Gauges of Sin

I get emails from the Family Research Council and this was part of a recent email. So interesting to see some statistics for what Americans believe!

A new study from Ellison Research shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans (87%) believe in the notion of "sin" as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective." The survey, which included over 1,000 adults, also compared 30 of the most objectionable behaviors and whether respondents qualified them as "sinful." Adultery tops the list--81 percent of Americans consider it a "sinful" activity. There was also a majority of individuals who believe racism (74%), drug use (65%), abortion (56%), and homosexual sex (52%) are also sins. Interestingly enough, more people believe that it's sinful to gossip (47%) or swear (46%) than engage in premarital sex (45%). The major disparities in the survey were mostly political--not religious--in nature. Among liberals, only 77 percent believe in the concept of sin, compared to 94 percent of conservatives. It's encouraging to know that in this day of moral relativism that a majority of Americans still recognize and believe that there is such a thing as sin, even if there are devils in the details.