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Authority of God Central Issue in American Culture War, Says CMI Survey

All categories of respondents agree media are damaging America's moral values

By Gudrun Schultz

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 8, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - America is in a moral and culture tailspin leading to an escalating 'culture war', according to a majority of US citizens polled in a recent survey.

The Culture and Media Institute released a special report March 7, entitled "The National Cultural Values Survey: America: a Nation in Moral and Spiritual Confusion," at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Responses to the survey revealed a country embattled on the issue of individualism versus moral responsibility, with the largest segment of the population swaying in a middle position between traditionalism and radical secularism.

While 87 percent of those questioned said they believed in God, and seventy-four percent said they believed the nation had undergone a moral decline over the past 20 years, when it came to specific questions of morality and behavior Americans had difficulty agreeing on guiding principles.

The CMI divided respondents into three groups based on their beliefs about the role of religion in everyday life. 31 percent of the population reflected a strong traditionalist view of religion and morality (classed as Orthodox by the survey), 17 percent tended to be "highly secularized and morally relativistic" (Progressives) and 46 percent held more traditional views on sexual morality but were moral relativists when it came to everyday decision-making (Independents).

While half the population (52 percent) said they believed the Bible was God's authoritative word, only 36 percent of those said they believed people should live by God's word, while 45 percent said they operated by a mixture of God's commands and their own inclination. 15 percent said they ignored God's word if it conflicted with their own plan.

On issues of sexuality, the small segment of Americans holding strongly secular and morally-relative views (one-sixth) stood in opposition to much of the country. While only 33 percent of Progressives believe sex among high school students is "always wrong,  90 percent of Orthodox and 65 percent of Independents believe sex among teenagers is always wrong. 54 percent of Progressives believe it "depends on the situation," and 11 percent believe it is never wrong.

On homosexuality, 61 percent of all Americans oppose legalized homosexual "marriage." Only 39 percent of Independents and just 15 percent of Progressives, however, believe homosexuality is "always wrong." Among Orthodox respondents, however, 83 percent said homosexuality was "always wrong."

Americans showed greater unity when it came to questions on the media's role in contributing to the nation's moral decline. 64 percent of respondents said the news and entertainment media had a significant negative influence on morality and culture.

"The media really take it on the chin," CMI senior editor Brian Fitzpatrick told Cybercast News Service. "Americans from virtually every demographic division, every values group, agree that the media are damaging America's moral values."

CMI said Americans should demand that the media "strive to more fairly represent all views, including those of the Orthodox. Americans perceive a decline in American cultural and moral values, and it's only going to get worse as long as the media continue to promote liberal, secular values."

"Whether America can continue to be a self-governing republic of responsible citizens may well rest on whose values will prevail and whether the entertainment and news media will continue to exhibit hostility to Orthodox morality, thus creating more moral ambivalence."

Based on the survey results, CMI said a return to the orthodox belief in the authority of God over human moral behavior was essential to reverse the downward spiral of culture and morality in the nation.

"The battlefield in America's culture war is the hearts and the minds of the Independents ... reversing America's moral decline will require a renewed acceptance of Orthodox values which implies increased acceptance of God's authority."

To view complete document:
http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/specialreports/pdf/NationalCulturalValue...

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