1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Aren\u2019t the studies that show a relationship between same-sex marriages and lower measures of success, or same-sex sex and higher rates of STI transmissions, showing correlation instead of causation? Could other reasons explain this, such as homophobic harassment by peers, families, and doctors?<\/p>\n
The studies that show that same-sex marriages have a lower measure of success, or same sex behavior has higher rates of STD's can not be explaned simply because of\u00a0 factors such as homohobic harrassment by peers and families, etc. This is evidenced by the fact that even in societies where homosexuality has been widely accepted for years, such as The Netherlands and Sweden, there are similar high rates of negative effects reulting from such relationships and behavior. See, e.g., http:\/\/www.cfcidaho.org\/comparing-lifestyles-homosexual-couples-married-couples and http:\/\/www.thenewatlantis.com\/publications\/number-50-fall-2016 .<\/p>\n
Moreover, despite increasing acceptance in the United States, including\u00a0the medical community, HIV rates among homosexuals\u00a0has
\nremained at dangerously high rates:\u00a0https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hiv\/group\/msm\/index.html.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can you clarify what you meant by equating transgender people to pedophiles?<\/p>\n
I did not intend to directly equate transgender people to pedophiles. Rather, I used as an example of the problems raised by allowing people to use opposite sex bathrooms and locker rooms the case of the transgender man at Evergreen State University in Washington.\u00a0 In that case, a 45-year old man has been exposing himself to girls as young as six years old who are there to use the public pool:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-2227562\/Colleen-Francis-Outrage-transgendered-woman-permitted-use-college-womens-locker-room-exposing-himself.html;\u00a0 see also this link: http:\/\/www.lc.org\/PDFs\/LC-Predators-in-Bathrooms-Feb-2017-edited-2-
\n17-17.pdf<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In terms of the data you cited on children of same-sex couples not doing as well as children of heterosexual couplings, isn\u2019t it quite possible that there seems to be a correlation that doesn\u2019t necessarily denote causation? Same-sex couples are marginalized, excluded from the labor force and social sphere more than their heterosexual counterparts. Wouldn\u2019t this have a major impact on these children, meaning their different experience is really based on our discriminating society rather than the sexual orientation of their
\nparents?<\/p>\n
The Study that I was citing took these societal effects into consideration, and they can not alone explain the significant adverse impacts on children of same-sex parenting compared to children being raised by their own biological parents whenever possible:
\nhttp:\/\/www.focusonthefamily.com\/about\/focus-findings\/family-formation-trends\/regnerus-family-structures-study.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As the founder of Alumni for a Catholic USD, what advantages do you believe a Catholic USD has over other religions or a non-religious USD?<\/p>\n
As a devout Catholic, I believe, as did the founders of USD, that students would benefit immeasurably from learning the Catholic faith. Of course, if one does not believe in God or objective truth, then they may see no benefit in a distinctly Catholic education. Even setting religion aside, however, it is noteworthy that a majority of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court received Catholic educations, including Justices Roberts, Alito, and Gorsuch.\u00a0 A Catholic education has historically been viewed as more academically rigorous, which should be no surprise as the Catholic Church invented the university system.\u00a0 Here are some significant facts which support the reasons why Catholic schools tend to be superior: https:\/\/ace.nd.edu\/resources\/catholic-school-facts.<\/p>\n
5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why do you think your data\/arguments focused on homosexual men over women?<\/p>\n
I focused more on men because there seems to be more data available on men and it is generally thought that sexual orientation in women tends to be more fluid than in men: https:\/\/makeitbetter.net\/better-you\/sexual-fluidity-another-dimeinsion-to-womens-sexuality\/. However, even gay researchers are finding that sexual orientation in men is more fluid than once thought: https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/7-Lisa_Diamond.pdf.<\/p>\n
6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Where do you stand on adoption? Are children better off in foster care than being adopted by a loving same-sex couple?<\/p>\n
The official position of the Catholic Church is that there should not be legal recognition of same-sex couples and same-sex couples should not be permitted to adopt children:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/roman_curia\/congregations\/cfaith\/documents\/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20030731_homosexual-unions_en.html.\u00a0 Children are generally much better off if they\u00a0 have as role models both halves of humanity in the form of a mother and a father.\u00a0 Men and women parent differently and children benefit from those differences: http:\/\/www.focusonthefamily.com\/socialissues\/marriage\/marriage\/mom-and-dad-children-need-both.<\/p>\n
7.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0If God created male and female individuals as the biologically perfect specimens, how would you explain intersex individuals? How
\nwould God explain this phenomenon?<\/p>\n
Christians believe that God created men and women perfect but they brought sin into the world by disobeying God.\u00a0 As a result, there is
\nsuffering, including deseases and birth defects. Intersex individuals represent less than one percent of the population. This type of
\nunfortunate abnormality should certainly not be the basis of a whole discipline of gender ideology.\u00a0 Rather, it is a condition like any other
\nabnormality that needs to be treated with sensitivity and compassion.\u00a0 The goal should be to get the best possible result for the persons afflicted so that they can lead as normal a life as possible.\u00a0 The "Church Teaching" section of the website www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org has a lot of good
\ninformation about what\u00a0Catholics and other Christians believe about what
\nGod intended for\u00a0the expression of our\u00a0human sexuality.<\/p>\n
8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is your stance on pansexuality and asexuality?<\/p>\n
These terms are merely recent inventions to advance a political agenda. They bear no relation to what God intended when he created us
\nin His image and likeness.\u00a0 Once again, without God, there is no objective measure of truth, goodness, or beauty, and no real hope of human fulfillment or happiness. Instead, there is disorder and anarchy, even in the expression of our sexuality, which is well reflected by such nonsensical terms as "pansexuality" and "asexuality".\u00a0 Human sexuality is a gift from God but like any gift it can be used as intended or abused. The choice is ours. The Church teaching on gender ideology can be found at these links:\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/issues-and-action\/marriage-and-family\/marriage\/promotion-and-defense-of-marriage\/upload\/Gender-
\nIdeology-Select-Teaching-Resources.pdf and http:\/\/www.alumniforacatholicusd.org\/contents\/en-us\/d1.html.<\/p>\n
9.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0How did I know I was attracted to men as early as 5 or 6 years old with a strong male figure, no sexual abuse, and no bullying?
\nChildren as young as 5 or 6 years old can begin to appreciate their maleness and femaleness but it is usually\u00a0not until adolescence that
\npeople start to think in terms of being sexually attracted to one or the other gender. The usual factors that homosexual men experience in their youth are a lack of a good relationship with their father, the influcence of a dominant mother, sexual or physical abuse, peer rejection or bullying, and a negative self image or envy of other males. Certainly not all homosexual men experience all of these factors, but it would be an exception for a homosexual male to experience none of them. Of course exceptions do occur and you may be one of them. Then again, some of these influences occur at ages even before age 5, when you may have been too young to appreciate or remember them. For more information see these links:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.therapeuticchoice.com\/\u00a0\u00a0and https:\/\/couragerc.org\/.<\/p>\n
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS TO CHARLES LIMANDRI FOLLOWING THE\u00a0MARCH 18, 2015 USD PRESENTATION.<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to the links and citations below, a wealth of information is available at the website www.ConscienceDefense.org, under \u201cResources & Media\u201d; Additional information is also available under the \u201cResources\u201d tab at\u00a0www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org.<\/p>\n Questions for Mr. LiMandri on Whether Homosexuality is Innate and Immutable: The statistics to which we were referring in the talk can be found on the website of the Family Research Council at http:\/\/www.frc.org\/get.cfm?i=IS04C02:\u201cThe Dutch study of partnered homosexuals, which was published in the journal AIDS, found that men with a steady partner had an average of eight sexual partners per year.\u201d Maria Xiridou, et al, \u201cThe Contribution of Steady and Casual Partnerships to the Incidence of HIV Infection among Homosexual Men in Amsterdam,\u201d AIDS 17 (2003): 1031.<\/p>\n \u201cBell and Weinberg, in their classic study of male and female homosexuality, found that 43 percent of white male homosexuals had sex with 500 or more partners, with 28 percent having one thousand or more sex partners.\u201d A. P. Bell and M. S. Weinberg, Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978), pp. 308, 309.<\/p>\n \u201cIn their study of the sexual profiles of 2,583 older homosexuals published in the Journal of Sex Research, Paul Van de Ven et al. found that \u2018the modal range for number of sexual partners ever [of homosexuals] was 101-500.\u2019 In addition, 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent had between 501 and 1,000 partners. A further 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent reported having had more than one thousand lifetime sexual partners.\u201d Paul Van de Venet al., \u201cA Comparative Demographic and Sexual Profile of Older Homosexually Active Men,\u201d Journal of Sex Research 34 (1997): 354.<\/p>\n \u201cA survey conducted by the homosexual magazine Genre found that 24 percent of the respondents said they had had more than one hundred sexual partners in their lifetime. The magazine noted that several respondents suggested including a category of those who had more than one thousand sexual partners.\u201d \u201cSex Survey Results,\u201d Genre (October 1996), quoted in \u201cSurvey Finds 40 percent of Gay Men Have Had More Than 40 Sex Partners,\u201d Lambda Report, January 1998: 20.<\/p>\n 1-3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What was the type of sample used for the stats for adolescents? Please explain further the same-sex\/ex-gay study you brought up about 16-22 year olds. How was this sample chosen? What were the criteria? Please provide additional information about the specific quotes you made about there being more ex-gay than gay adolescents (along with the sources of these statistics)? How did you collect the data (how was the data collected) for the study showing that there are \u201cmore ex-gays than gays\u201d? How many people were surveyed? How were they surveyed? Where (geographical spread) were they surveyed?<\/p>\n The 2013 National Health Interview Study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1.6% of adults identify as gay or lesbian, and 0.7% identify as bisexual \u2013 a total of 2.3%. http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhsr\/nhsr077.pdf. Based on data such as the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, scientists have determined that a significant number of individuals have lost their same-sex attractions. See Lisa Diamond, Just How Different Are Male and Female Homosexuality, http:\/\/www.cornell.edu\/video\/lisa-diamond-on-sexual-fluidity-of-men-and-women. The identification that there are more ex-gays than gays was made by Dr.Neil Whitehead.<\/p>\n He wrote \u201cNumbers of people changing towards exclusive OSA are greater than the current total numbers of bisexuals and exclusive SSA people combined. This surprising figure supports the catch-phrase circulating ten years ago: \u2018Ex-gays outnumber actual gays.\u2019 About 3% of both men and women with exclusive OSA claim to have once been something else.\u201d Neil Whitehead, My Genes Made Me Do It!: Homosexuality and the Scientific Evidence, pp. 230-231, available at\u00a0http:\/\/www.mygenes.co.nz\/PDFs\/Ch12.pdf.<\/p>\n Dr. Whitehead based his conclusions on the journal article: Savin-Williams RC, Ream GL. 2007. Prevalence and stability of sexual orientation components during adolescence and young adulthood. Archives of Sexual Behavior 36:385-394. That article, in turn, analyzed the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, a national study of 90,000 students on various issues, including sexual attractions, from 1994 to the present. More detailed questions about the geography, sample size, or other aspects of the study can be answered through visiting the Add Health website at\u00a0http:\/\/www.cpc.unc.edu\/projects\/addhealth\/design.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If the cross on Mt. Soledad doesn\u2019t have to come down because it \u201cdoesn\u2019t matter,\u201d then why have you historically opposed events such as the Supreme Drag Superstar . . . why does that matter?<\/p>\n The United States is both a democracy and a pluralistic society. However, the principles of democracy and pluralism can often conflict. To deal with those conflicts, various provisions were written into the Constitution. Thus in total, the Constitution maintains the rights of the majority except in certain specific situations in which minority rights triumph. The rights of religion and irreligion are one of those minority rights regulated by the Constitution \u2013specifically by prohibiting the Federal or State governments from \u201cmak[ing a] law respecting an establishment of religion.\u201d U.S. Const. Amend. I. In the case of the Mt. Soledad Cross, a certain atheist individual believes that the Mt. Soledad Cross violates the Constitutional prohibition on \u201can establishment of religion.