Teens Twice as Likely to Affirm Moral Relativism, Survey Finds Share Tweet

Teens are twice as likely than Boomers to strongly believe morality is relative and are less likely to believe abortion and homosexuality are morally wrong, according to a new Barna survey.

The poll found that 24 percent of teens (ages 13-18) strongly believe that “what is morally right and wrong changes over time based on society.” Among Boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – only 12 percent strongly affirm the statement.

Among Millennials (born between 1984 and 1998), 21 percent strongly believe in moral relativity, while 18 percent of Gen X (born between 1965 and 1983) affirm it.

The survey, released Tuesday, also shows teens are more liberal than older generations on several issues. For example:

Only 20 percent of teens strongly believe homosexual behavior is morally wrong. It’s the lowest percentage among all generations.

34 percent of teens strongly believe lying is morally wrong, compared to 50 percent of Gen X and 54 percent of Boomers who strongly believe it.

29 percent of teens strongly believe abortion is morally wrong. While that percent is higher than may be expected, it nevertheless is the lowest percentage among all generations.

On a few issues, such as whether sex before marriage is wrong, teens are on par with other generations. Twenty-one percent of teens strongly believe it is wrong, compared to 22 percent of Boomers.

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.

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