Morality a Struggle for Young Adults by Steve Watters on 08/26/2008 at 1:44 PM

In the book of Judges, we find the phrase, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." I thought of that phrase while reading the latest survey from The Barna Group.

When Barna asked adults about eight behaviors "with moral overtones" that they had engaged in during the past week, they found that many have "redefined what it means to do the right thing in their own lives." Barna thought "one of the most stunning outcomes" was the moral attitudes among adults under 25:

The younger generation was more than twice as likely as all other adults to engage in behaviors considered morally inappropriate by traditional standards. Their choices made even the Baby Boomers - never regarded as a paragon of traditional morality - look like moral pillars in comparison.

For instance, two-thirds of the under-25 segment (64%) had used profanity in public, compared to just one out of five Boomers (19%). The younger group - known as Mosaics - was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%), six times more likely to have lied (37% vs. 6%), almost three times more likely to have gotten drunk (25% vs. 9%) and to have gossiped (26% vs. 10%), and twice as likely as Boomers to have observed pornography (33% vs. 16%) and to have engaged in acts of retaliation (12% vs. 5%).

George Barna, researcher and author of the study, believes we are witnessing "the development and acceptance of a new moral code in America." He goes on to say:

Mosaics have had little exposure to traditional moral teaching and limited accountability for such behavior. The moral code began to disintegrate when the generation before them - the Baby Busters - pushed the limits that had been challenged by their parents - the Baby Boomers. The result is that without much fanfare or visible leadership, the U.S. has created a moral system based on convenience, feelings, and selfishness.

The consistent deterioration of the Bible as the source of moral truth has led to a nation where people have become independent judges of right and wrong, basing their choices on feelings and circumstances. It is not likely that America will return to a more traditional moral code until the nation experiences significant pain from its moral choices.

It's interesting that Barna sees the experience of "significant pain" as what would give Americans fresh eyes for a more traditional moral code. It's my sense that the primary lesson today's young adults have learned over the years in their role as "independent judges" is consequence management -- skirting or dulling the "pain" associated with immoral actions instead of simply doing the right thing out of obedience to a just God.

Morality a Struggle for Young Adults by Steve Watters on 08/26/2008 at 1:44 PM

In the book of Judges, we find the phrase, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." I thought of that phrase while reading the latest survey from The Barna Group.

When Barna asked adults about eight behaviors "with moral overtones" that they had engaged in during the past week, they found that many have "redefined what it means to do the right thing in their own lives." Barna thought "one of the most stunning outcomes" was the moral attitudes among adults under 25:

The younger generation was more than twice as likely as all other adults to engage in behaviors considered morally inappropriate by traditional standards. Their choices made even the Baby Boomers - never regarded as a paragon of traditional morality - look like moral pillars in comparison.

For instance, two-thirds of the under-25 segment (64%) had used profanity in public, compared to just one out of five Boomers (19%). The younger group - known as Mosaics - was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%), six times more likely to have lied (37% vs. 6%), almost three times more likely to have gotten drunk (25% vs. 9%) and to have gossiped (26% vs. 10%), and twice as likely as Boomers to have observed pornography (33% vs. 16%) and to have engaged in acts of retaliation (12% vs. 5%).

George Barna, researcher and author of the study, believes we are witnessing "the development and acceptance of a new moral code in America." He goes on to say:

Mosaics have had little exposure to traditional moral teaching and limited accountability for such behavior. The moral code began to disintegrate when the generation before them - the Baby Busters - pushed the limits that had been challenged by their parents - the Baby Boomers. The result is that without much fanfare or visible leadership, the U.S. has created a moral system based on convenience, feelings, and selfishness.

The consistent deterioration of the Bible as the source of moral truth has led to a nation where people have become independent judges of right and wrong, basing their choices on feelings and circumstances. It is not likely that America will return to a more traditional moral code until the nation experiences significant pain from its moral choices.

It's interesting that Barna sees the experience of "significant pain" as what would give Americans fresh eyes for a more traditional moral code. It's my sense that the primary lesson today's young adults have learned over the years in their role as "independent judges" is consequence management -- skirting or dulling the "pain" associated with immoral actions instead of simply doing the right thing out of obedience to a just God.