\u201d This is simply inaccurate and the government\u2019s maintenance of the Mt. Soledad Cross as a war memorial is perfectly constitutional. More importantly, the litigating individual believes based on ideology that it is somehow improper for the government to maintain the Mt. Soledad Cross. Reasonable people can disagree concerning whether it is proper for the government to maintain the Mt. Soledad Cross, but we believe that the Cross actually serves to better illustrate our Nation\u2019s plurality by not relegating any aspect of her citizens\u2019 identities to only the privacy of their homes. Moreover, the cross is a fitting symbol of self-sacrifice for our Nation\u2019s fallen soldiers and sailors.<\/p>\n The University of San Diego is neither a democracy nor a pluralistic institution. It is a Roman Catholic institution of higher education. Just as a mathematician does not accept that two plus two could equal either four or five, depending on one\u2019s view, the Catholic Church does not accept that engaging in homosexual sex could be either moral or immoral, depending on one\u2019s view. Instead, the Catholic Church holds that its sexual morality is objective, determinable through reason, and inerrant \u2013 similar in that regard to mathematics. Permitting a mathematician to come onto campus and teach that two plus two equal five, when it is objectively and demonstrably not the case, defeats the purpose of learning mathematics at all. Similarly permitting individuals to come onto USD and teach demonstrably incorrect sexual morality \u2013 demonstrably incorrect when compared to inerrant Catholic dogma \u2013 defeats the purpose of learning about sexual morality at all. In addition, permitting demonstrably incorrect teaching to be brought onto Catholic campuses serves to defeat the pluralistic nature of our Nation, since pluralism \u2013 in a mature form \u2013 permits individuals to form groups that hold their members to certain truths without imposing those truths on other members of our Nation. For more information see the website www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org especially the \u201cChurch Teaching\u201d section.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Regardless of the fact that being LGBTQ is not genetic, why does that mean they don\u2019t deserve the same rights as others?<\/p>\n Homosexual persons do deserve the same rights as heterosexual persons. Through statutory regimes already in place homosexual persons already have the same rights as non-homosexuals with regard to healthcare, education, housing and employment. The rights of homosexuals are particularly protected in California which, through the creation of \u201cdomestic partnerships\u201d grants homosexual persons the same statutory rights and protections of married couples. The real issue is whether the protection of homosexual rights is of sufficient import to permit it to overbear the rights of other individuals, primarily children and individuals who identify with an ideological system which respects the importance of marriage.<\/p>\n Children have the right to be raised by their biological parents since being raised in that manner has the best outcomes for the child. This right can be inadvertently destroyed, for example through the death of a parent, but to intentionally destroy it violates the rights of the child. Moreover, numerous individuals both religious and secular, homosexual and heterosexual, believe that the only healthy way for a society to define marriage is as a union between a man and a woman. Although persons on either side of this issue will disagree, the statistics do show that a life-long, monogamous, male-female, marriage is the healthiest way of living one\u2019s life. It creates the greatest 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If your statistics are true, explain how gay conversion therapy does not work Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) typically is successful for about two-thirds of individuals. Approximately one-third achieve a significant benefit, with either full heterosexual functioning and no latent homosexuality, or full heterosexual functioning and the ability to control being aroused homosexually. The other one-third achieves a benefit from SOCE, but not to the degree they would desire \u2013 typically they are able to cease engaging in homosexual sex, and can engage in heterosexual sex, but also retain inadvertent homosexual attractions alongside their newly developed heterosexual attractions. See Gerard van den Aardweg, Homosexuality and Hope: A Psychologist Talks About Treatment and Change, 1985, p. 105 (shows 22.2% achieving full change, 45% achieving partial benefit); Judd Marmor, Homosexual Behavior: A Modern Reappraisal, 1980, p. 277 (full change is possible in 20%-50%); Irving Bieber, Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study, 1962, pp. 276-301 (27% became exclusively heterosexual, 32% became either inactive or bisexual, and 41% remained exclusively homosexual).<\/p>\n These numbers are consistent with therapy generally, which breaks down into those individuals who achieved significant benefit, partial benefit, and no benefit. Mary Lee Smith, Gene V. Glass, Meta-Analysis of Psychotherapy Outcome Studies, American Psychologist, Sept. 1977, p.752 (\u201cAbout all we\u2019ve been able to prove is that a third of the people get better, a third of the people stay the same, and a third of the people get worse, irregardless [sic] of the treatment to which they are subjected.\u201d); Martin E.P. Seligman, The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy, The Consumer Reports Study, American Psychologist, Dec. 1995, p. 965. (shows 54% achieving significant benefit, 7-8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You cite change in sexuality as a reason why being gay is not biological but couldn\u2019t the reason for this be that discrimination & societal changes are causing these people to report different sexuality? Do you think that someone might be \u201cex-gay\u201d because it is easier to identify as heterosexual in a heteronormative world and to get rid of the ridicule that comes with identifying in any other way?<\/p>\n We live in a pluralistic society, and certainly certain individuals choose to identify with different sexual orientations for various reasons independent of their actual attractions. For example, numerous lesbian-feminist academicians have stated that they choose to identify as lesbians because it was more accepted within their feminist-normative environment to be lesbian, and because they saw being lesbian as a means of protesting patriarchal systems. See Suzanna Danuta Walters, The Power in \u2018Choosing to be Gay\u2019, June 3, 2014, The Atlantic; Claudia Dreifus, A Conversation With \u2013 Anne Fausto-Sterling; Exploring What Makes Us Male or Female, January 2, 2011, New York Times, Science Section. Societal changes certainly do influence how people report their sexual orientations, either homosexual or heterosexual, and change their reporting of their sexual orientations. But societal changes are certainly not the only factor, probably not the determinative factor, and no less a legitimate factor than any other factor which motivates personal growth.<\/p>\n Ostensibly, certain ex-gays (1) could have failed in changing their sexual orientation, and only be identifying as heterosexual when they retain significant homosexual attractions; or (2) even if they succeeded in changing their sexual orientation, only chose to do so as a result of societal pressure. Both options, admittedly, could represent a less-than-ideal situation. Both options, however, do not represent the vast Ex-gay individuals report that they identify as heterosexual and ex-gay because they sought happier, healthier lives for themselves and decided that the means of achieving those happier, healthier lives was through leaving their homosexual pasts behind them. Ex-gays are also not limited to those individuals who only had negative experiences of homosexuality \u2013 many had relatively long, stable relationships and were accustomed to living as homosexuals in our heteronormative world. Nor are they limited to individuals easily brought down by societal pressures \u2013 ex-gay individuals include highly-educated and successful professionals and business men and women. Rather, like any group, ex- gays include individuals of all different persuasions and personalities, and dismissing all of them as merely liars or self-deluders is intellectually dishonest. To read the testimonials of ex-gays and determine for yourself whether you believe their stories, Questions Relating to Natural Law and Theology:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why is your definition of \u201cwhat sex is for\u201d the \u201cright\u201d one?<\/p>\n The first question really is whether anything can have a \u201cpurpose\u201d independent of the purpose given to it by individuals. The Ford Motor Co., makes cars, and they give those cars the purpose of transporting people. An individual who buys that car \u2013 who did not design it \u2013 can change its purpose, and decide that it will instead serve the purpose of entertaining people by being pummeled in a monster truck rally. Similarly, our bodies have natural processes, including sexuality, eating, and sleeping. The question then becomes, did something \u2013 i.e., evolution or God \u2013 give those processes a first purpose such as reproduction, body nourishment, or body refreshment similar to the purpose of the car to transport people. Or do we, as the inheriting masters of those processes, decide what their purposes will be? This is simply an ideological divide where certain individuals can maintain that they have the absolute right to dictate the purpose of any aspect of their body \u2013 regardless of whether it is for their good or not \u2013 and other individuals attempt to align the purpose of processes with what appear to be the design based on evolution, moral reasoning, or simply what produces a good result.<\/p>\n We believe that we can determine the purpose of sexuality based on looking at both evolution and practical results. In that regard, evolution clearly shows that the primary purpose of sexuality is reproduction and propagation of the species. Further, statistical surveys clearly show that life-long, monogamous, male-female unions, provide the best results for the individuals involved and their children.<\/p>\n Of course, sexuality has secondary purposes besides the primary purpose of reproduction, such as the creation of intimacy or simple pleasure. To argue that those secondary purposes are in fact the primary purpose, ignores all the science on biology, evolution, and reproduction \u2013 reproduction is simply the driving force behind each aspect of sexuality, and across all species. Moreover, all natural processes \u2013 including sexuality \u2013 are similar in that the removal of the primary purpose ends up leading to negative side effects for the individual. If one eats, but, through bulimia, removes the nourishment aspect of eating in favor of only the pleasurable aspect of eating, one suffers harsh, physical and psychological consequences. These consequences need not be so severe as to deter bulimia \u2013 and indeed individuals can continue to regularly engage in bulimic patterns for years, and function normally in society. However, neither We believe that for their benefit, and in total the aggregate benefit of society, the promotion of the secondary purposes of natural processes over the primary purposes, should be discouraged.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you explain the increase in the size of the LGBTQ community?<\/p>\n The LGBTQ community is only 2.3% of the United States population.\u00a0http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhsr\/nhsr077.pdf. Prior to the last one The reason why the LGBTQ community has grown is simply because members of that community, and persons affiliated with them, have been amazingly adept at promoting the message that homosexuality is innate, immutable, benign, natural, and simply more akin to left-handedness than to bulimia. The campaign to promote that message was not accidental, but rather coordinated. See Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, "After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's" (1990); Robert Everything" (2014); see also Mass Resistance, "The homosexual propaganda campaign in America's media, available 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2 Samuel 1:26 records: David\u2019s lament after Jonathan\u2019s death, in which he said that his love for Jonathan was more than the love of a woman. How would you describe their relationship?<\/p>\n The Sacred Scriptures are clear that the love between a man and a woman is the ideal form of love. They are also clear that they restrict sexual expression to the marital embrace. Those sacred writings further make clear God\u2019s plan for men and women, made in His image and likeness, to become one-flesh through the conjugal union. Genesis 1:27; 2:24. It is only the holy union of a husband and wife that God uses to describe the relationship between Him and His people. Jeremiah 3:4. And it is only such a gendered union that allows humanity to fulfill God\u2019s mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:28. Those same sacred writings of Jews and Christians alike condemn 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How is celibacy the answer for having a \u201cburning desire\u201d when you have a homosexual inclination? 1 Cor. (7:9) speaks about marrying if you burn with passion, but what do you do with those passions if the release of those burning desires is sinful (to the church)?<\/p>\n This question simply poses a false analogy. It is righteous to abstain from sex as it is righteous to abstain from alcohol. However, if one cannot abstain from sex, marriage is a possible answer. If one cannot abstain from alcohol, marriage will serve no purpose. Instead, another answer must be found. Similarly, marriage is simply not the answer to an inability to abstain from homosexual conduct \u2013 it simply does not fit the situation. However, like heterosexuals who cannot control their sexual behavior, homosexuals can benefit from therapy aimed at helping them control their sexual behavior. Moreover, homosexual marriage would also not be a proper answer to homosexual promiscuity because the statistics show that homosexual relationships are not monogamous, but rather promiscuous. See \u201cCommitment\u201d in Male Homosexual Couples at\u00a0http:\/\/www.frc.org\/get.cfm?i=IS04C02.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If same-sex sex is sinful because it is going against God\u2019s purpose and is unnatural, is an eating disorder sinful as well? For it is also unnatural.<\/p>\n A disorder itself is not sinful. Neither homosexuality nor bulimia as conditions are sinful. \u201cMortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.\u201d Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, \u00a7 1857. Damaging the body, however, \u2013 including forced vomiting and sodomy \u2013 is a grave matter. Id. at \u00a7 1858. \u201cMortal sin [also] requires full knowledge and complete consent.