this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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A Boring Dystopia

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Most noteworthy for me is the fact that more Americans think that porn (52%) and homosexuality (39%) are wrong than spanking children (23%) and being ultra wealthy (18%).

🤡 country

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/03/19/what-do-americans-consider-immoral/

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[–] Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 99 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

Wow. Does this really wanna tell me that roughly every 2nd US-american I would in the US of A is a cult-loving, children-spanking, homophobic, misogynistic silly shitstick of an excuse for a decent human being? Explains the "president".

Did I mention: wow?

Can only hope this is some totally stupid agenda-pushing crap, and only 20 people were interviewed. In front of some church or so.

[–] MrJameGumb@lemmy.world 70 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I can guarantee you the people who voted these things as being "morally wrong" only believe it's wrong if someone else is doing it

[–] Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 12 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I think hypocrisy is somehow implied with the top3 "immoralities" here.

Especially homophobia. I always had the suspicion, that the graph, that shows "volume and intensity of voicing of anti-gay-sentiment" on the x-axis, and "actually being closeted gay themselves" on the y-axis, is a very straight line in a 45° arc of both.

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[–] TragicNotCute@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

We surveyed 3,605 U.S. adults from March 24 to 30, 2025. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP). This report also includes findings from a separate ATP survey of 8,937 U.S. adults conducted from May 5 to 11, 2025.

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I have never met anyone who is a member of the “American Trends Panel”. (Or a Nielsen family for that matter). But somehow, these mysterious people with 2.5 kids and a dog represent “US Americans”.*

*As a pageant contestant once described us.

[–] TragicNotCute@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

I personally know at least one family who is a Nielsen household. You’re asked to keep your participation confidential which is probably why you don’t know anyone doing it.

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[–] zloubida@sh.itjust.works 78 points 3 weeks ago (18 children)

75% of Americans think hitting children is chill???

[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 32 points 3 weeks ago

A ton of cultures do, unfortunately. That said, it's also just bad parenting because (1) kids model behavior, so they will "punish" other kids physically and (2) punishment is one of the least effective forms of power, often producing public compliance but not private acceptance.

Just an fyi in case you need that in you back pocket when someone tries to argue in favor of hitting kids.

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[–] fizzle@quokk.au 67 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Ok so a third of people think voluntary assisted dying is wrong but two thirds of people think the death penalty is totally fine.

The fuck is wrong with people?

[–] yakko@feddit.uk 43 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Alternate headline: "Americans objectively bad at morality across the board"

Bonus headline: "Don't spank it, hit your kids instead"

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[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 58 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Murder animals at scale in the most horrid conditions? 4%

Watching consensual videos of naked people? 54%


Truly a moral dystopia

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 11 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

That is a separate issue from just eating meat in general. We are completely capable of having ethical production of meat and other animal products.

The problem isn't the consumption of meat but the needless waste encouraged by the capitalist system that necessitates the unethical overproduction of it.

[–] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 16 points 3 weeks ago (31 children)

I used to agree with you, but then I went to r/vegancirclejerk and heard the classic joke "We just barbecued up the family dog for Christmas dinner. He was well loved, he had a happy and healthy life. So it's ethical to eat him."

Now I think the only ethical way to enjoy meat is with consent. Like in The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe.

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[–] MrJameGumb@lemmy.world 37 points 3 weeks ago (14 children)

I've actually heard several different women try to argue that if a man even just looks at pornography it somehow counts as "cheating". They were all quite upset when no one agreed with them but seemed unwilling to change their opinion. They did not appreciate my laughter but in all fairness I genuinely thought they were trying to make a joke

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

I had a gf like this, caught me looking at the fappening pics. Said I was cheating... Bout 3 months later I found out she'd been taking dick from 2 different dudes for more than a year. People will do anything to feel superior to others.

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[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 36 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (7 children)

It makes sense that in the country were Death Penalty is considered less morally wrong than Viewing Pornography or Homosexuality, most people support (or at least don't care about) Israel mass murdering children for the "crime" of being born Palestinian.

That moral priority alone says that for most Americans, life is less sacred than what people do with their sexy bits alone or with consenting adults.

No wonder America keeps making war and killing millions.

[–] MithranArkanere@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Prudism is a blight that rots the fabric of society.

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[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 33 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

More people thinking homosexuality is wrong than the fucking death penalty...

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[–] Triumph@fedia.io 28 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Porn ranks higher than abortion? What?

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[–] mimavox@piefed.social 26 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Would be interesting to see a comparison with other countries. Here in Sweden, it's illegal to spank children, and most people are OK with that, AFAIK. Abortion is also not frowned upon in any way. We would have wildly different results on this chart.

