Poll: Birth control, alcohol most 'morally acceptable'; cheating, cloning the least

May 29 (UPI) -- Many Americans consider birth control, alcohol and divorce to be morally acceptable issues -- while extramarital affairs, suicide, polygamy and human cloning are mostly considered immoral, a new survey said Wednesday.

Gallup said in the new research Americans have taken a more liberal view on most behaviors since it first started asking the questions in the early 2000s.

In the poll, birth control had almost universal acceptance at 92 percent, while acceptance for alcohol use was 79 percent and divorce 77 percent. Conversely, 89 percent said extramarital affairs was morally wrong. Eighty-five percent said the same about human cloning, and 79 percent for suicide.

Other issues are also gaining acceptance, including smoking marijuana (65 percent), having a baby outside marriage and embryonic stem cell research (both 64 percent). Sixty-three percent voiced acceptance for same-sex relationships.

"There has been little movement since last year in Americans' view of the moral acceptability of a range of issues, as birth control, drinking alcohol and divorce remain the most acceptable, and cloning humans and extramarital affairs are least acceptable," Gallup said in the report.

Splits that are roughly even were seen for issues like wearing clothes made of animal fur, doctor-assisted suicide, medical testing on animals and abortion.

"A strong ideological split remains across many of the issues, but none is as divisive as abortion," Gallup said. "As some states move to limit or restrict abortions, debate around this issue will likely only get more intense."

Of the 21 issues in the poll, 13 are considered morally acceptable by the majority of liberals. Nine are acceptable to a majority of conservatives.

The poll surveyed more than 1,000 adults nationwide and has a margin of error of 4 points.