\u201d Id. at \u00a7 1859. Consequently, a person must know their act is sinful, and consciously choose to engage in it. With respect to an eating disorder, the degree to which the person is consciously choosing to participate in the disorder, and the degree to which the person is addicted or otherwise incapable of not choosing to participate in the disorder, cannot be known except by the person. One might also find that some individuals who engage in bulimic practices do not wish to label it a \u201cdisorder\u201d, and instead feel that it is authentic for them. Ultimately, whether any activity is sinful comes down to whether the act is a grave matter, committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So if I have sex and don\u2019t intend to have a baby, am I also condemned? What if I am heterosexual but I don\u2019t want to [put] my penis in a vagina? I\u2019m still heterosexual . . . am I still condemned? Catholic teaching distinguishes between judgment and condemnation. For example, everyone can judge the attributes of coffee, whether it is hot or cold, based on their innate faculty. Everyone can also condemn that coffee \u2013 if we wanted hot coffee, but it has cooled down, we can pour it down the drain. Similarly, everyone can judge the acts of individuals, if we meet a person and they state that they killed a man with full knowledge that it was wrong, we can judge that they committed a sin. Unlike with coffee, however, we cannot condemn people. We cannot say that because one is heterosexual, but prefers sodomy, one is condemned \u2013 that type of judgment is reserved to God.<\/p>\n The issue here is whether a person is engaging in immoral behavior. People are neither sinful nor righteous based on their membership in a class. Consequently, just like homosexual persons are not sinful because they are homosexual, heterosexual persons are not righteous because they are heterosexual. Engaging in onanistic practices, including sodomy and masturbation, is immoral regardless of one\u2019s sexual orientation.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you feel about transsexual people?\u00a0 Should they not be allowed to have sex after a sex change operation?<\/p>\n One cannot change one\u2019s sex through bodily disfigurement \u2013 this is supported by both religion and science. Recently, Johns Hopkins University stopped performing sex- change operations because they discovered that the surgery provides no benefits. https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/13-Transgender_is_Mental-Disorder.pdf. Moreover, Individuals often find that sex-change operations do not alleviate all of their distress \u2013 and when they then proceed to regular therapy to have their residual distress treated, they find that their gender dysphoria is treated as well \u2013 to the point that they regret their sex-change Individuals who have participated in sex-change operations are no different than the rest of us. Male-to-female transsexuals remain male, and consequently the only moral expression of sexuality for them to engage in is a life-long, monogamous, relationship with a woman. Unfortunately, the sex-change procedures essentially neuter individuals and thus they may not be able to even engage in sexual intercourse. This does not change, however, the nature of immoral sexual acts into moral ones.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why is homosexual sex pleasurable if it doesn\u2019t bring about the chance for We have free will. Along with that free will is a limited ability to alter our nature \u2013 for example through the developments of habits or thinking patterns. Within that limited ability to alter our nature is the ability to derive pleasure from whatever we want, including immoral or unnatural acts \u2013 for example, drinking bitter coffee. This shows that whether any act is pleasurable is quite distinct from whether any act is good, moral or natural.<\/p>\n In addition, the issue is really not limited to homosexual sex \u2013 Why is contraceptive sex pleasurable? Why is heterosexual sodomy pleasurable? Why is pornography pleasurable? From an evolutionary perspective, this question probably is best answered by a biologist, who would say that evolution simply did not anticipate that we would intentionally remove reproduction from sexuality. From a moral perspective, the answer is probably that the decision whether to respect or abuse our sexuality is one that we must make for ourselves, and we should be willing to accept the consequences when we choose wrongly.<\/p>\n Questions and Answers from USD students to Charles LiMandri in 2017:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Aren\u2019t the studies that show a relationship between same-sex marriages and lower measures of success, or same-sex sex and higher The studies that show that same-sex marriages have a lower measure of success, or same sex behavior has higher rates of STD's can not be explaned simply because of\u00a0 factors such as homohobic harrassment by peers and families, etc. This is evidenced by the fact that even in societies where homosexuality has been widely accepted for years, such as The Netherlands and Sweden, there are similar high rates of negative effects reulting from such relationships and behavior. See, e.g., http:\/\/www.cfcidaho.org\/comparing-lifestyles-homosexual-couples-married-couples and http:\/\/www.thenewatlantis.com\/publications\/number-50-fall-2016.<\/p>\n Moreover, despite increasing acceptance in the United States, including\u00a0the medical community, HIV rates among homosexuals\u00a0has 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can you clarify what you meant by equating transgender people to pedophiles?<\/p>\n I did not intend to directly equate transgender people to pedophiles. Rather, I used as an example of the problems raised by allowing people to use opposite sex bathrooms and locker rooms the case of the transgender man at Evergreen State University in Washington.\u00a0 In that case, a 45-year old man has been exposing himself to girls as young as six years old who are there to use the public pool:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article- 2227562\/Colleen-Francis-Outrage-transgendered-woman-permitted-use-college-womens-locker-room-exposing-himself.html;\u00a0 see also this link: http:\/\/www.lc.org\/PDFs\/LC-Predators-in-Bathrooms-Feb-2017-edited-2- 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In terms of the data you cited on children of same-sex couples not doing as well as children of heterosexual couplings, isn\u2019t it quite 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As the founder of Alumni for a Catholic USD, what advantages do you believe a Catholic USD has over other religions or a non-religious USD?<\/p>\n As a devout Catholic, I believe, as did the founders of USD, that students would benefit immeasurably from learning\u00a0the\u00a0Catholic faith.\u00a0Of 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why do you think your data\/arguments focused on homosexual men over women?<\/p>\n I focused more on men because there seems to be more data available on men\u00a0and it is generally thought that sexual orientation in 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Where do you stand on adoption? Are children better off in foster care than being adopted by a loving same-sex couple?<\/p>\n The official position of the Catholic Church is that there should not be legal recognition of same-sex couples and same-sex couples should not be permitted to adopt children:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/roman_curia\/congregations\/cfaith\/documents\/rc_con_cfaith_d oc_20030731_homosexual-unions_en.html.\u00a0 Children are generally much better off if they\u00a0 have as role models both halves of humanity in the form of a mother and a father.\u00a0 Men and women parent differently and children benefit from those differences: http:\/\/www.focusonthefamily.com\/socialissues\/marriage\/marriage\/mom-and-dad-children-need-both.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0If God created male and female individuals as the biologically perfect specimens, how would you explain intersex individuals? How Christians believe that God created men and women perfect but they brought sin into the world by disobeying God.\u00a0 As a result, there is 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is your stance on pansexuality and asexuality?<\/p>\n These terms are merely recent inventions to advance a political agenda. They bear no relation to what God intended when he created us 9.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0How did I know I was attracted to men as early as 5 or 6 years old with a strong malefigure, no sexual abuse, and no bullying? In addition to the links and citations below, a wealth of information is available at the website www.ConscienceDefense.org, under \u201cResources & Media\u201d; Additional information is also available under the \u201cResources\u201d tab at\u00a0www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org.<\/p>\n Questions for Mr. LiMandri on Whether Homosexuality is Innate and Immutable:<\/p>\n 0.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Please provide additional information about the specific quotes you made about gay men having 400 partners on average<\/p>\n The statistics to which we were referring in the talk can be found on the website of the Family Research Council at http:\/\/www.frc.org\/get.cfm?i=IS04C02:\u201cThe Dutch study of partnered homosexuals, which was published in the journal AIDS, found that men with a steady partner had an average of eight sexual partners per year.\u201d Maria Xiridou, et al, \u201cThe Contribution of Steady and Casual Partnerships to the Incidence of HIV Infection among Homosexual Men in Amsterdam,\u201d AIDS 17 (2003): 1031.<\/p>\n \u201cBell and Weinberg, in their classic study of male and female homosexuality, found that 43 percent of white male homosexuals had sex with 500 or more partners, with 28 percent having one thousand or more sex partners.\u201d A. P. Bell and M. S. Weinberg, Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978), pp. 308, 309.<\/p>\n \u201cIn their study of the sexual profiles of 2,583 older homosexuals published in the Journal of Sex Research, Paul Van de Ven et al. found that \u2018the modal range for number of sexual partners ever [of homosexuals] was 101-500.\u2019 In addition, 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent had between 501 and 1,000 partners. A further 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent reported having had more than one thousand lifetime sexual partners.\u201d Paul Van de Ven et al., \u201cA Comparative Demographic and Sexual Profile of Older Homosexually Active \u201cA survey conducted by the homosexual magazine Genre found that 24 percent of the respondents said they had had more than one hundred sexual partners in their lifetime. The magazine noted that several respondents suggested including a category of those 1-3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What was the type of sample used for the stats for adolescents? Please explain further the same-sex\/ex-gay study you brought up about 16-22 year olds. How was this sample chosen? What were the criteria? Please provide additional information about the specific quotes you made about there being more ex-gay than gay adolescents (along with the sources of these statistics)? How did you collect the data (how was the data collected) for the study showing that there are \u201cmore ex-gays than gays\u201d? How many people were surveyed? How were they surveyed? Where (geographical spread) were they surveyed?<\/p>\n The 2013 National Health Interview Study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1.6% of adults identify as gay or lesbian, and 0.7% identify as bisexual \u2013 a total of 2.3%. http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhsr\/nhsr077.pdf. Based on data such as the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, scientists have determined that a significant number of individuals have lost their same-sex attractions. See Lisa Diamond, Just How Different Are Male and Female Homosexuality, http:\/\/www.cornell.edu\/video\/lisa-diamond-on-sexual-fluidity-of-men-and-women. The identification that there are more ex-gays than gays was made by Dr. Neil Whitehead. He wrote \u201cNumbers of people changing towards exclusive OSA are greater than the current total numbers of bisexuals and exclusive SSA people combined. This surprising figure supports the catch-phrase circulating ten years ago: \u2018Ex-gays outnumber actual gays.\u2019 About 3% of both men and women with exclusive OSA claim to have once been something else.\u201d Neil Whitehead, My Genes Made Me Do It!: Homosexuality and the Scientific Evidence, pp. 230-231, available at\u00a0http:\/\/www.mygenes.co.nz\/PDFs\/Ch12.pdf.<\/p>\n Dr. Whitehead based his conclusions on the journal article: Savin-Williams RC, Ream GL. 2007. Prevalence and stability of sexual orientation components during adolescence and young adulthood. Archives of Sexual Behavior 36:385-394. That article, in turn, analyzed the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, a national study of 90,000 students on various issues, including sexual attractions, from 1994 to the present. More detailed questions about the geography, sample size, or other aspects of the study can be answered through visiting the Add Health website at\u00a0http:\/\/www.cpc.unc.edu\/projects\/addhealth\/design.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If the cross on Mt. Soledad doesn\u2019t have to come down because it \u201cdoesn\u2019t matter,\u201d then why have you historically opposed events such as the Supreme Drag Superstar . . . why does that matter?<\/p>\n The United States is both a democracy and a pluralistic society. However, the principles of democracy and pluralism can often conflict. To deal with those conflicts, various provisions were written into the Constitution. Thus in total, the Constitution maintains the rights of the majority except in certain specific situations in which minority rights triumph. The rights of religion and irreligion are one of those minority rights regulated by the Constitution \u2013specifically by prohibiting the Federal or State governments from \u201cmak[ing a] law respecting an establishment of religion.\u201d U.S. Const. Amend. I. In the case of the Mt. Soledad Cross, a certain atheist individual believes that the Mt. Soledad Cross violates the Constitutional prohibition on \u201can establishment of religion.