Comments

[1. Jo said the following at 2:34 PM on Aug 26:]

1

Interesting, but this one is hardly surprising:

"The younger group - known as Mosaics - was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%)"

... in the past week, right? So surely the fact that the older generation are far more likely to be married than the younger generation plays into these results?

[2. janelle said the following at 2:36 PM on Aug 26:]

2

When reading that list, I thought, wow, I would have answered yes to some of those... using profanity in public, lying, acting in retaliation... and while I don't know that the degree of the sin would be severe, and some people wouldn't count it, the reality is, it's all sin, it' all wrong.

I'm not proud of those things, and I hope that next week will be better. I know better than to do them. But I also think my moral sense is strong even though I have sinned. I think as we mature we get better at not giving in to temptation. We take that "way out" that God provides.

I wonder if some of the discrepancy is not a complete loss of moral compass, but because older people are more mature. If Barna had asked who had done it *and knew that it was wrong, or regretted it* that would have been a better gauge, IMO.

[3. Darren said the following at 2:45 PM on Aug 26:]

3

This is sadly true.

Its also not just the deterioration of the Bible as authority that is at work, though, its also the deterioration of the church as THE faith community in a person's life that has resulted in morality becoming optional. If someone does not like what their church is saying, or if they get challenged for their behavior, they just move down the street to another church, where they can hear a more accomodating message.

I honestly find myself absolutely flummoxed about people's response to the word of God. If people were actually offended by the Word of God, it would be better. But often, what I see is just plain apathy or indifference. They hear the messages and they selectively ignore it. So in some cases its not as much a deterioration of the word of God, as it is people doing what they have done for thousands of years, namely hardening their hearts against the word of God.

[4. Adam said the following at 3:33 PM on Aug 26:]

4

I think we need to be careful when we try to say that morality from previous generations = Biblical morality. I'm not really a fan of the idea of "the good old days." I'm much more a fan of being like the Bereans and studying the Scriptures to see if what people say is true.

Why is this important? Because previous generations have not always gotten it right. From what I've seen, this culture treats many people (women, children, those of a different race) far more morally than previous generations.

Now granted, nobody is an island. Our sin affects others. I just find it interesting that the morals Barna seems to be referring to are generally things that only directly affect a couple people (and themselves.) On how we treat groups of people, I have found that the younger generations seem to get it right more than the older generations.

Let's do away with loaded terms like "traditional values" or "family values." They seem to be very vague and politically motivated. Let's instead return to Biblical values, even when it bashes with tradition or the "morality" of previous generations.

[5. Tigger said the following at 3:54 PM on Aug 26:]

5

Hmm. Throughout the ages, the elders have always bemoaned the upstarts as less moral and more ambiguous than they were at that age. This fear and distaste is almost as certain as death and taxes. :) I still have yet to figure out why the elders would like us to behave exactly as they have in a world that is radically different.

Despite the fear-inducing tone of the study, there seems to be an unwritten and unspoken moral code which most of us abide by whether Christian or not, and one that we are certain we want our children to follow and will certainly endeavor to teach them.

Disintegration of the moral code, for a survival as a species, does not really seem that inevitable. We are not going to descend into anarchy any time soon. (Of course this depends on your view of when the Endtimes are going to happen.)

There will always be a code we instinctively know to follow and pass on...but the application of the details may vary from time to time as the circumstances around us change.

[6. Chris said the following at 8:14 PM on Aug 26:]

6

If I'm reading things correctly, this survey is comparing young people to older people. Given what Boomers did in the past, I don't think it's really comparing apples to apples. A better methodology would be to compare what Boomers were like when they were 18 to 24 to those 18 to 24 today. (Of course, that'd be hard to do since people tend to self-censor regarding past "bad" behavior.) Then you'd have a better idea of what, if anything, has changed.

[7. Vincenzo said the following at 10:05 PM on Aug 26:]

7

Hmm...this is indeed a timely article as I encountered a situation at my job the other day that left me feeling really disturbed and sick inside. I work at a health club and there is a group of guys that I work with ranging from 19 to 24 years of age who like to flirt with many of the older, well-to-do married women that come into the club and then plot their strategy for trying to sleep with them. I kid you not, I am literally standing 3 feet away from them while they are saying these things.

