[SuperJon]

There's a debate on another message board talking about the social morals of America and whether they're declining or not. That led me to do a little research. Here's some of the stuff I came up with and wanted to share it with you guys:

The current generation is becoming sexually active at an alarmingly younger age. A recent study showed the the 4th most searched item by children aged 7 and younger is porn. For the 8-12 age group, #4 was sex and #11 was porn. For the 13-18 age group, #4 was sex and #6 was porn.

Another study showed that 1/3 of middle school students experienced precoital touching. Even more alarming is that 12% of middle school students have vaginal sex by the age of 12. Of the middle school students who are sexually active, 25% have had four or more partners.

Currently, one in four (25%) of US teen girls have sexually transmitted infections.

Disney Channel tv shows are showing things that would never have been shown even as recent as 10 years ago. The ideas of dating and sexual activity that they're portraying at a young age and a young audience is definitely degenerative.

On BET and MTV, explicit content (sex, language, and violence) occurs once every 38 seconds, or roughly 96 times per hour. 48% of that is sexually related.

In adults, nearly 20% of surveyed people admit that they have looked at pornography during the past week and close to 10% admit that they've had sex with someone to whom they're not married. Those are two things that wouldn't have happened in past generations.

AskMen.com did a poll and nearly 25% of its readers don't believe in marriage. 31% said they would cheat on their partner if there was no chance their partner would find out. 67% lost their virginity as a teenager, 58% before they graduated high school.

In the year 2000, there were roughly 7.4 million cosmetic surgery procedures in America. In 2007, there were 11.8 million. That shows we're becoming increasingly vain.

Another study shows that 49% of all US kids will be in a household that uses food stamps during their childhood. What's even more troubling is that 90% of black children will be in a household that does. 91% of children in single-parent homes will as well. Nearly 25% of all US kid will be in households that use food stamps for 5+ years during their childhood.

A child born after 1990 is much more likely to have a parent spend time in prison than a person born in 1978. For black families, there is a 12% greater chance now than in 1978.

What can we do about this? What is the cause of this? Any other thoughts?

[jcmanson]

My pastor is doing a series on this exact topic. The first Sunday on this topic he said he was going to give us a bunch of stats, but after he looked over them all he just got depressed. It's very alarming.

We're doing a 21 day fast beginning next Sunday as a church where we are supposed to focus on our family and what God's role for us individually is in the family.

[LUGrad2000]

As a middle school teacher I hear the students talk about what they engage in. I make it a point to talk about my marriage in a positive light as much as possible. They have little to no knowledge/experience about healthy relationships. May God have mercy on us.

[ATrain]

When information is readily and freely available, and the parents aren't putting controls on the internet or the kids are outsmarting the parents, these stats do not surprise me. What they see is what they'll emulate, without being fully aware of the consequences.

[LUconn]

In the year 2000, there were roughly 7.4 million cosmetic surgery procedures in America. In 2007, there were 11.8 million. That shows we're becoming increasingly vain.

Or increasingly ugly.

Seriously, I'm not overly alarmed at these stats. They are troubling, no doubt, but I think we compare today's societal morality to eras such as the 50s, or how the 50s are portrayed to us. But I would argue (with no stats of my own) that the 50s were the anomaly and that we've been like this through most of history. The biggest difference with today and those stats you posted are things that didn't exist 15-20 years ago. The internet, MTV, BET, men's magazines are all a relatively recent tools for sinning that have certainly made it easier, but I don't think it's a reflection of morality getting worse over a broader course time, than 60 years.

[LUnpretty11]

In the year 2000, there were roughly 7.4 million cosmetic surgery procedures in America. In 2007, there were 11.8 million. That shows we're becoming increasingly vain.

Or increasingly ugly.