\u201d This is simply inaccurate and the government\u2019s maintenance of the Mt. Soledad Cross as a war memorial is perfectly constitutional. More importantly, the litigating individual believes The University of San Diego is neither a democracy nor a pluralistic institution. It is a Roman Catholic institution of higher education. Just as a mathematician does not accept that two plus two could equal either four or five, depending on one\u2019s view, the Catholic Church does not accept that engaging in homosexual sex could be either moral or immoral, depending on one\u2019s view. Instead, the Catholic Church holds that its sexual morality is objective, determinable through reason, and inerrant \u2013 similar in that regard to mathematics. Permitting a mathematician to come onto campus and teach that two plus two equal five, when it is objectively and demonstrably not the case, defeats the purpose of learning mathematics at all. Similarly permitting individuals to come onto USD and teach demonstrably incorrect sexual morality \u2013 demonstrably incorrect when compared to inerrant Catholic dogma \u2013 defeats the purpose of learning about sexual morality at all. In addition, permitting demonstrably incorrect teaching to be brought onto Catholic campuses serves to defeat the pluralistic nature of our Nation, since pluralism \u2013 in a mature form \u2013 permits individuals to form groups that hold their members to certain truths without imposing those truths on other members of our Nation. For more information see the website www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org especially the \u201cChurch Teaching\u201d section.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Regardless of the fact that being LGBTQ is not genetic, why does that mean they don\u2019t deserve the same rights as others?<\/p>\n Homosexual persons do deserve the same rights as heterosexual persons. Through statutory regimes already in place homosexual persons already have the same rights as non-homosexuals with regard to healthcare, education, housing and employment. The rights of homosexuals are particularly protected in California which, through the creation of \u201cdomestic partnerships\u201d grants homosexual persons the same statutory rights and protections of married couples. The real issue is whether the protection of homosexual rights is of sufficient import to permit it to overbear the rights of other individuals, primarily children and individuals who identify with an ideological system which respects the importance of marriage.<\/p>\n Children have the right to be raised by their biological parents since being raised in that manner has the best outcomes for the child. This right can be inadvertently destroyed, for example through the death of a parent, but to intentionally destroy it violates the rights of the child. Moreover, numerous individuals both religious and secular, homosexual and heterosexual, believe that the only healthy way for a society to define marriage is as a union between a man and a woman. Although persons on either side of this issue will disagree, the statistics do show that a life-long, monogamous, male-female, marriage is the healthiest way of living one\u2019s life. It creates the greatest 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If your statistics are true, explain how gay conversion therapy does not work Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) typically is successful for about two-thirds of iindividuals. Approximately one-third achieve a significant benefit, with either full heterosexual functioning and no latent homosexuality, or full heterosexual functioning and the ability to control being aroused homosexually. The other one-third achieves a benefit from SOCE, but not to the degree they would desire \u2013 typically they are able to cease engaging in homosexual sex, and can engage in heterosexual sex, but also retain inadvertent homosexual attractions alongside their newly developed heterosexual attractions. See Gerard van den Aardweg, Homosexuality and Hope: A Psychologist Talks About Treatment and Change, 1985, p. 105 (shows 22.2% achieving full change,<\/p>\n 45% achieving partial benefit); Judd Marmor, Homosexual Behavior: A Modern Reappraisal, 1980, p. 277 (full change is possible in 20%-50%); Irving Bieber, Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study, 1962, pp. 276-301 (27% became exclusively heterosexual, 32% became either inactive or bisexual, and 41% remained exclusively homosexual).<\/p>\n These numbers are consistent with therapy generally, which breaks down into those individuals who achieved significant benefit, partial benefit, and no benefit. Mary Lee Smith, Gene V. Glass, Meta-Analysis of Psychotherapy Outcome Studies, American Psychologist, Sept. 1977, p.752 (\u201cAbout all we\u2019ve been able to prove is that a third of the people get better, a third of the people stay the same, and a third of the people get worse, irregardless [sic] of the treatment to which they are subjected.\u201d); Martin E.P. Seligman, The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy, The Consumer Reports Study, American Psychologist, Dec. 1995, p. 965. (shows 54% achieving significant benefit, 7-8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You cite change in sexuality as a reason why being gay is not biological but couldn\u2019t the reason for this be that discrimination & societal changes are causing these people to report different sexuality? Do you think that someone might be \u201cex-gay\u201d because it is easier to identify as heterosexual in a heteronormative world and to get rid of the ridicule that comes with identifying in We live in a pluralistic society, and certainly certain individuals choose to identify with different sexual orientations for various reasons independent of their actual attractions. For example, numerous lesbian-feminist academicians have stated that they choose to Ostensibly, certain ex-gays (1) could have failed in changing their sexual orientation, and only be identifying as heterosexual when they retain significant homosexual attractions; or (2) even if they succeeded in changing their sexual orientation, only chose to do so as a result of societal pressure. Both options, admittedly, could represent a less-than-ideal situation. Both options, however, do not represent the vast Ex-gay individuals report that they identify as heterosexual and ex-gay because they sought happier, healthier lives for themselves and decided that the means of achieving those happier, healthier lives was through leaving their homosexual pasts behind them. Ex-gays are also not limited to those individuals who only had negative experiences of homosexuality \u2013 many had relatively long, stable relationships and were accustomed to living as homosexuals in our heteronormative world. Nor are they limited to individuals easily brought down by societal pressures \u2013 ex-gay individuals include highly-educated and successful professionals and business men and women. Rather, like any group, ex-gays include individuals of all different persuasions and personalities, and dismissing all of them as merely liars or self-deluders is intellectually dishonest. To read the testimonials of ex-gays and determine for yourself whether you believe their stories, Questions Relating to Natural Law and Theology:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why is your definition of \u201cwhat sex is for\u201d the \u201cright\u201d one?<\/p>\n The first question really is whether anything can have a \u201cpurpose\u201d independent of the purpose given to it by individuals. The Ford Motor Co., makes cars, and they give those cars the purpose of transporting people. An individual who buys that car \u2013 who did not design it \u2013 can change its purpose, and decide that it will instead serve the purpose of entertaining people by being pummeled in a monster truck rally. Similarly, our bodies have natural processes, including sexuality, eating, and sleeping. The question then becomes, did something \u2013 i.e., evolution or God \u2013 give those processes a first purpose such as reproduction, body nourishment, or body refreshment similar to the purpose of the car to transport people. Or do we, as the inheriting masters of those processes, decide what their purposes will be? This is simply an ideological divide where certain individuals can maintain that they have the absolute right to dictate the purpose of any We believe that we can determine the purpose of sexuality based on looking at both evolution and practical results. In that regard, evolution clearly shows that the primary purpose of sexuality is reproduction and propagation of the species. Further, statistical surveys clearly show that life-long, monogamous, male-female unions, provide the best results for the individuals involved and their children.<\/p>\n Of course, sexuality has secondary purposes besides the primary purpose of reproduction, such as the creation of intimacy or simple pleasure. To argue that those secondary purposes are in fact the primary purpose, ignores all the science on biology, evolution, and reproduction \u2013 reproduction is simply the driving force behind each aspect of sexuality, and across all species. Moreover, all natural processes \u2013 including sexuality \u2013 are similar in that the removal of the primary purpose ends up leading to negative side effects for the individual. If one eats, but, through bulimia, removes the nourishment aspect of eating in favor of only the pleasurable aspect of eating, one suffers harsh, physical and psychological consequences. These consequences need not be so severe as to deter bulimia \u2013 and indeed individuals can continue to regularly engage in bulimic patterns for years, and function normally in society. However, neither We believe that for their benefit, and in total the aggregate benefit of society, the promotion of the secondary purposes of natural processes over the primary purposes, should be discouraged.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you explain the increase in the size of the LGBTQ community?<\/strong><\/p>\n The LGBTQ community is only 2.3% of the United States population.\u00a0http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhsr\/nhsr077.pdf. Prior to the last one The reason why the LGBTQ community has grown is simply because members of that community, and persons affiliated with them, have been amazingly adept at promoting the message that homosexuality is innate, immutable, benign, natural, and simply more akin to left-handedness than to bulimia. The campaign to promote that message was not accidental, but rather coordinated. See Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, "After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's" (1990); Robert Everything" (2014); see also Mass Resistance, "The homosexual propaganda campaign in America's media, available 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2 Samuel 1:26 records: David\u2019s lament after Jonathan\u2019s death, in which he said that his love for Jonathan was more than the love of a woman. How would you describe their relationship?<\/p>\n The Sacred Scriptures are clear that the love between a man and a woman is the ideal form of love. They are also clear that they restrict sexual expression to the marital embrace. Those sacred writings further make clear God\u2019s plan for men and women, made in His image and likeness, to become one-flesh through the conjugal union. Genesis 1:27; 2:24. It is only the holy union of a husband and wife that God uses to describe the relationship between Him and His people. Jeremiah 3:4. And it is only such a gendered union that allows humanity to fulfill God\u2019s mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:28. Those same sacred writings of Jews and Christians alike condemn homosexual conduct in the strongest terms, even calling the act of sodomy an \u201cabomination.\u201d Leviticus 20:13. Consequently, interpreting that passage to mean anything beyond that David and Jonathan had a deep friendship \u2013 perhaps even a friendship so deep that it was more important to David than his love for any woman \u2013 would contradict numerous other passages in Sacred Scripture. Holding that one 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How is celibacy the answer for having a \u201cburning desire\u201d when you have a homosexual inclination? 1 Cor. (7:9) speaks about marrying if you burn with passion, but what do you do with those passions if the release of those burning desires is sinful (to the church)?<\/p>\n This question simply poses a false analogy. It is righteous to abstain from sex as it is righteous to abstain from alcohol. However, if one cannot abstain from sex, marriage is a possible answer. If one cannot abstain from alcohol, marriage will serve no purpose. Instead, another answer must be found. Similarly, marriage is simply not the answer to an inability to abstain from homosexual conduct \u2013 it simply does not fit the situation. However, like heterosexuals who cannot control their sexual behavior, homosexuals can benefit from therapy aimed at helping them control their sexual behavior. Moreover, homosexual marriage would also not be a proper answer to homosexual promiscuity because the statistics show that homosexual relationships are not monogamous, but rather promiscuous. See \u201cCommitment\u201d in Male Homosexual Couples at\u00a0http:\/\/www.frc.org\/get.cfm?i=IS04C02.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If same-sex sex is sinful because it is going against God\u2019s purpose and is unnatural, is an eating disorder sinful as well? For it is also unnatural.<\/p>\n A disorder itself is not sinful. Neither homosexuality nor bulimia as conditions are sinful. \u201cMortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.\u201d Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, \u00a7 1857. Damaging the body, however, \u2013 including forced vomiting and sodomy \u2013 is a grave matter. Id. at \u00a7 1858. \u201cMortal sin [also] requires full knowledge and complete consent.\u201d Id. at \u00a7 1859. Consequently, a person must know their act is sinful, and consciously choose to engage in it. With respect to an eating disorder, the degree to which the person is consciously choosing to participate in the disorder, and the degree to which the person is addicted or otherwise incapable of not choosing to participate in the disorder, cannot be known except by the person. One might also find that some individuals who engage in bulimic practices do not wish to label it a \u201cdisorder\u201d, and instead feel that it is authentic for them. Ultimately, whether any activity is sinful comes down to whether the act is a grave matter, committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So if I have sex and don\u2019t intend to have a baby, am I also condemned? What if I am heterosexual but I don\u2019t want to [put] my penis in a vagina? I\u2019m still heterosexual . . . am I still condemned?<\/p>\n Catholic teaching distinguishes between judgment and condemnation. For example, everyone can judge the attributes of coffee, whether it is hot or cold, based on their innate faculty. Everyone can also condemn that coffee \u2013 if we wanted hot coffee, but it has cooled down, we can pour it down the drain. Similarly, everyone can judge the acts of individuals, if we meet a person and they state that they killed a man with full knowledge that it was wrong, we can judge that they committed a sin. Unlike with coffee, however, we cannot condemn people. We cannot say that because one is heterosexual, but prefers sodomy, one is condemned \u2013 that type of judgment is reserved to God.