I gave them a stern lecture telling them that what they were planning was dangerous and morally reprehensible. In one ear and out the other. What really troubled me about all of this was that they feel no guilt or remorse for any of it, and actually believe that because the women are approaching them and their husbands aren't "taking care of business at home" that it's fair game. I even tried to warn them that these womens' husbands might be nuts, or involved with the Mafia, etc. Yeah, it's all fun and games until they end up with a bullet in their heads. It's as though the younger generation does think about the consequences of their actions and trying to self-destruct.

[8. Texas Craig said the following at 12:11 AM on Aug 27:]

8

I imagine there is a bit of truth and a bit of falsehood in the implications from the study. I think the posters that have noted that, to compare apples to apples, you have to compare the people during the same stage of life. (e.g., a survey from 1983 of the 18-24 year range to a survey from 2008). Otherwise, your results do get a bit skewed.

I also agree with the poster that said the "good old days" weren't necessarily that good. Racial discrimination, judgementalism, classism were all more rampant in the past.

Having said that, I do believe that sexual immorality is becoming more common, for two reasons: (1) the availability and constant bombardment upon our senses of sexual imagery tends to inflame the passions more, thus leading to a greater desire for sexual conduct; and (2) the change in women's views of sexuality. Namely, many more women feel "liberated" (poor meaning for a good word) to engage in sexual behavior. Guys have always had the desire, but often were kept in check by the unwillingness by women to participate in sexual conduct. But, with women's attitudes changing, guys now have much more carte blanche to engage in their desires. An example of what I am talking about is the song "I kissed a girl" which I cannot imagine would have been on the airwaves 25 years ago. These changes are truly sad for our culture and for the body of Christ as well.

[9. xeres said the following at 12:15 AM on Aug 27:]

9

Adam,

Thank you for pointing off the obvious :). Each generation is no more or less sinful than others.

However, while the younger generations have doing some things better, we made some things worse. I hope you are not overlooking that. For example, this generation is very unhealthy and more lazy. U.S.A has the more problems with obesity than in any other industrialized nation with some exceptions. Not only that, the sense of entitlement some of my peers have especially is really scary. Also, another thing is that too many are so detached and dehumanized in the area of relationships and community in general. A lot of us just reek at making a good relationship regardless of what kind. Look at the suicide rates and horror stories. How does anyone explain all the talk shows like
Dr.Phil?

[10. John said the following at 8:52 AM on Aug 27:]

10

"Why is this important? Because previous generations have not always gotten it right. From what I've seen, this culture treats many people (women, children, those of a different race) far more morally than previous generations."

I do see this "study" as comparing apples and oranges, however, there are certain trends nowadays that are worse than they were decades ago. Overall, I would say, things are worse concerning social trends. That's not to say some things haven't improved, just more things have deteriorated. (Fewer marriages, more divorces, more adultery, fornication, etc., greater drug use, suicide, abortion)

But I'm sure there's a government program and sheeple to support it that will solve all these problems.

"Government. The cause and "solution" to all our problems."
--Homer Simpson (edited)

[11. Adam said the following at 1:41 PM on Aug 27:]

11

Xeres and John,

There are huge morality problems in my generation. All you need to do is take a quick glance at the above stats to realize that. I don't want to discount that.

There seems to be two attitudes often associated with many Christians today that can be very destructive if unchecked.

The first is to pick a time where things were 'as they should be' and try to move the current culture to replicate that culture.

The second is not promoting and often bashing very positive ideas because they come from the wrong source. A perfect example is how Tom Minnery basically dismisses a plan to keep 950,000 abortions from taking place every year.

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000008055.cfm

It saddens me how many in Christian circles would rather have sin abound than embrace an idea from the other side of the tracks.

[12. Leah said the following at 9:02 PM on Aug 27:]

12

Jo said Interesting, but this one is hardly surprising:

"The younger group - known as Mosaics - was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%)"

... in the past week, right? So surely the fact that the older generation are far more likely to be married than the younger generation plays into these results?

No... the baby boomers were once unmarried, you know :P They're not asking the people "have you had sex in the last week"; they're asking "did you have sex outside marriage" (or something similar). A baby boomer had just as much opportunity to have sex before marriage as a mosaic did, regardless of what stage of life they're at now.

