Americans think premarital sex is less 'morally acceptable' than divorce

Three in ten Americans say premarital sex is "morally unacceptable," according to data compiled by the Pew Research Center. Meanwhile, only 22 percent think divorce is a moral no-no.

Phrased another way, Americans think it's more important to get married before getting busy than it is to keep a marriage alive. And for the record, Americans think premarital sex is worse than gambling, booze, and contraceptives, too.

More Republicans (46 percent) than Democrats (25 percent) think premarital relations are morally wrong. And Republicans also find extramarital affairs more morally repugnant than do Democrats; only 78 percent of Dems say affairs are unacceptable from a moral standpoint, versus 91 percent of GOPers.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.