Some have argued that the Culture Wars are in abatement. Out of curiosity I checked the attitudes toward abortion on demand and homosexuality in the GSS broken down by age & political orientation. The ABANY and HOMOSEX variables. Below are the percentages who agree with abortion on demand as well as the contention that there is nothing wrong with homosexual relations.
| Yes To Abortion On Demand | |||||||
| Extremely Liberal | Liberal | Slightly Liberal | Moderate | Slightly Conservative | Conservative | Extremely Conservative | |
| 65 or older | 57 | 50 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 26 | 22 |
| 50-64 | 63 | 55 | 50 | 37 | 37 | 31 | 22 |
| 35-49 | 73 | 65 | 56 | 44 | 40 | 28 | 21 |
| 18-34 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 40 | 37 | 24 | 27 |
| Homosexual Relations Not Wrong | |||||||
| Extremely Liberal | Liberal | Slightly Liberal | Moderate | Slightly Conservative | Conservative | Extremely Conservative | |
| 65 or older | 30 | 23 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| 50-64 | 47 | 38 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 8 | 9 |
| 35-49 | 52 | 46 | 32 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 7 |
| 18-34 | 67 | 48 | 34 | 24 | 20 | 11 | 11 |
Two observations
1) The more liberal groups exhibit more between age class variation. In other words, there is much less difference between older & younger conservatives than older & younger liberals.
2) There is more variation as a function of politics among the young. In other words, there is less difference among older groups across the political spectrum than the younger groups.
The reason for this seems pretty obvious; liberals are shifting the cultural status quo. Whereas today young conservatives might assert that homosexuality is wrong because the Bible tells them so, in an earlier era the unacceptability of homosexuality was a social norm widely shared, and so required no religious justification. This naturally makes sense when you consider that avowedly atheistic governments such as East Germany and Cuba have attempted to suppress homosexuality. The polarization of the youth also might be a reflection of the fact that young Americans are among the most secular, and if Christian, most evangelical, cohort.
Note: The sample above was limited to whites.
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Will an advance in genetics lead to a lobby demanding abortion of homosexual fetuses?
@bioIgnoramus, you said...
It probably won't take a government coercion to make it happen. Parents are likely to do it voluntarily. See this...
http://scienceblogs.com/gnxp/2008/06/curing_the_gay.php
Razib and I analyzed the same data on the same day. That's messed up.
Using newly available GSS data, I find that more young people approve of homosexual sex and abortion on demand. More never go to church. The divide is there, but at the moment the Left is gaining.
http://inductivist.blogspot.com/2009/03/then-theres-moral-recession.html
Shifting demographics mean each new generation will be less evangelical or conservative; Piyush "Bobby" Jindal notwithstanding.
It's more of a rag-tag insurgency than a war, that's why political policing is enough to defeat it. L.A. Restaurant Manager Who Donated to Prop. 8 Resigns
How many people would abort a fetus for being a homosexual? Clearly some would, but I think it would be a minority. About half of women who know they are carrying a fetus with Downs choose to go through with the pregnancy, and I think most people would prefer a gay son to a son with Downs.
People seem to forget that abortion is not a pleasant experience, which quite a few women who are pro-choice would not choose to undergo. How many times have you heard a woman say, "I'm pro-choice for others, pro-life for myself?"
Mark, i - female, not fertile any longer by age - had the luck never needed it to choose abortion. Nevertheless it was and is a relief to me, the possibility is existing. Preventing i think is a much better option, but alas not full 100% reliable.
To me it feels rather arrogant, a person who never it will happen to get pregnant - and therefore never will have this problem himself - questioning the feelings of who can. Without even a glimse of really asking. Abortion never is a pro-choise, only a less worst.