Seriously, I'm not overly alarmed at these stats. They are troubling, no doubt, but I think we compare today's societal morality to eras such as the 50s, or how the 50s are portrayed to us. But I would argue (with no stats of my own) that the 50s were the anomaly and that we've been like this through most of history. The biggest difference with today and those stats you posted are things that didn't exist 15-20 years ago. The internet, MTV, BET, men's magazines are all a relatively recent tools for sinning that have certainly made it easier, but I don't think it's a reflection of morality getting worse over a broader course time, than 60 years.

+1. It's just become easier to be immoral. Also, I think something that has to be addressed is the lack of parents, especially a proper father figure in young boys lives. I've seen it with my next door neighbor. Like Miles Mcpherson said (and I've heard it said before) the age of adolescence keeps getting older and older because boys are not becoming men (mainly because they don't know how). The only way to learn is to observe the father, and if he is non-existent, then there is a HUGE problem, which is what we have. There is no longing for men to be men and take responsibility for their actions.

[flamesbball84]

Some of the stuff in that previous post about how "this would not have happened in previous generations" is a flat out lie. I assume previous generations means the parents of kids and young adults? If so, guess whoever wrote it never heard of the studies and books written by Alfred Kinsey in the 1950's. Maybe not at as high of a rate because I don't have the stats memorized (other than the internet and TV stuff obviously), but this type of stuff was going on back then. So yes it did happen in previous generations. Just because the 1950s and earlier is stereotyped as very conservative doesn't mean people weren't doing this stuff.

[SuperJon]

The problem, or the alarming part is not that the statistics are going up but rather that it is becoming accepted as "normal" and not something that shouldn't happen. What used to be taboo and taught against is becoming almost encouraged.

[flamehunter]

The problem, or the alarming part is not that the statistics are going up but rather that it is becoming accepted as "normal" and not something that shouldn't happen. What used to be taboo and taught against is becoming almost encouraged.

Abosolutely true. Unfortunately, most of the time you don't need to say almost. We've (society) become the frogs in the hot water and have forgotten what the true standard is. God is holy and no sin can be tolerated. The Bible states that this is the way things will be in the "last days". OK, now I'm sounding like my dad, but it really is alarming how complacent the Church has become, all in the name of not wanting to offend anyone. The fact is, the gospel and God's standards should be offensive to those who desire nothing more than to practice sin. We need to be bolder about proclaiming the absolute truth.

By the way, I'm proud to sound like my dad.

[g-webb1994]

Too many "preachers" are preaching for a paycheck, a parsonage, and a pension, and not giving a rip whether or not souls are busting hell open or not.

You can throw all the figures out there you want, which is fine, but if Christians don't take a stand and be noticeably different than the world rather than mixing in with it, not even a scratch, much less a dent, will be put in said figures.

Peace.

[kiltsareitchy07]

I'm always skeptical about seeing stats that suggest "statistical decline" concerning morality. I don't believe in moral decline. Part of the human condition is that we're born tainted by sin, selfishness, and a hatred for God and our neighbors. Thus, there's really no moral pinnacle from which to fall. Without Christ, we are not redeemed and held captive by sin. People have always been crappy and selfish, even in the early church, which some Christians consider a golden age. But even then, in a time of chronological closeness to Jesus, heresy nearly tore the Church apart, Ananias and Saphira withheld money from the corpus of elders, and Paul was always writing epistles to different churches urging them to stop immoral or unscriptural practices. Where do some of you see "moral decline"? And if you do, when were the good old days from which we are declining?

[Libertine]

I'm always skeptical about seeing stats that suggest "statistical decline" concerning morality. I don't believe in moral decline. Part of the human condition is that we're born tainted by sin, selfishness, and a hatred for God and our neighbors. Thus, there's really no moral pinnacle from which to fall. Without Christ, we are not redeemed and held captive by sin. People have always been crappy and selfish, even in the early church, which some Christians consider a golden age. But even then, in a time of chronological closeness to Jesus, heresy nearly tore the Church apart, Ananias and Saphira withheld money from the corpus of elders, and Paul was always writing epistles to different churches urging them to stop immoral or unscriptural practices. Where do some of you see "moral decline"? And if you do, when were the good old days from which we are declining?

QFT