Pollingreport.com has posted the results of a number of surveys conducted with American citizens regarding their beliefs about moral issues. The results are disheartening and show a decline in societal morality in our nation. They also reveal that many are confused about the connection between religion and morality.

For instance, in a Gallup poll from 2009, 57% of those surveyed believed it was morally acceptable for individuals to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage, 62% believed divorce was acceptable, 57% felt that stem cell research on human embryos was permissible, and 48% stated that they felt that homosexual relations were acceptable.

However, in a Gallup poll on religion just two years prior, 80% of those surveyed stated that they believed in God, 81% stated they believed in heaven (I don’t know where the extra 1% percent comes from, above those who believe in God), and 69% believed in hell. While the majority stated they believed in these truths, a Gallup and USA Today poll conducted in May 2010 revealed that 80% of individuals felt that a person’s beliefs do not have any bearing on the effectiveness of their prayers. In other words, the majority opined that God would hear and answer their prayers no matter what they believed in. As well, in a CBS News poll, 54% of individuals stated that they did not believe that the Bible should be taken literally.

While not all of the statistics shown on pollingreport.com showed wrongful attitudes – as the majority agreed with posting the Ten Commandments in public – the aforementioned examples of the mindsets of society show that many Americans are confused about the connection between morality and religion.

The rest of the results from similar polls on these topics can be read on the pollingreport.com website. Gallup also has released a number of telling polls on morality, including the topics of abortion, homosexuality, cohabitation, divorce, teen issues and more. I recommend checking these websites often as they are valuable resources in reading the pulse of American life. Especially for Christians, it is important to stay abreast on these statistics in order to realize the direction of our nation and to take appropriate action in making a difference in the lives of countless millions who are walking very dangerous ground.