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[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 25 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (12 children)

My family's from the South. I have seen some shit you wouldn't believe.

But 4-in-10 finding homosexuality "morally wrong" is jaw dropping, to me. Another 23%, just "acceptable." In 2026?

WTF.

I thought homophobes were dying out, but apparently not.

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[–] mech@feddit.org 25 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

2/3 think being extremely rich is not a moral issue,
and almost 2/3 think homosexuality is.

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[–] Yeller_king@reddthat.com 23 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

I honestly didn't realize that beating children was still so popular.

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[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 23 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I realized some years ago that most Americans view "morality" as almost exclusively being about sex. Raising moral concerns about things like having a job where you build missiles to be dropped on schools is likely to be met not so much with disagreement as confusion, about how that could possibly be a moral issue if it's both legal and doesn't involve your genitals.

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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 23 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The US population has some messed up opinions

When I'm her death, and suffering intolerably, it's immoral for me to check out 2 weeks early? They'd rather see me continue suffering

A fetus has a genetic abnormality that will ensure the child will suffer for years and then die a horrible death? Sorry, abortion is morally wrong! The baby will have to suffer!

Come to think of it, most of these fucked up opinions are religion driven. Imaginary Jeebus said it was wrong, so that settles it!

Can't afford a baby? Doesn't matter, the baby must be born, it would be immoral to abort. Once the baby is born, though, fuck that baby, we don't care, we won't help you raise it you slut, you should have controlled those sinful urges!

The US is such a fucked up place

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago

This graph encapsulates precisely why I've always felt disconnected from the culture around me.

[–] SorteKanin@feddit.dk 21 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

As a dane, this explains a lot with all the weird stuff you hear about the US these days.

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[–] NoForwadSlashS@piefed.social 20 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It's almost as if the country that was settled by all the outcast religious weirdos from Europe, somehow ended up with twisted religious morals.

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[–] spacegoat@lemmy.world 19 points 3 weeks ago

I’ve felt America’s moral bankruptcy my entire life

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Wow people don’t realize how morally wrong it is to have billionaires. I guess we’re surrounded by morons

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[–] spacesatan@lazysoci.al 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

I really don't understand how people can reconcile this kind of data with a positive opinion of humanity

40% of people saying 'spanking children is not a moral issue' is probably the worst datapoint here. At least 4 in 10 people are fully just animals blundering around operating on instinct and following what feels good. And that's not even counting the other people whose idea of morality is just 'what is my visceral reaction' who had a visceral reaction.

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[–] Blibly@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago

We really are a failed society aren't we?

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 15 points 2 weeks ago (8 children)

Imprisoning, torturing, and killing animals = A-OK

2 consenting adults of the same gender having sex = whoa, too far!

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[–] iamthetot@piefed.ca 15 points 3 weeks ago

More people think it's morally wrong to get a divorce than to have a billion dollars. Fuck me we're screwed.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (16 children)

I think I’m heading back toward gambling being morally wrong. I mean, it’s not, but it can be self-destructive, and willingly work with immoral entities - most companies that profit from gambling are exploiting people’s weaknesses to harm them. That’s a whole lot of immoral all over a mildly amusing activity

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[–] RestrictedAccount@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

ITT a good reminder that Lemmy is an echo chamber

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[–] CannedYeet@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago

Spanking the monkey is worse than spanking children?

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

this is what happens when you dismantle education. good job, conservatives. the collapse can't come fast enough.

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[–] cows_are_underrated@feddit.org 12 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Its completely absur that assisted suicide (35%) is almost the same as the death penalty (34%)

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[–] Cataphract@lemmy.ml 12 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I hope that anyone taking meaning or valuation from this data seriously looks into the methods and how fucked this whole survey process is (as you should with any data you're forming an opinion from). I'm kinda just sick and tired of crap like this being taken seriously as a true projection of a populace. I get that surveys are rough science, but the way it's disseminated through articles or comments is that it's gospel truth (pun intended).

What is the American Trends Panel (ATP)? (thank you @TragicNotCute@lemmy.world

Oversampling is used to study small groups, not bias poll results

Hilarious ass video showing their "science" - Methods 101: Random Sampling

When surveying small populations, some approaches are more inclusive than others

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[–] thax@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

Here's the functional basis of my system of morality:

isDeceitful() ? immoral : moral;

Try viewing that list through this lens. I don't give a shit about peoples' choices if they don't have an appreciable halo effect.

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