New poll on US morality shows need for clearer preaching: Head of Human Life International
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 3, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Gallup poll released May 30 showing large majorities of Americans now agree that homosexual relations, contraception, divorce, and fornication are “morally acceptable” highlights the need for strong preaching on moral issues, says the president of Human Life International.
“The acceptability of these evils is a direct result of people not being engaged in public debate against those trying to force us to accept these issues,” Father Shenan Boquet told LifeSiteNews. “That’s why it’s so important for faith leaders to speak out and find new ways to help the public understand moral teachings on controversial issues.”
The Gallup poll reveals that abortion is currently the most divisive issue in America, with 42 percent of people saying it is morally acceptable and 48 percent saying it is morally wrong. While this would seem to indicate that Americans lean pro-life, the number of people who say abortion is acceptable is actually at a nearly all-time high and has been rising, according to the pollsters.
Euthanasia is a similarly divisive issue, but it, too, now enjoys a record number of supporters – 53 percent of those surveyed say doctor-assisted suicide is morally permissible, compared to just 43 percent who oppose it.
Even support for polygamy is on the rise – the practice now considered morally acceptable by a surprising 14 percent of Americans.
Boquet told LifeSiteNews the poll reflects a growing cultural hostility toward traditional values in America, and indicates the need for clergy who are not afraid to speak clearly on moral issues, regardless of the social consequences.
“When the popular trend in society is to bully people who believe in God and persecute those who try to live out their faith, how can we not expect the morality of the public to suffer?” Boquet asked.
“This poll is an example of how the tyranny of moral relativism can impact our culture. Representatives of government, the mainstream media, academia and the entertainment industry have pushed Americans away from God for decades and towards acceptance of a secular ‘morality’ where individuals decide right and wrong based on how they feel,” he said.
“It’s highly probable that almost all of the people polled in this survey would admit that they belong to one of the major religions of the world,” Boquet added. “All of these faiths hold teachings against most of the issues on Gallup’s list. And yet these people are telling pollsters they’re okay with behavior that is absolutely immoral and sinful according to the teachings of the God they claim to worship.”
Boquet particularly called on Catholic leaders to be brave in their opposition to the secular onslaught, as their Church is one of the last remaining holdouts against the tide of public opinion supporting innovations like same-sex “marriage” and artificial contraception.
“Catholic priests and bishops, who are often the prime targets of public attacks because of the Church’s moral teachings, must be especially vocal and bold in proclaiming and teaching the faith on these issues,” Boquet said. “And they must delve deeper beyond the issues themselves to the root of the problem: the rejection of God’s truth.”
SOURCE:
wyandotcountyrightolife 