ILLUSTRATION
Barna Group Statistics on Weekly Immorality
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Topics: Addiction; Adultery; Alcohol; Anger; Character; Deception; Desire; Drunkenness; Gambling; Gossip; Lifestyle; Lust; Lying; Marriage; Morality; Passion, romantic; Pleasure, sinful; Pornography; Profanity; Purity; Retaliation; Revenge; Righteousness; Self-control; Self-Indulgence; Sex; Sexual immorality; Stubbornness; Teenagers; Unrighteousness; Vices; Youth
Filters: Free; Marriage & Sex; Statistics; Youth & Children
References: Genesis 2:24, Exodus 20:14, Leviticus 19:18, Job 31:1, Psalm 103:2-5, Proverbs 6:16-19, Proverbs 12:17, Proverbs 14:5, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 17:20, Proverbs 19:5, Proverbs 19:9, Proverbs 24:28, Matthew 5:27-28, Matthew 5:39, John 8:34, Romans 6:16, Romans 12:17, 1 Corinthians 6:18, Ephesians 4:2-5, Ephesians 5:4-5, Colossians 3:8-9, Titus 2:11-12, Hebrews 13:4, James 3:7-12, 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:11, 2 Peter 2:19, 1 John 1:9
Tone: Neutral/Mixed

A 2008 survey by The Barna Group asked adults which, if any, of eight behaviors with moral overtones they had engaged in during the past week. The behaviors included looking at pornography, using profanity, gambling, gossiping, engaging in sexual intercourse with someone to whom they were not married, retaliating against someone, getting drunk, and lying. Of those surveyed:

  • Twenty-eight percent had used profanity.

  • Twenty percent had gambled.

  • Nineteen percent had viewed pornography.

  • Twelve percent had gossiped.

  • Twelve percent had gotten drunk.

  • Eleven percent had lied.

  • Nine percent had engaged in sexual intercourse with someone to whom they were not married.

  • Eight percent had retaliated against someone.

The results of the survey also indicated that younger generations are twice as likely to engage in immoral behavior than Baby Boomers. Younger participants were nine times more likely to engage in sex outside of marriage, six times more likely to have lied, three times more likely to have gotten drunk, three times more likely to have gossiped, twice as likely to have viewed pornography, and twice as likely to have engaged in some form of retaliation against someone.