[13. Charles H. said the following at 9:28 PM on Aug 27:]

13

Adam #11 - I think what Tom Minnery is dismissing is the notion that Obama has any serious plan to reduce abortion. His voting record speaks more loudly than his rhetoric, and his 100% approval rating from a pro-abortion group (NARAL, I believe) suggests that he plans no restrictions on abortion at all.

[14. linds said the following at 10:26 PM on Aug 27:]

14

some of those are taken out of context -
for example, most baby boomers aren't having sex outside of marriage because the majority of them are married.

more young people are because, since hardly any are married, any sex is outside of marriage.

I am not saying that is morally acceptable, I am just saying that it would have been more accurate had they polled the baby boomers about their behavior as young adults.

obviously if you compare the new and the old there are going to be major differences inherent to the stages of life, regardless of the cultural context

[15. Peter Wells said the following at 6:05 AM on Aug 28:]

15

"Don't long for the 'good old days', for you don't know whether they were any better than today." Ecc. 7:10.

From the report you linked to, it's clear these guys have a point to make; it's unfortunate that providing statistics to back up your claim that the world needs Christ effectively does nothing to show Him to the world.

Solution: stop wasting money telling us how messed up the world is and spend that money spreading Christ's message. Statistics, especially in a quantitatively tiny study of 1000, are a waste of time.

[16. Laura said the following at 6:24 AM on Aug 28:]

16

Adam, great observations. It seems to me that public adherence to social codes of morality ebbs and flows over time. The important thing to emphasize, I think, is that, though Man looks on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. It's silly to think that, because public "morality" was elevated in the 1950s (or pick your decade), more people actually trusted Christ to save them! It seems more likely that more people would have trusted in their moral rectitude to save them -- people were Christians who were nice, middle class, relatively moral, churchgoing.

Now, at least, Mosaics who are unbelievers KNOW they're not Christians -- we can begin from a place of agreement! :)

[17. kaarina said the following at 6:43 AM on Aug 28:]

17

What constitutes profanity? What constitutes lying? What about "engaging in acts of retaliation"? Profanity shifts over time. Any etymologist tell you that within a single generation new words will rise and fall with offensive meanings. The study is inherently flawed, I know students who no longer think of "damn" or "the f bomb" as profanity at all, they're just linguistic punctuation, like "dude", "man", or "sweet".

My father's generation is not inherently more moral than mine. Perish the thought! He'd laugh. Our generations just struggle with different moral problems. The moral problems facing the youngest population are always the worst. Always. But all you have to do is look at Tertullian, Augustine, or Erasmus to know that sin never changes, just the sinners; we've been promiscuous, lying, gossiping, foul-mouthed, drunken, angry sinners since the dawn of human relations and language and that isn't changing any time soon.

[18. Mike Theemling said the following at 10:35 AM on Aug 28:]

18

John(#10),

Actually, the correct quote by Homer Simpson was: "To ALCOHOL! The cause, and 'solution' to, all of life's problems."

I KNOW my Simpson's :D

[19. Charles H. said the following at 12:22 PM on Aug 28:]

19

Kaarina #17 - Indeed, "all men are sinners and fall short of the glory of God." But cultural approval of sin waxes and wanes, and I think it's awfully unfortunate that our society has essentially endorsed a variety of sins, to the point where contemporary American culture considers it more of a sin to say "You should not [insert sin here]" than to practice the sin.

[20. Jo said the following at 1:26 PM on Aug 28:]

20

Leah: I think one of us is misunderstanding the post - it wasn't completely clear but it sounded like the questions were about the previous week:

"When Barna asked adults about eight behaviors "with moral overtones" that they had engaged in during the past week..."

Hence it would be "Have you engaged in extra-marital sex during the past week?" - in which case my point stands.

[21. Leah said the following at 11:13 PM on Aug 31:]

21

Jo- sorry, I misread the post :)

However, the fact that Boomers are more likely to be currently married than mosaics doesn't mean they're unable to have sex with someone other than their spouse. (Yes, I realise it's less likely, but not impossible).

[22. Jo said the following at 3:42 PM on Sep 2:]

22

Leah:
Oh yes of course, but as you say, it would be less likely, thereby skewing the results somewhat.

