I used to be just like you.

[humilityisrare]

03:28 PM on 05/24/2012

You obviously do not know who Harley is referring to as the "Ruler of the World." If you did, you would realize that he is not in absentia but among us at all times. To help you, I will give you this hint - he is not one of the good guys.

If you don't understand the sacrifice made by Jesus - the only man to have walked with earth and departed it without sinning - then you are being slightly obtuse. In any event, ridiculing those that believe does nothing to advance your cause and it actually makes you look a bit defensive.

[Cindbird]

09:37 AM on 05/24/2012

The "lie" is that we are required to believe. Because IF we truly have free will, then believing can not be the only requirement. What Judge would allow an agreement made under duress to stand? Using the threat of Hellfire if you don't choose one answer is a commitment made under duress. Thus it can not stand as free will.

[CabinAgue]

06:44 PM on 05/24/2012

Seriously good point, Cindbird.  Hey -- it's your choice, really, but believe in me or I'll torture you forever!  (Of course, even when I was a believer I didn't buy that threat -- not for myself nor anybody else.  It made no sense.   But there are clearly -- given how many times it has been cast at me alone, much less written about and preached and so on -- so very many people who think it's true AND that it makes any sort of sense!)

[trythetruthtoday]

04:32 PM on 05/26/2012

The Bible clearly states that That God was pleased to use what the world considers foolishness to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21
Yes, believing in Jesus is all it takes, it's that simple.
Now, if you do believe, your life will change to accomidate the belief.
Please realize that this is a lifelong commitment.
It was the best and smartest decision that I've ever made.