<\/p>\n The issue here is whether a person is engaging in immoral behavior. People are neither sinful nor righteous based on their membership in a class. Consequently, just like homosexual persons are not sinful because they are homosexual, heterosexual persons are not righteous because they are heterosexual. Engaging in onanistic practices, including sodomy and masturbation, is immoral regardless of one\u2019s sexual orientation.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you feel about transsexual people?\u00a0 Should they not be allowed to have sex after a sex change operation?<\/p>\n One cannot change one\u2019s sex through bodily disfigurement \u2013 this is supported by both religion and science. Recently, Johns Hopkins University stopped performing sex-change operations because they discovered that the surgery provides no benefits. https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/13-Transgender_is_Mental-Disorder.pdf. Moreover, Individuals often find that sex-change operations do not alleviate all of their distress \u2013 and when they then proceed to regular therapy to have their residual distress treated, they find that their gender dysphoria is treated as well \u2013 to the point that they regret their sex-change Individuals who have participated in sex-change operations are no different than the rest of us. Male-to-female transsexuals remain male, and consequently the only moral expression of sexuality for them to engage in is a life-long, monogamous, relationship with a woman. Unfortunately, the sex-change procedures essentially neuter individuals and thus they may not be able to even engage in sexual intercourse. This does not change, however, the nature of immoral sexual acts into moral ones.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why is homosexual sex pleasurable if it doesn\u2019t bring about the chance for procreation?<\/p>\n We have free will. Along with that free will is a limited ability to alter our nature \u2013for example through the developments of habits or thinking patterns. Within that limited ability to alter our nature is the ability to derive pleasure from whatever we want, including immoral or unnatural acts \u2013 for example, drinking bitter coffee. This shows that whether any act is pleasurable is quite distinct from whether any act is good, moral or natural.<\/p>\n In addition, the issue is really not limited to homosexual sex \u2013 Why is contraceptive sex pleasurable? Why is heterosexual sodomy pleasurable? Why is pornography pleasurable? From an evolutionary perspective, this question probably is best answered by a biologist, who would say that evolution simply did not anticipate that we would intentionally remove reproduction from sexuality. From a moral perspective, the answer is probably that the decision whether to respect or abuse our sexuality is one that we must make for ourselves, and we should be willing to accept the consequences when we choose wrongly.<\/p>\n Questions and Answers from USD students to Charles LiMandri in 2017:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Aren\u2019t the studies that show a relationship between same-sex marriages and lower measures of success, or same-sex sex and higher The studies that show that same-sex marriages have a lower measure of success, or same sex behavior has higher rates of STD's can not be explaned simply because of\u00a0 factors such as homohobic harrassment by peers and families, etc. This is evidenced by the fact that even in societies where homosexuality has been widely accepted for years, such as The Netherlands and Sweden, there are similar high rates of negative effects reulting from such relationships and behavior. See, e.g., http:\/\/www.cfcidaho.org\/comparing-lifestyles-homosexual-couples-married-couples and http:\/\/www.thenewatlantis.com\/publications\/number-50-fall-2016. 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can you clarify what you meant by equating transgender people to pedophiles?<\/p>\n I did not intend to directly equate transgender people to pedophiles. Rather, I used as an example of the problems raised by allowing people to use opposite sex bathrooms and locker rooms the case of the transgender man at Evergreen State University in Washington.\u00a0 In that case, a 45-year old man has been exposing himself to girls as young as six years old who are there to use the public pool:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-2227562\/Colleen-Francis-Outrage-transgendered-woman-permitted-use- 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In terms of the data you cited on children of same-sex couples not doing as well as children of heterosexual couplings, isn\u2019t it quite The Study that I was citing took these societal effects into consideration, and they can not alone explain the significant adverse impacts on children of same-sex parenting compared to children being raised by their own biological parents whenever possible: 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As the founder of Alumni for a Catholic USD, what advantages do you believe a Catholic USD has over other religions or a non-religious USD?<\/p>\n As a devout Catholic, I believe, as did the founders of USD, that students would benefit immeasurably from learning\u00a0the\u00a0Catholic faith.\u00a0Of 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why do you think your data\/arguments focused on homosexual men over women?<\/p>\n I focused more on men because there seems to be more data available on men\u00a0and it is generally thought that sexual orientation in 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Where do you stand on adoption? Are children better off in foster care than being adopted by a loving same-sex couple?<\/p>\n The official position of the Catholic Church is that there should not be legal recognition of same-sex couples and same-sex couples should not be permitted to adopt children:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.vatican.va\/roman_curia\/congregations\/cfaith\/documents\/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20030731_homosexual-unions_en.html.\u00a0 Children are generally much better off if they\u00a0 have as role models both halves of humanity in the form of a mother and a father.\u00a0 Men and women parent differently and children benefit from those differences: http:\/\/www.focusonthefamily.com\/socialissues\/marriage\/marriage\/mom-and-dad-children-need-both.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0If God created male and female individuals as the biologically perfect specimens, how would you explain intersex individuals? How Christians believe that God created men and women perfect but they brought sin into the world by disobeying God.\u00a0 As a result, there is 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is your stance on pansexuality and asexuality?<\/p>\n These terms are merely recent inventions to advance a political agenda. They bear no relation to what God intended when he created us 9.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0How did I know I was attracted to men as early as 5 or 6 years old with a strong malefigure, no sexual abuse, and no bullying? In addition to the links and citations below, a wealth of information is available at the website www.ConscienceDefense.org, under \u201cResources & Media\u201d; Additional information is also available under the \u201cResources\u201d tab at\u00a0www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org.<\/p>\n Questions for Mr. LiMandri on Whether Homosexuality is Innate and Immutable:<\/p>\n 0.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Please provide additional information about the specific quotes you made about gay men having 400 partners on average<\/p>\n The statistics to which we were referring in the talk can be found on the website of the Family Research Council at http:\/\/www.frc.org\/get.cfm?i=IS04C02:\u201cThe Dutch study of partnered homosexuals, which was published in the journal AIDS, found that men with a steady partner had an average of eight sexual partners per year.\u201d Maria Xiridou, et al, \u201cThe Contribution of Steady and Casual Partnerships to the Incidence of HIV Infection among Homosexual Men in Amsterdam,\u201d AIDS 17 (2003): 1031.<\/p>\n \u201cBell and Weinberg, in their classic study of male and female homosexuality, found that 43 percent of white male homosexuals had sex with 500 or more partners, with 28 percent having one thousand or more sex partners.\u201d A. P. Bell and M. S. Weinberg, Homosexualities: A Study of Diversity Among Men and Women (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1978), pp. 308, 309.<\/p>\n \u201cIn their study of the sexual profiles of 2,583 older homosexuals published in the Journal of Sex Research, Paul Van de Ven et al. found that \u2018the modal range for number of sexual partners ever [of homosexuals] was 101-500.\u2019 In addition, 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent had between 501 and 1,000 partners. A further 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent reported having had more than one thousand lifetime sexual partners.\u201d Paul Van de Venet al., \u201cA Comparative Demographic and Sexual Profile of Older Homosexually Active \u201cA survey conducted by the homosexual magazine Genre found that 24 percent of the respondents said they had had more than one hundred sexual partners in their lifetime. The magazine noted that several respondents suggested including a category of those 1-3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What was the type of sample used for the stats for adolescents? Please explain further the same-sex\/ex-gay study you brought up about 16-22 year olds. How was this sample chosen? What were the criteria? Please provide additional information about the specific quotes you made about there being more ex-gay than gay adolescents (along with the sources of these statistics)? How did you collect the data (how was the data collected) for the study showing that there are \u201cmore ex-gays than gays\u201d? How many people were surveyed? How were they surveyed? Where (geographical spread) were they surveyed?<\/p>\n The 2013 National Health Interview Study performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1.6% of adults identify as gay or lesbian, and 0.7% identify as bisexual \u2013 a total of 2.3%. http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhsr\/nhsr077.pdf. Based on data such as the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, scientists have determined that a significant number of individuals have lost their same-sex attractions. See Lisa Diamond, Just How Different Are Male and Female Homosexuality, http:\/\/www.cornell.edu\/video\/lisa-diamond-on-sexual-fluidity-of-men-and-women. The identification that there are more ex-gays than gays was made by Dr. Neil Whitehead. He wrote \u201cNumbers of people changing towards exclusive OSA are greater than the current total numbers of bisexuals and exclusive SSA people combined. This surprising figure supports the catch-phrase circulating ten years ago: \u2018Ex-gays outnumber actual gays.\u2019 About 3% of both men and women with exclusive OSA claim to have once been something else.\u201d Neil Whitehead, My Genes Made Me Do It!: Homosexuality and the Scientific Evidence, pp. 230-231, available at\u00a0http:\/\/www.mygenes.co.nz\/PDFs\/Ch12.pdf.<\/p>\n Dr. Whitehead based his conclusions on the journal article: Savin-Williams RC, Ream GL. 2007. Prevalence and stability of sexual orientation components during adolescence and young adulthood. Archives of Sexual Behavior 36:385-394. That article, in turn, analyzed the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, a national study of 90,000 students on various issues, including sexual attractions, from 1994 to the present. More detailed questions about the geography, sample size, or other aspects of the study can be answered through visiting the Add Health website at\u00a0http:\/\/www.cpc.unc.edu\/projects\/addhealth\/design.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If the cross on Mt. Soledad doesn\u2019t have to come down because it \u201cdoesn\u2019t matter,\u201d then why have you historically opposed events such as the Supreme Drag Superstar . . . why does that matter?<\/p>\n The United States is both a democracy and a pluralistic society. However, the principles of democracy and pluralism can often conflict. To deal with those conflicts, various provisions were written into the Constitution. Thus in total, the Constitution maintains the rights of the majority except in certain specific situations in which minority rights triumph. The rights of religion and irreligion are one of those minority rights regulated by the Constitution \u2013specifically by prohibiting the Federal or State governments from \u201cmak[ing a] law respecting an establishment of religion.\u201d U.S. Const. Amend. I. In the case of the Mt. Soledad Cross, a certain atheist individual believes that the Mt. Soledad<\/p>\n Cross violates the Constitutional prohibition on \u201can establishment of religion.\u201d This is simply inaccurate and the government\u2019s maintenance of the Mt. Soledad Cross as a war memorial is perfectly constitutional. More importantly, the litigating individual believes based on ideology that it is somehow improper for the government to maintain the Mt.Soledad Cross. Reasonable people can disagree concerning whether it is proper for the government to maintain the Mt. Soledad Cross, but we believe that the Cross actually serves to better illustrate our Nation\u2019s plurality by not relegating any aspect of her citizens\u2019 identities to only the privacy of their homes. Moreover, the cross is a fitting symbol of self-sacrifice for our Nation\u2019s fallen soldiers and sailors.<\/p>\n The University of San Diego is neither a democracy nor a pluralistic institution. It is a Roman Catholic institution of higher education. Just as a mathematician does not accept that two plus two could equal either four or five, depending on one\u2019s view, the Catholic Church does not accept that engaging in homosexual sex could be either moral or immoral, depending on one\u2019s view. Instead, the Catholic Church holds that its sexual morality is objective, determinable through reason, and inerrant \u2013 similar in that regard to mathematics. Permitting a mathematician to come onto campus and teach that two plus two equal five, when it is objectively and demonstrably not the case, defeats the purpose of learning mathematics at all. Similarly permitting individuals to come onto USD and teach demonstrably incorrect sexual morality \u2013 demonstrably incorrect when compared to inerrant Catholic dogma \u2013 defeats the purpose of learning about sexual morality at all. In addition, permitting demonstrably incorrect teaching to be brought onto Catholic campuses serves to defeat the pluralistic nature of our Nation, since pluralism \u2013 in a mature form \u2013 permits individuals to form groups that hold their members to certain truths without imposing those truths on other members of our Nation. For more information see the website www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org especially the \u201cChurch Teaching\u201d section.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Regardless of the fact that being LGBTQ is not genetic, why does that mean they don\u2019t deserve the same rights as others?