[1. Jo said the following at 2:34 PM on Aug 26:]

1

Interesting, but this one is hardly surprising:

"The younger group - known as Mosaics - was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%)"

... in the past week, right? So surely the fact that the older generation are far more likely to be married than the younger generation plays into these results?

[2. janelle said the following at 2:36 PM on Aug 26:]

2

When reading that list, I thought, wow, I would have answered yes to some of those... using profanity in public, lying, acting in retaliation... and while I don't know that the degree of the sin would be severe, and some people wouldn't count it, the reality is, it's all sin, it' all wrong.

I'm not proud of those things, and I hope that next week will be better. I know better than to do them. But I also think my moral sense is strong even though I have sinned. I think as we mature we get better at not giving in to temptation. We take that "way out" that God provides.

I wonder if some of the discrepancy is not a complete loss of moral compass, but because older people are more mature. If Barna had asked who had done it *and knew that it was wrong, or regretted it* that would have been a better gauge, IMO.

[3. Darren said the following at 2:45 PM on Aug 26:]

3

This is sadly true.

Its also not just the deterioration of the Bible as authority that is at work, though, its also the deterioration of the church as THE faith community in a person's life that has resulted in morality becoming optional. If someone does not like what their church is saying, or if they get challenged for their behavior, they just move down the street to another church, where they can hear a more accomodating message.

I honestly find myself absolutely flummoxed about people's response to the word of God. If people were actually offended by the Word of God, it would be better. But often, what I see is just plain apathy or indifference. They hear the messages and they selectively ignore it. So in some cases its not as much a deterioration of the word of God, as it is people doing what they have done for thousands of years, namely hardening their hearts against the word of God.

[4. Adam said the following at 3:33 PM on Aug 26:]

4

I think we need to be careful when we try to say that morality from previous generations = Biblical morality. I'm not really a fan of the idea of "the good old days." I'm much more a fan of being like the Bereans and studying the Scriptures to see if what people say is true.

Why is this important? Because previous generations have not always gotten it right. From what I've seen, this culture treats many people (women, children, those of a different race) far more morally than previous generations.

Now granted, nobody is an island. Our sin affects others. I just find it interesting that the morals Barna seems to be referring to are generally things that only directly affect a couple people (and themselves.) On how we treat groups of people, I have found that the younger generations seem to get it right more than the older generations.

Let's do away with loaded terms like "traditional values" or "family values." They seem to be very vague and politically motivated. Let's instead return to Biblical values, even when it bashes with tradition or the "morality" of previous generations.

[5. Tigger said the following at 3:54 PM on Aug 26:]

5

Hmm. Throughout the ages, the elders have always bemoaned the upstarts as less moral and more ambiguous than they were at that age. This fear and distaste is almost as certain as death and taxes. :) I still have yet to figure out why the elders would like us to behave exactly as they have in a world that is radically different.

Despite the fear-inducing tone of the study, there seems to be an unwritten and unspoken moral code which most of us abide by whether Christian or not, and one that we are certain we want our children to follow and will certainly endeavor to teach them.

Disintegration of the moral code, for a survival as a species, does not really seem that inevitable. We are not going to descend into anarchy any time soon. (Of course this depends on your view of when the Endtimes are going to happen.)

There will always be a code we instinctively know to follow and pass on...but the application of the details may vary from time to time as the circumstances around us change.

[6. Chris said the following at 8:14 PM on Aug 26:]

6

If I'm reading things correctly, this survey is comparing young people to older people. Given what Boomers did in the past, I don't think it's really comparing apples to apples. A better methodology would be to compare what Boomers were like when they were 18 to 24 to those 18 to 24 today. (Of course, that'd be hard to do since people tend to self-censor regarding past "bad" behavior.) Then you'd have a better idea of what, if anything, has changed.

[7. Vincenzo said the following at 10:05 PM on Aug 26:]

7

Hmm...this is indeed a timely article as I encountered a situation at my job the other day that left me feeling really disturbed and sick inside. I work at a health club and there is a group of guys that I work with ranging from 19 to 24 years of age who like to flirt with many of the older, well-to-do married women that come into the club and then plot their strategy for trying to sleep with them. I kid you not, I am literally standing 3 feet away from them while they are saying these things.

