Growing up I often heard that the two things you didn't discuss in polite company were religion and politics. As a child the statement didn't make much sense to me, my family often discussed both of those topics with regularity. As an adult, I realize that it's easy to have such conversations and "debates" when everyone's beliefs are fairly similar. How serious can a debate be about a political figure, when at the end of the day, both parties debating agree that the person should or shouldn't be in power? How defensive can people get about religion when they follow the same paths?
Oddly enough, I've come to learn that these things are no longer considered taboo. Emails, blogs and social networking sites have caused many people to broadcast their beliefs in near public forums, not to open them for discussion, but because they sincerely believe that their friends and family share these beliefs.
How many emails have you received with political propaganda that goes completely against your beliefs? How many religious emails have you received, despite never discussing your spiritual beliefs with the sender?
This leads me to wonder, what exactly is taboo in this day and age? In a time where our thoughts can be so widely spread with the simple click of a "send" or "submit," are there any topics that we still shouldn't discuss in polite company?
I agree that religion and politics are becoming less taboo, and as far as I'm concerned, good riddance! It's high time open discussion is the norm. We'll never be able to confront and understand our differences and similarities (as a culture) if we keep sweeping these major issues under the rug for the purpose of so-called politeness. There are polite ways of discussing these things.
To answer your question, though, I think much is still taboo. Sex, for example, depending on your company. We don't really go around discussing whom we have sex with, how often we do it, or what our favorite positions are. This is weird since our society is so sex-driven that it's a wonder we don't just do it public!
In addition, it's a bit taboo to talk about our own (or others') medical problems, unless the company is intimate and trustworthy. Also, there are plenty of racists, sexists, anti-semites, and homophobes out there. They can talk about their beliefs when around others of their own persuasion, but the general public has been so conditioned to be against these ideas, that expressing their views openly is very taboo.
Discussing politics and religion is still taboo with my grandfather. Probably doesn't help that I'm not Christian and he is and I don't play party politics, while he thinks the Democrats are the best thing since sliced bread.
~C
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