<\/p>\n Homosexual persons do deserve the same rights as heterosexual persons. Through statutory regimes already in place homosexual persons already have the same rights as non-homosexuals with regard to healthcare, education, housing and employment. The rights of homosexuals are particularly protected in California which, through the creation of \u201cdomestic partnerships\u201d grants homosexual persons the same statutory rights and protections of married couples. The real issue is whether the protection of homosexual rights is of sufficient import to permit it to overbear the rights of other individuals, primarily children and individuals who identify with an ideological system which respects the importance of marriage.<\/p>\n Children have the right to be raised by their biological parents since being raised in that manner has the best outcomes for the child. This right can be inadvertently destroyed, for example through the death of a parent, but to intentionally destroy it violates the rights of the child. Moreover, numerous individuals both religious and secular, homosexual and heterosexual, believe that the only healthy way for a society to define marriage is as a union between a man and a woman. Although persons on either side of this issue will disagree, the statistics do show that a life-long, monogamous, male-female, marriage is the healthiest way of living one\u2019s life. It creates the greatest outcomes financially, spiritually, emotionally and physically for the individuals involved. Compare Richard Niolon, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially, October 23, 2010, Psychpage, http:\/\/www.psychpage.com\/family\/brwaitgalligher.html with Rick Fitzgibbons, Top 12 Studies Showing Risks to Couples in Same-Sex Unions, December 18, 2014, Life Site News, https:\/\/www.lifesitenews.com\/opinion\/top-12-studies-showing-risks-to-couples-in-same-sex-unions. These benefits, in the aggregate, then greatly benefit society. The statistics also show that homosexual individuals and homosexual unions are not similar to their heterosexual counterparts. These dissimilarities include the reality that homosexual unions are statistically of short duration and non-monogamous in comparison to heterosexual marriages. These statistics are not the result of any intolerance of homosexuality, as shown by statistics taken of homosexuals in the Netherlands. Theo Sandfort, Ron de Graaf, et al., Same-sex Sexual Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders, Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(1): 85-91, p. 89 and Table 2 (January 2001). Nor are the statistics the result of a heterosexism, since homosexuals will frequently readily admit that they desire short, non-monogamous marriages. The opposition to permitting homosexual to be \u201cmarried\u201d comes not from a desire to inhibit the rights of homosexuals, but rather from the belief that protecting the institution of marriage is more important.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If your statistics are true, explain how gay conversion therapy does not work for over 90% of individuals.<\/p>\n Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) typically is successful for about two-thirds of individuals. Approximately one-third achieve a significant benefit, with either full heterosexual functioning and no latent homosexuality, or full heterosexual functioning and the ability to control being aroused homosexually. The other one-third achieves a benefit from SOCE, but not to the degree they would desire \u2013 typically they are able to cease engaging in homosexual sex, and can engage in heterosexual sex, but also retain inadvertent homosexual attractions alongside their newly developed heterosexual attractions. See Gerard van den Aardweg, Homosexuality and Hope: A Psychologist Talks About Treatment and Change, 1985, p. 105 (shows 22.2% achieving full change,<\/p>\n 45% achieving partial benefit); Judd Marmor, Homosexual Behavior: A Modern Reappraisal, 1980, p. 277 (full change is possible in 20%-50%); Irving Bieber, Homosexuality: A Psychoanalytic Study, 1962, pp. 276-301 (27% became exclusively heterosexual, 32% became either inactive or bisexual, and 41% remained exclusively homosexual).<\/p>\n These numbers are consistent with therapy generally, which breaks down into those individuals who achieved significant benefit, partial benefit, and no benefit. Mary Lee Smith, Gene V. Glass, Meta-Analysis of Psychotherapy Outcome Studies, American Psychologist, Sept. 1977, p.752 (\u201cAbout all we\u2019ve been able to prove is that a third of the people get better, a third of the people stay the same, and a third of the people get worse, irregardless [sic] of the treatment to which they are subjected.\u201d); Martin E.P. Seligman, The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy, The Consumer Reports Study, American Psychologist, Dec. 1995, p. 965. (shows 54% achieving significant benefit, 7-8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You cite change in sexuality as a reason why being gay is not biological but couldn\u2019t the reason for this be that discrimination & societal changes are causing these people to report different sexuality? Do you think that someone might be \u201cex-gay\u201d because it is easier to identify as heterosexual in a heteronormative world and to get rid of the ridicule that comes with identifying in any other way?<\/p>\n We live in a pluralistic society, and certainly certain individuals choose to identify with different sexual orientations for various reasons independent of their actual attractions. For example, numerous lesbian-feminist academicians have stated that they choose to identify as lesbians because it was more accepted within their feminist-normative environment to be lesbian, and because they saw being lesbian as a means of protesting patriarchal systems. See Suzanna Danuta Walters, The Power in \u2018Choosing to be Gay\u2019, June 3, 2014, The Atlantic; Claudia Dreifus, A Conversation With \u2013 Anne Fausto-Sterling; Exploring What Makes Us Male or Female, January 2, 2011, New York Times, Science Section. Societal changes certainly do influence how people report their sexual orientations, either homosexual or heterosexual, and change their reporting of their sexual orientations. But societal changes are certainly not the only factor, probably not the determinative factor, and no less a legitimate factor than any other factor which motivates personal growth.<\/p>\n Ostensibly, certain ex-gays (1) could have failed in changing their sexual orientation, and only be identifying as heterosexual when they retain significant homosexual attractions; or (2) even if they succeeded in changing their sexual orientation, only chose to do so as a result of societal pressure. Both options, admittedly, could represent a less-than-ideal situation. Both options, however, do not represent the vast Ex-gay individuals report that they identify as heterosexual and ex-gay because they sought happier, healthier lives for themselves and decided that the means of achieving those happier, healthier lives was through leaving their homosexual pasts behind them. Ex-gays are also not limited to those individuals who only had negative experiences of homosexuality \u2013 many had relatively long, stable relationships and were accustomed to living as homosexuals in our heteronormative world. Nor are they limited to individuals easily brought down by societal pressures \u2013 ex-gay individuals include highly-educated and successful professionals and business men and women. Rather, like any group, ex-gays include individuals of all different persuasions and personalities, and dismissing all of them as merely liars or self-deluders is intellectually dishonest. To read the testimonials of ex-gays and determine for yourself whether you believe their stories, Questions Relating to Natural Law and Theology:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why is your definition of \u201cwhat sex is for\u201d the \u201cright\u201d one?<\/p>\n The first question really is whether anything can have a \u201cpurpose\u201d independent of the purpose given to it by individuals. The Ford Motor Co., makes cars, and they give those cars the purpose of transporting people. An individual who buys that car \u2013 who did not design it \u2013 can change its purpose, and decide that it will instead serve the purpose of entertaining people by being pummeled in a monster truck rally. Similarly, our bodies have natural processes, including sexuality, eating, and sleeping. The question then becomes, did something \u2013 i.e., evolution or God \u2013 give those processes a first purpose such as reproduction, body nourishment, or body refreshment similar to the purpose of the car to transport people. Or do we, as the inheriting masters of those processes, decide what their purposes will be? This is simply an ideological divide where certain individuals can maintain that they have the absolute right to dictate the purpose of any aspect of their body \u2013 regardless of whether it is for their good or not \u2013 and other individuals attempt to align the purpose of processes with what appear to be the design based on evolution, moral reasoning, or simply what produces a good result.<\/p>\n We believe that we can determine the purpose of sexuality based on looking at both evolution and practical results. In that regard, evolution clearly shows that the primary purpose of sexuality is reproduction and propagation of the species. Further, statistical surveys clearly show that life-long, monogamous, male-female unions, provide the best results for the individuals involved and their children.<\/p>\n Of course, sexuality has secondary purposes besides the primary purpose of reproduction, such as the creation of intimacy or simple pleasure. To argue that those secondary purposes are in fact the primary purpose, ignores all the science on biology, evolution, and reproduction \u2013 reproduction is simply the driving force behind each aspect of sexuality, and across all species. Moreover, all natural processes \u2013 including sexuality \u2013 are similar in that the removal of the primary purpose ends up leading to negative side effects for the individual. If one eats, but, through bulimia, removes the nourishment aspect of eating in favor of only the pleasurable aspect of eating, one suffers harsh, physical and psychological consequences. These consequences need not be so severe as to deter bulimia \u2013 and indeed individuals can continue to regularly engage in bulimic patterns for years, and function normally in society. However, neither the bulimic nor the sexual deviant are receiving the optimal use of their natural processes because they are abusing them.<\/p>\n We believe that for their benefit, and in total the aggregate benefit of society, the promotion of the secondary purposes of natural processes over the primary purposes, should be discouraged.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you explain the increase in the size of the LGBTQ community?<\/p>\n The LGBTQ community is only 2.3% of the United States population.\u00a0http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/nchs\/data\/nhsr\/nhsr077.pdf. Prior to the last one The reason why the LGBTQ community has grown is simply because members of that community, and persons affiliated with them, have been amazingly adept at promoting the message that homosexuality is innate, immutable, benign, natural, and simply more akin to left-handedness than to bulimia. The campaign to promote that message was not accidental, but rather coordinated. See Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, "After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's" (1990); Robert R. Reilly, "Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing homosexual Behavior is Changing Everything" (2014); see also Mass Resistance, "The homosexual propaganda campaign in America's media, available at http:\/\/www.massresistance.org\/docs\/issues\/gay_strategies\/after_the_ball.html. Lastly, 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2 Samuel 1:26 records: David\u2019s lament after Jonathan\u2019s death, in which he said that his love for Jonathan was more than the love of a woman. How would you describe their relationship?<\/p>\n The Sacred Scriptures are clear that the love between a man and a woman is the ideal form of love. They are also clear that they restrict sexual expression to the marital embrace. Those sacred writings further make clear God\u2019s plan for men and women, made in His image and likeness, to become one-flesh through the conjugal union. Genesis 1:27; 2:24. It is only the holy union of a husband and wife that God uses to describe the relationship between Him and His people. Jeremiah 3:4. And it is only such a gendered union that allows humanity to fulfill God\u2019s mandate to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 1:28. Those same sacred writings of Jews and Christians alike condemn 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How is celibacy the answer for having a \u201cburning desire\u201d when you have a homosexual inclination? 1 Cor. (7:9) speaks about marrying if you burn with passion, but what do you do with those passions if the release of those burning desires is sinful (to the church)?<\/p>\n This question simply poses a false analogy. It is righteous to abstain from sex as it is righteous to abstain from alcohol. However, if one cannot abstain from sex, marriage is a possible answer. If one cannot abstain from alcohol, marriage will serve no purpose. Instead, another answer must be found. Similarly, marriage is simply not the answer to an inability to abstain from homosexual conduct \u2013 it simply does not fit the situation. However, like heterosexuals who cannot control their sexual behavior, homosexuals can benefit from therapy aimed at helping them control their sexual behavior. Moreover, homosexual marriage would also not be a proper answer to homosexual promiscuity because the statistics show that homosexual relationships are not monogamous, but rather promiscuous. See \u201cCommitment\u201d in Male Homosexual Couples at\u00a0http:\/\/www.frc.org\/get.cfm?i=IS04C02.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If same-sex sex is sinful because it is going against God\u2019s purpose and is unnatural, is an eating disorder sinful as well? For it is also unnatural.<\/p>\n A disorder itself is not sinful. Neither homosexuality nor bulimia as conditions are sinful. \u201cMortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.\u201d Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, \u00a7 1857. Damaging the body, however, \u2013 including forced vomiting and sodomy \u2013 is a grave matter. Id. at \u00a7 1858. \u201cMortal sin [also] requires full knowledge and complete consent.