I gave them a stern lecture telling them that what they were planning was dangerous and morally reprehensible. In one ear and out the other. What really troubled me about all of this was that they feel no guilt or remorse for any of it, and actually believe that because the women are approaching them and their husbands aren't "taking care of business at home" that it's fair game. I even tried to warn them that these womens' husbands might be nuts, or involved with the Mafia, etc. Yeah, it's all fun and games until they end up with a bullet in their heads. It's as though the younger generation does think about the consequences of their actions and trying to self-destruct.

[8. Texas Craig said the following at 12:11 AM on Aug 27:]

8

I imagine there is a bit of truth and a bit of falsehood in the implications from the study. I think the posters that have noted that, to compare apples to apples, you have to compare the people during the same stage of life. (e.g., a survey from 1983 of the 18-24 year range to a survey from 2008). Otherwise, your results do get a bit skewed.

I also agree with the poster that said the "good old days" weren't necessarily that good. Racial discrimination, judgementalism, classism were all more rampant in the past.

Having said that, I do believe that sexual immorality is becoming more common, for two reasons: (1) the availability and constant bombardment upon our senses of sexual imagery tends to inflame the passions more, thus leading to a greater desire for sexual conduct; and (2) the change in women's views of sexuality. Namely, many more women feel "liberated" (poor meaning for a good word) to engage in sexual behavior. Guys have always had the desire, but often were kept in check by the unwillingness by women to participate in sexual conduct. But, with women's attitudes changing, guys now have much more carte blanche to engage in their desires. An example of what I am talking about is the song "I kissed a girl" which I cannot imagine would have been on the airwaves 25 years ago. These changes are truly sad for our culture and for the body of Christ as well.

[9. xeres said the following at 12:15 AM on Aug 27:]

9

Adam,

Thank you for pointing off the obvious :). Each generation is no more or less sinful than others.

However, while the younger generations have doing some things better, we made some things worse. I hope you are not overlooking that. For example, this generation is very unhealthy and more lazy. U.S.A has the more problems with obesity than in any other industrialized nation with some exceptions. Not only that, the sense of entitlement some of my peers have especially is really scary. Also, another thing is that too many are so detached and dehumanized in the area of relationships and community in general. A lot of us just reek at making a good relationship regardless of what kind. Look at the suicide rates and horror stories. How does anyone explain all the talk shows like
Dr.Phil?

[10. John said the following at 8:52 AM on Aug 27:]

10

"Why is this important? Because previous generations have not always gotten it right. From what I've seen, this culture treats many people (women, children, those of a different race) far more morally than previous generations."

I do see this "study" as comparing apples and oranges, however, there are certain trends nowadays that are worse than they were decades ago. Overall, I would say, things are worse concerning social trends. That's not to say some things haven't improved, just more things have deteriorated. (Fewer marriages, more divorces, more adultery, fornication, etc., greater drug use, suicide, abortion)

But I'm sure there's a government program and sheeple to support it that will solve all these problems.

"Government. The cause and "solution" to all our problems."
--Homer Simpson (edited)

[11. Adam said the following at 1:41 PM on Aug 27:]

11

Xeres and John,

There are huge morality problems in my generation. All you need to do is take a quick glance at the above stats to realize that. I don't want to discount that.

There seems to be two attitudes often associated with many Christians today that can be very destructive if unchecked.

The first is to pick a time where things were 'as they should be' and try to move the current culture to replicate that culture.

The second is not promoting and often bashing very positive ideas because they come from the wrong source. A perfect example is how Tom Minnery basically dismisses a plan to keep 950,000 abortions from taking place every year.

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000008055.cfm

It saddens me how many in Christian circles would rather have sin abound than embrace an idea from the other side of the tracks.

[12. Leah said the following at 9:02 PM on Aug 27:]

12

Jo said Interesting, but this one is hardly surprising:

"The younger group - known as Mosaics - was nine times more likely than were Boomers to have engaged in sex outside of marriage (38% vs. 4%)"

... in the past week, right? So surely the fact that the older generation are far more likely to be married than the younger generation plays into these results?

No... the baby boomers were once unmarried, you know :P They're not asking the people "have you had sex in the last week"; they're asking "did you have sex outside marriage" (or something similar). A baby boomer had just as much opportunity to have sex before marriage as a mosaic did, regardless of what stage of life they're at now.

[13. Charles H. said the following at 9:28 PM on Aug 27:]

13

Adam #11 - I think what Tom Minnery is dismissing is the notion that Obama has any serious plan to reduce abortion. His voting record speaks more loudly than his rhetoric, and his 100% approval rating from a pro-abortion group (NARAL, I believe) suggests that he plans no restrictions on abortion at all.

[14. linds said the following at 10:26 PM on Aug 27:]

14

some of those are taken out of context -
for example, most baby boomers aren't having sex outside of marriage because the majority of them are married.

more young people are because, since hardly any are married, any sex is outside of marriage.

I am not saying that is morally acceptable, I am just saying that it would have been more accurate had they polled the baby boomers about their behavior as young adults.

obviously if you compare the new and the old there are going to be major differences inherent to the stages of life, regardless of the cultural context

[15. Peter Wells said the following at 6:05 AM on Aug 28:]

15

"Don't long for the 'good old days', for you don't know whether they were any better than today." Ecc. 7:10.

From the report you linked to, it's clear these guys have a point to make; it's unfortunate that providing statistics to back up your claim that the world needs Christ effectively does nothing to show Him to the world.

Solution: stop wasting money telling us how messed up the world is and spend that money spreading Christ's message. Statistics, especially in a quantitatively tiny study of 1000, are a waste of time.

[16. Laura said the following at 6:24 AM on Aug 28:]

16

Adam, great observations. It seems to me that public adherence to social codes of morality ebbs and flows over time. The important thing to emphasize, I think, is that, though Man looks on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. It's silly to think that, because public "morality" was elevated in the 1950s (or pick your decade), more people actually trusted Christ to save them! It seems more likely that more people would have trusted in their moral rectitude to save them -- people were Christians who were nice, middle class, relatively moral, churchgoing.

Now, at least, Mosaics who are unbelievers KNOW they're not Christians -- we can begin from a place of agreement! :)

[17. kaarina said the following at 6:43 AM on Aug 28:]

17

What constitutes profanity? What constitutes lying? What about "engaging in acts of retaliation"? Profanity shifts over time. Any etymologist tell you that within a single generation new words will rise and fall with offensive meanings. The study is inherently flawed, I know students who no longer think of "damn" or "the f bomb" as profanity at all, they're just linguistic punctuation, like "dude", "man", or "sweet".

My father's generation is not inherently more moral than mine. Perish the thought! He'd laugh. Our generations just struggle with different moral problems. The moral problems facing the youngest population are always the worst. Always. But all you have to do is look at Tertullian, Augustine, or Erasmus to know that sin never changes, just the sinners; we've been promiscuous, lying, gossiping, foul-mouthed, drunken, angry sinners since the dawn of human relations and language and that isn't changing any time soon.

[18. Mike Theemling said the following at 10:35 AM on Aug 28:]

18

John(#10),

Actually, the correct quote by Homer Simpson was: "To ALCOHOL! The cause, and 'solution' to, all of life's problems."

I KNOW my Simpson's :D

[19. Charles H. said the following at 12:22 PM on Aug 28:]

19

Kaarina #17 - Indeed, "all men are sinners and fall short of the glory of God." But cultural approval of sin waxes and wanes, and I think it's awfully unfortunate that our society has essentially endorsed a variety of sins, to the point where contemporary American culture considers it more of a sin to say "You should not [insert sin here]" than to practice the sin.

[20. Jo said the following at 1:26 PM on Aug 28:]

20

Leah: I think one of us is misunderstanding the post - it wasn't completely clear but it sounded like the questions were about the previous week:

"When Barna asked adults about eight behaviors "with moral overtones" that they had engaged in during the past week..."

Hence it would be "Have you engaged in extra-marital sex during the past week?" - in which case my point stands.

[21. Leah said the following at 11:13 PM on Aug 31:]

21

Jo- sorry, I misread the post :)

However, the fact that Boomers are more likely to be currently married than mosaics doesn't mean they're unable to have sex with someone other than their spouse. (Yes, I realise it's less likely, but not impossible).

[22. Jo said the following at 3:42 PM on Sep 2:]

22

Leah:
Oh yes of course, but as you say, it would be less likely, thereby skewing the results somewhat.