\u201d Id. at \u00a7 1859. Consequently, a person must know their act is sinful, and consciously choose to engage in it. With respect to an eating disorder, the degree to which the person is consciously choosing to participate in the disorder, and the degree to which the person is addicted or otherwise incapable of not choosing to participate in the disorder, cannot be known except by the person. One might also find that some individuals who engage in bulimic practices do not wish to label it a \u201cdisorder\u201d, and instead feel that it is authentic for them. Ultimately, whether any activity is sinful comes down to whether the act is a grave matter, committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent.<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So if I have sex and don\u2019t intend to have a baby, am I also condemned? What if I am heterosexual but I don\u2019t want to [put] my penis in a vagina? I\u2019m still heterosexual . . . am I still condemned?<\/p>\n Catholic teaching distinguishes between judgment and condemnation. For example, everyone can judge the attributes of coffee, whether it is hot or cold, based on their innate faculty. Everyone can also condemn that coffee \u2013 if we wanted hot coffee, but it has cooled down, we can pour it down the drain. Similarly, everyone can judge the acts of individuals, if we meet a person and they state that they killed a man with full knowledge that it was wrong, we can judge that they committed a sin. Unlike with coffee, however, we cannot condemn people. We cannot say that because one is heterosexual, but prefers sodomy, one is condemned \u2013 that type of judgment is reserved to God.<\/p>\n The issue here is whether a person is engaging in immoral behavior. People are neither sinful nor righteous based on their membership in a class. Consequently, just like homosexual persons are not sinful because they are homosexual, heterosexual persons are not righteous because they are heterosexual. Engaging in onanistic practices, including sodomy and masturbation, is immoral regardless of one\u2019s sexual orientation.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you feel about transsexual people?\u00a0 Should they not be allowed to have sex after a sex change operation?<\/p>\n One cannot change one\u2019s sex through bodily disfigurement \u2013 this is supported by both religion and science. Recently, Johns Hopkins University stopped performing sex- change operations because they discovered that the surgery provides no benefits. https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/13-Transgender_is_Mental-Disorder.pdf<\/p>\n Moreover, Individuals often find that sex-change operations do not alleviate all of their distress \u2013 and when they then proceed to regular therapy to have their residual distress treated, they find that their gender dysphoria is treated as well \u2013 to the point that they regret their sex-change operations.\u00a0https:\/\/sites.google.com\/a\/sexchangeregret.com\/www\/.<\/p>\n Individuals who have participated in sex-change operations are no different than the rest of us. Male-to-female transsexuals remain male, and consequently the only moral expression of sexuality for them to engage in is a life-long, monogamous, relationship with a woman. Unfortunately, the sex-change procedures essentially neuter individuals and thus they may not be able to even engage in sexual intercourse. This does not change, however, the nature of immoral sexual acts into moral ones.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why is homosexual sex pleasurable if it doesn\u2019t bring about the chance for We have free will. Along with that free will is a limited ability to alter our nature \u2013 for example through the developments of habits or thinking patterns. Within that limited ability to alter our nature is the ability to derive pleasure from whatever we want, including immoral or unnatural acts \u2013 for example, drinking bitter coffee. This shows that whether any act is pleasurable is quite distinct from whether any act is good, moral or natural.<\/p>\n In addition, the issue is really not limited to homosexual sex \u2013 Why is contraceptive sex pleasurable? Why is heterosexual sodomy pleasurable? Why is pornography pleasurable? From an evolutionary perspective, this question probably is best answered by a biologist, who would say that evolution simply did not anticipate that we would intentionally remove reproduction from sexuality. From a moral perspective, the answer is probably that the decision whether to respect or abuse our sexuality is one that we must make for ourselves, and we should be willing to accept the consequences when we choose wrongly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Aren\u2019t the studies that show a relationship between same-sex marriages and lower measures of success, or same-sex sex and higher rates of STI transmissions, showing correlation [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3650"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3650"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3654,"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3650\/revisions\/3654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n10.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Please provide additional information about the specific quotes you made about gay men having 400 partners on average<\/p>\n
\noutcomes financially, spiritually, emotionally and physically for the individuals involved. Compare Richard Niolon, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially, October 23, 2010, Psychpage, http:\/\/www.psychpage.com\/family\/brwaitgalligher.html with Rick Fitzgibbons, Top 12 Studies Showing Risks to Couples in Same-Sex Unions, December 18, 2014, Life Site News, https:\/\/www.lifesitenews.com\/opinion\/top-12-studies-showing-risks-to-couples-in-same-sex-unions. These benefits, in the aggregate, then greatly benefit society. The statistics also show that homosexual individuals and homosexual unions are not similar to their heterosexual counterparts. These dissimilarities include the reality that homosexual unions are statistically of short duration and non-monogamous in comparison to heterosexual marriages. These statistics are not the result of any intolerance of homosexuality, as shown by statistics taken of homosexuals in the Netherlands. Theo Sandfort, Ron de Graaf, et al., Same-sex Sexual Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders, Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(1): 85-91, p. 89 and Table 2 (January 2001). Nor are the statistics the result of a heterosexism, since homosexuals will frequently readily admit that they desire short, non-monogamous marriages. The opposition to permitting homosexual to be \u201cmarried\u201d comes not from a desire to inhibit the rights of homosexuals, but rather from the belief that protecting the institution of marriage is more important.<\/p>\n
\nfor over 90% of individuals.<\/p>\n
\n33% achieving some benefit, 13% achieving no benefit). With all types of therapy, some individuals do deteriorate while undergoing that therapy \u2013 whether this is merely concurrent with the therapy, or whether there is a causal connection is unclear. Michael J. Lambert, Bergin and Garfield's Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, 2013, p. 192. (\u201cThe relatively consistent portion of adults (5% to 10%) and a shockingly high proportion of children (14% to 24%) who deteriorate while participating in treatment \u2013 especially in routine care \u2013 begs for solutions.\u201d). What is clear, however, is that \u201cresearch studies provide no clear indication of the prevalence of harmful outcomes among people who have undergone efforts to change their sexual orientation or the frequency of occurrence of harm.\u201d American Psychological Association, Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual\u00a0 Orientation, 2009, p. 42.<\/p>\n
\nmajority of testimonials and exist merely as hypotheticals with no real-world backing. The majority of ex-gay individuals report their sexual orientation honestly \u2013 they often report that they continue to have the ability to become sexually aroused by members of the same-sex, but do not engage that ability, either by fantasizing about homosexual sex, looking at homosexual pornography, or in any other way engaging their homosexual potential. Ex-gay individuals also oftentimes report their motivations for change. Although there is no means of measuring whether they are being honest in reporting their motivations, there is also little reason to doubt their reports.<\/p>\n
\nvisit\u00a0www.Voices-Of-Change.org<\/p>\n
\nthe bulimic nor the sexual deviant are receiving the optimal use of their natural
\nprocesses because they are abusing them.<\/p>\n
\nhundred and fifty years, there were no members of the LGBTQ community \u2013 nobody took their sexual preferences and made them into an intrinsic part of their personal identity. Consequently, although the number 2.3% is small, it is immensely larger than the previous number of 0%. Moreover, if individuals with homosexual attractions do not proceed to identify those attractions as central to their identity, they tend to dissipate over time. Neil Whitehead, My Genes Made Me Do It!: Homosexuality and the Scientific Evidence, available at http:\/\/www.mygenes.co.nz\/PDFs\/Ch12.pdf. Consequently, the number of individuals prior to one hundred and fifty years ago with homosexual attractions was probably significantly less than 2.3% of the population.<\/p>\n
\nR. Reilly, "Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing homosexual Behavior is Changing<\/p>\n
\nat http:\/\/www.massresistance.org\/docs\/issues\/gay_strategies\/after_the_ball.html. Lastly, the campaign to promote that message has been overwhelmingly successful. It has been so successful that even proffering the notion that the reproductive organs are most
\nnaturally and healthily used for reproduction \u2013 and that sexual appetites are most natural and healthy when geared toward reproduction \u2013 is often met with vilification and charges of bigotry.<\/p>\n
\nhomosexual conduct in the strongest terms, even calling the act of sodomy an \u201cabomination.\u201d Leviticus 20:13. Consequently, interpreting that passage to mean anything beyond that David and Jonathan had a deep friendship \u2013 perhaps even a friendship so deep that it was more important to David than his love for any woman \u2013 would contradict numerous other passages in Sacred Scripture. Holding that one
\nskewed interpretation of one passage is more important than the clear text of numerous other passages is intellectually dishonest.<\/p>\n
\noperations.\u00a0https:\/\/sites.google.com\/a\/sexchangeregret.com\/www\/.<\/p>\n
\nprocreation?<\/p>\n
\nrates of STI transmissions, showing correlation instead of causation? Could other reasons explain this, such as homophobic harassment by peers, families, and doctors?<\/p>\n
\nremained at dangerously high rates:\u00a0https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hiv\/group\/msm\/index.html.<\/p>\n
\n17-17.pdf<\/p>\n
\npossible that there seems to be a correlation that doesn\u2019t necessarily denote causation? Same-sex couples are marginalized, excluded from the labor force and social sphere more than their heterosexual counterparts. Wouldn\u2019t this have a major impact on these children, meaning their different experience is really based on our discriminating society rather than the sexual orientation of their
\nparents? The Study that I was citing took these societal effects into consideration, and they can not alone explain the significant adverse impacts on children of same-sex parenting compared to children being raised by their own biological parents whenever possible:
\nhttp:\/\/www.focusonthefamily.com\/about\/focus-findings\/family-formation-trends\/regnerus-family-structures-study.<\/p>\n
\ncourse, if one does not believe in God or objective truth, then they may see no benefit in a distinctly Catholic education. Even setting religion aside, however, it is noteworthy that a majority of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court received Catholic educations, including Justices Roberts, Alito, and Gorsuch.\u00a0 A Catholic education has historically been viewed as more academically rigorous, which should be no surprise as the Catholic Church invented the university system.\u00a0 Here are some significant facts which support the reasons why Catholic schools tend to be superior: https:\/\/ace.nd.edu\/resources\/catholic-school-facts.<\/p>\n
\nwomen tends to be more fluid than in men: https:\/\/makeitbetter.net\/better-you\/sexual-fluidity-another-dimeinsion-to-womens-sexuality\/. However, even gay researchers are finding that sexual orientation in men is more fluid than once thought: https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/7-Lisa_Diamond.pdf.<\/p>\n
\nwould God explain this phenomenon?<\/p>\n
\nsuffering, including deseases and birth defects. Intersex individuals represent less than one percent of the population. This type of
\nunfortunate abnormality should certainly not be the basis of a whole discipline of gender ideology.\u00a0 Rather, it is a condition like any other
\nabnormality that needs to be treated with sensitivity and compassion.\u00a0 The goal should be to get the best possible result for the persons afflicted so that they can lead as normal a life as possible.\u00a0 The "Church Teaching" section of the website www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org has a lot of good information about what Catholics and other Christians believe about what God intended for\u00a0the expression of our\u00a0human sexuality.<\/p>\n
\nin His image and likeness.\u00a0 Once again, without God, there is no objective measure of truth, goodness, or beauty, and no real hope of human fulfillment or happiness. Instead, there is disorder and anarchy, even in the expression of our sexuality, which is well reflected by such nonsensical terms as "pansexuality" and "asexuality".\u00a0 Human sexuality is a gift from God but like any gift it can be used as intended or abused. The choice is ours. The Church teaching on gender ideology can be found at these links:\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/issues-and-action\/marriage-and-family\/marriage\/promotion-and-defense-of-marriage\/upload\/Gender-
\nIdeology-Select-Teaching-Resources.pdf and http:\/\/www.alumniforacatholicusd.org\/contents\/en-us\/d1.html.<\/p>\n
\nChildren as young as 5 or 6 years old can begin to appreciate their maleness and femaleness but it is usually\u00a0not until adolescence that
\npeople start to think in terms of being sexually attracted to one or the other gender. The usual factors that homosexual men experience in their youth are a lack of a good relationship with their father, the influcence of a dominant mother, sexual or physical abuse, peer rejection or bullying, and a negative self image or envy of other males. Certainly not all homosexual men experience all of these factors, but it would be an exception for a homosexual male to experience none of them. Of course exceptions do occur and you may be one of them. Then again, some of these influences occur at ages even before age 5, when you may have been too young to appreciate or remember them. For more information see these links:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.therapeuticchoice.com\/\u00a0\u00a0and https:\/\/couragerc.org\/.
\n————————————————————————————————
\n—
\nRESPONSES TO QUESTIONS TO CHARLES LIMANDRI FOLLOWING THE\u00a0MARCH 18, 2015 USD PRESENTATION.<\/p>\n
\nMen,\u201d Journal of Sex Research 34 (1997): 354.<\/p>\n
\nwho had more than one thousand sexual partners.\u201d \u201cSex Survey Results,\u201d Genre (October 1996), quoted in \u201cSurvey Finds 40 percent of Gay Men Have Had More Than 40 Sex Partners,\u201d Lambda Report, January 1998: 20.<\/p>\n
\nbased on ideology that it is somehow improper for the government to maintain the Mt. Soledad Cross. Reasonable people can disagree concerning whether it is proper for the government to maintain the Mt. Soledad Cross, but we believe that the Cross actually serves to better illustrate our Nation\u2019s plurality by not relegating any aspect of her citizens\u2019 identities to only the privacy of their homes. Moreover, the cross is a fitting symbol of self-sacrifice for our Nation\u2019s fallen soldiers and sailors.<\/p>\n
\noutcomes financially, spiritually, emotionally and physically for the individuals involved. Compare Richard Niolon, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially, October 23, 2010, Psychpage, http:\/\/www.psychpage.com\/family\/brwaitgalligher.html with Rick Fitzgibbons, Top 12 Studies Showing Risks to Couples in Same-Sex Unions, December 18, 2014, Life Site News, https:\/\/www.lifesitenews.com\/opinion\/top-12-studies-showing-risks-to-couples-in-same-sex-unions. These benefits, in the aggregate, then greatly benefit society. The statistics also show that homosexual individuals and homosexual unions are not similar to their heterosexual counterparts. These dissimilarities include the reality that homosexual unions are statistically of short duration and non-monogamous in comparison to heterosexual marriages. These statistics are not the result of any intolerance of homosexuality, as shown by statistics taken of homosexuals in the Netherlands. Theo Sandfort, Ron de Graaf, et al., Same-sex Sexual Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders, Archives of General Psychiatry, 58(1): 85-91, p. 89 and Table 2 (January 2001). Nor are the statistics the result of a heterosexism, since homosexuals will frequently readily admit that they desire short, non-monogamous marriages. The opposition to permitting homosexual to be \u201cmarried\u201d comes not from a desire to inhibit
\nthe rights of homosexuals, but rather from the belief that protecting the institution of
\nmarriage is more important.<\/p>\n
\nfor over 90% of individuals.<\/p>\n
\n33% achieving some benefit, 13% achieving no benefit). With all types of therapy, some individuals do deteriorate while undergoing that therapy \u2013 whether this is merely concurrent with the therapy, or whether there is a causal connection is unclear. Michael J. Lambert, Bergin and Garfield's Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, 2013, p. 192. (\u201cThe relatively consistent portion of adults (5% to 10%) and a shockingly high proportion of children (14% to 24%) who deteriorate while participating in treatment \u2013 especially in routine care \u2013 begs for solutions.\u201d). What is clear, however, is that \u201cresearch studies provide no clear indication of the prevalence of harmful outcomes among people who have undergone efforts to change their sexual orientation or the frequency of occurrence of harm.\u201d American Psychological Association, Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual\u00a0 Orientation, 2009, p. 42.<\/p>\n
\nany other way?<\/p>\n
\nidentify as lesbians because it was more accepted within their feminist-normative environment to be lesbian, and because they saw being lesbian as a means of protesting patriarchal systems. See Suzanna Danuta Walters, The Power in \u2018Choosing to be Gay\u2019, June 3, 2014, The Atlantic; Claudia Dreifus, A Conversation With \u2013 Anne Fausto-Sterling; Exploring What Makes Us Male or Female, January 2, 2011, New York Times, Science Section. Societal changes certainly do influence how people report their sexual orientations, either homosexual or heterosexual, and change their reporting of their sexual orientations. But societal changes are certainly not the only factor, probably
\nnot the determinative factor, and no less a legitimate factor than any other factor which motivates personal growth.<\/p>\n
\nmajority of testimonials and exist merely as hypotheticals with no real-world backing. The majority of ex-gay individuals report their sexual orientation honestly \u2013 they often report that they continue to have the ability to become sexually aroused by members of the same-sex, but do not engage that ability, either by fantasizing about homosexual sex, looking at homosexual pornography, or in any other way engaging their homosexual potential. Ex-gay individuals also oftentimes report their motivations for change. Although there is no means of measuring whether they are being honest in reporting their motivations, there is also little reason to doubt their reports.<\/p>\n
\nvisit\u00a0www.Voices-Of-Change.org<\/p>\n
\naspect of their body \u2013 regardless of whether it is for their good or not \u2013 and other individuals attempt to align the purpose of processes with what appear to be the design based on evolution, moral reasoning, or simply what produces a good result.<\/p>\n
\nthe bulimic nor the sexual deviant are receiving the optimal use of their natural processes because they are abusing them.<\/p>\n
\nhundred and fifty years, there were no members of the LGBTQ community \u2013 nobody took their sexual preferences and made them into an intrinsic part of their personal identity. Consequently, although the number 2.3% is small, it is immensely larger than the previous number of 0%. Moreover, if individuals with homosexual attractions do not proceed to identify those attractions as central to their identity, they tend to dissipate over time. Neil Whitehead, My Genes Made Me Do It!: Homosexuality and the Scientific Evidence, available at http:\/\/www.mygenes.co.nz\/PDFs\/Ch12.pdf. Consequently, the number of individuals prior to one hundred and fifty years ago with homosexual attractions was probably significantly less than 2.3% of the population.<\/p>\n
\nR. Reilly, "Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing homosexual Behavior is Changing<\/p>\n
\nat http:\/\/www.massresistance.org\/docs\/issues\/gay_strategies\/after_the_ball.html. Lastly, the campaign to promote that message has been overwhelmingly successful. It has been so successful that even proffering the notion that the reproductive organs are most
\nnaturally and healthily used for reproduction \u2013 and that sexual appetites are most natural and healthy when geared toward reproduction \u2013 is often met with vilification and charges of bigotry.<\/p>\n
\nskewed interpretation of one passage is more important than the clear text of numerous other passages is intellectually dishonest.<\/p>\n
\noperations.\u00a0https:\/\/sites.google.com\/a\/sexchangeregret.com\/www\/.<\/p>\n
\nrates of STI transmissions, showing correlation instead of causation? Could other reasons explain this, such as homophobic harassment by peers, families, and doctors?<\/p>\n
\nMoreover, despite increasing acceptance in the United States, including\u00a0the medical community, HIV rates among homosexuals\u00a0has
\nremained at dangerously high rates:\u00a0https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hiv\/group\/msm\/index.html.<\/p>\n
\ncollege-womens-locker-room-exposing-himself.html;\u00a0 see also this link: http:\/\/www.lc.org\/PDFs\/LC-Predators-in-Bathrooms-Feb-2017-edited-2-17-17.pdf<\/p>\n
\npossible that there seems to be a correlation that doesn\u2019t necessarily denote causation? Same-sex couples are marginalized, excluded from the labor force and social sphere more than their heterosexual counterparts. Wouldn\u2019t this have a major impact on these children, meaning their different experience is really based on our discriminating society rather than the sexual orientation of their
\nparents?<\/p>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.focusonthefamily.com\/about\/focus-findings\/family-formation-trends\/regnerus-family-structures-study.<\/p>\n
\ncourse, if one does not believe in God or objective truth, then they may see no benefit in a distinctly Catholic education. Even setting religion aside, however, it is noteworthy that a majority of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court received Catholic educations, including Justices Roberts, Alito, and Gorsuch.\u00a0 A Catholic education has historically been viewed as more academically rigorous, which should be no surprise as the Catholic Church invented the university system.\u00a0 Here are some significant facts which support the reasons why Catholic schools tend to be superior: https:\/\/ace.nd.edu\/resources\/catholic-school-facts.<\/p>\n
\nwomen tends to be more fluid than in men: https:\/\/makeitbetter.net\/better-you\/sexual-fluidity-another-dimeinsion-to-womens-sexuality\/. However, even gay researchers are finding that sexual orientation in men is more fluid than once thought:\u00a0 https:\/\/alumniforacatholicusd.org\/7-Lisa_Diamond.pdf.<\/p>\n
\nwould God explain this phenomenon?<\/p>\n
\nsuffering, including deseases and birth defects. Intersex individuals represent less than one percent of the population. This type of
\nunfortunate abnormality should certainly not be the basis of a whole discipline of gender ideology.\u00a0 Rather, it is a condition like any other
\nabnormality that needs to be treated with sensitivity and compassion.\u00a0 The goal should be to get the best possible result for the persons afflicted so that they can lead as normal a life as possible.\u00a0 The "Church Teaching" section of the website www.AlumniForACatholicUSD.org has a lot of good information about what Catholics and other Christians believe about what God intended for\u00a0the expression of our\u00a0human sexuality.<\/p>\n
\nin His image and likeness.\u00a0 Once again, without God, there is no objective measure of truth, goodness, or beauty, and no real hope of human fulfillment or happiness. Instead, there is disorder and anarchy, even in the expression of our sexuality, which is well reflected by such nonsensical terms as "pansexuality" and "asexuality".\u00a0 Human sexuality is a gift from God but like any gift it can be used as intended or abused. The choice is ours. The Church teaching on gender ideology can be found at these links:\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/issues-and-action\/marriage-and-family\/marriage\/promotion-and-defense-of-marriage\/upload\/Gender-
\nIdeology-Select-Teaching-Resources.pdf and http:\/\/www.alumniforacatholicusd.org\/contents\/en-us\/d1.html.<\/p>\n
\nChildren as young as 5 or 6 years old can begin to appreciate their maleness and femaleness but it is usually\u00a0not until adolescence that
\npeople start to think in terms of being sexually attracted to one or the other gender. The usual factors that homosexual men experience in their youth are a lack of a good relationship with their father, the influcence of a dominant mother, sexual or physical abuse, peer rejection or bullying, and a negative self image or envy of other males. Certainly not all homosexual men experience all of these factors, but it would be an exception for a homosexual male to experience none of them. Of course exceptions do occur and you may be one of them. Then again, some of these influences occur at ages even before age 5, when you may have been too young to appreciate or remember them. For more information see these links:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.therapeuticchoice.com\/\u00a0\u00a0and https:\/\/couragerc.org\/.
\n————————————————————————————————
\n—
\nRESPONSES TO QUESTIONS TO CHARLES LIMANDRI FOLLOWING THE\u00a0MARCH 18, 2015 USD PRESENTATION.<\/p>\n
\nMen,\u201d Journal of Sex Research 34 (1997): 354.<\/p>\n
\nwho had more than one thousand sexual partners.\u201d \u201cSex Survey Results,\u201d Genre (October 1996), quoted in \u201cSurvey Finds 40 percent of Gay Men Have Had More Than 40 Sex Partners,\u201d Lambda Report, January 1998: 20.<\/p>\n
\n33% achieving some benefit, 13% achieving no benefit). With all types of therapy, some individuals do deteriorate while undergoing that therapy \u2013 whether this is merely concurrent with the therapy, or whether there is a causal connection is unclear. Michael J. Lambert, Bergin and Garfield's Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, 2013, p. 192. (\u201cThe relatively consistent portion of adults (5% to 10%) and a shockingly high proportion of children (14% to 24%) who deteriorate while participating in treatment \u2013 especially in routine care \u2013 begs for solutions.\u201d). What is clear, however, is that \u201cresearch studies provide no clear indication of the prevalence of harmful outcomes among people who have undergone efforts to change their sexual orientation or the frequency of occurrence of harm.\u201d American Psychological Association, Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual\u00a0 Orientation, 2009, p. 42.<\/p>\n
\nmajority of testimonials and exist merely as hypotheticals with no real-world backing. The majority of ex-gay individuals report their sexual orientation honestly \u2013 they often report that they continue to have the ability to become sexually aroused by members of the same-sex, but do not engage that ability, either by fantasizing about homosexual sex, looking at homosexual pornography, or in any other way engaging their homosexual potential. Ex-gay individuals also oftentimes report their motivations for change. Although there is no means of measuring whether they are being honest in reporting their motivations, there is also little reason to doubt their reports.<\/p>\n
\nvisit\u00a0www.Voices-Of-Change.org<\/p>\n
\nhundred and fifty years, there were no members of the LGBTQ community \u2013 nobody took their sexual preferences and made them into an intrinsic part of their personal identity. Consequently, although the number 2.3% is small, it is immensely larger than the previous number of 0%. Moreover, if individuals with homosexual attractions do not proceed to identify those attractions as central to their identity, they tend to dissipate over time. Neil Whitehead, My Genes Made Me Do It!: Homosexuality and the Scientific Evidence, available at http:\/\/www.mygenes.co.nz\/PDFs\/Ch12.pdf. Consequently, the number of individuals prior to one hundred and fifty years ago with homosexual attractions was probably significantly less than 2.3% of the population.<\/p>\n
\nthe campaign to promote that message has been overwhelmingly successful. It has been so successful that even proffering the notion that the reproductive organs are most naturally and healthily used for reproduction \u2013 and that sexual appetites are most natural and healthy when geared toward reproduction \u2013 is often met with vilification and charges of bigotry.<\/p>\n
\nhomosexual conduct in the strongest terms, even calling the act of sodomy an \u201cabomination.\u201d Leviticus 20:13. Consequently, interpreting that passage to mean anything beyond that David and Jonathan had a deep friendship \u2013 perhaps even a friendship so deep that it was more important to David than his love for any woman \u2013 would contradict numerous other passages in Sacred Scripture. Holding that one
\nskewed interpretation of one passage is more important than the clear text of numerous other passages is intellectually dishonest.<\/p>\n
\nprocreation?<\/p>\n