From: "Venantius J Pinto" <venantius.pi...@gmail.com>
Very Interesting article, but unless I am misreading it, there is
something
odd in: Some kinds of sexual behavior are always
DONE BADLY, like promiscuity, rape, and pedophilia. Could this be an
American inflection?
Can they be DONE BETTER? What was intended perhaps WAS:
Some kinds of sexual behavior are always BAD, like promiscuity, rape, and
pedophilia.
**Dear Venantius,
I shall give you the answer in three parts.
A.The Author is an American psychologist.
1.Let us see the full text:
"Let's tell the truth. Any kind of sexual behavior (and celibacy is a form
of
sexual behavior) can be done badly. Some kinds of sexual behavior are
always
done badly, like promiscuity, rape, and pedophilia. Some sexual behaviors
are inherently immature and pathological. Celibacy, its critics
notwithstanding, is not one of these. I have been celibate all my life (I
knew when I was eight years old that I was called to be a priest). Those
who denounce celibacy as immature or perverse or manipulation by
ecclesiastical authority I accuse of ignorance, ill will, or perversity.
Period! I welcome the opportunity to take the saner people with this
position on in
public debate".
2.The Author has mentioned three types of sexual behaviour: the first one is
always wrong ("done badly"). It is "intrinsically evil"--according to
situation ethics, some moral rules may be "virtual" absolutes, in
the sense that it is hard to envisage the possibility of there ever being a
proportionate reason for going against
them. The prohibition of rape, forcing another to violate his or her
conscience, dropping a nuclear bomb
that would kill a million people, pedophilia, would for them be in this
category.
3.The second one is "inherently immature and pathological".
It can be wrong, but there is a difference: for example, homosexuality can
be a result of immaturity, as in the case of young boys, or pathological.
Scientifically
there is no "gay gene" nor is it genetically determined. There is free will,
it is the outcome of several factors. See the website:
http://www.narth.com/docs/hom101.html
"Homosexuality 101:
What Every Therapist, Parent, And Homosexual Should Know
Julie Harren, Ph.D., LMFT
"Homosexuality is an issue that has often been mishandled by therapists due
to misinformation on the topic. Although not supported by the research, many
therapists believe that homosexuality is solely biological in nature, and
therefore unchangeable. Yet despite ongoing efforts, researchers have not
discovered a biological basis for same-sex attractions. In fact, many
researchers hypothesize that a homosexual orientation stems from a
combination of biological and environmental factors. For example, when asked
if homosexuality was rooted solely in biology, gay gene researcher, Dean
Hamer, replied, "Absolutely not. From twin studies, we already know that
half or more of the variability in sexual orientation is not inherited. Our
studies try to pinpoint the genetic factors...not negate the psychosocial
factors" (Anastasia, 1995, p. 43). In addition, brain researcher Simon LeVay
has acknowledged that multiple factors may contribute to a homosexual
orientation (LeVay, 1996)".
"What, then, are the causes of homosexual attractions? These feelings
typically stem from a combination of temperamental factors and environmental
factors that occur in a child's life. According to Whitehead and Whitehead
(1999), "Human behavior is determined by both nature and nurture. Without
genes, you can't act in the environment at all. But without the environment
your genes have nothing on which to act" (p. 10). One way of understanding
this combination might be expressed in the following equation:
Genes + Brain Wiring + Prenatal Hormonal Environment = Temperament
Parents + Peers + Experiences = Environment
Temperament + Environment = Homosexual Orientation"
"While environmental factors may include experiences of sexual abuse or
other
traumatic events, a common contributor to same-sex attractions is a
disruption in the development of gender identity. Gender identity refers to
a person's view of his or her own gender; that is, his or her sense of
masculinity or femininity. Gender identity is formed through the
relationships that a child has with the same-sex parent and same-sex peers".
"...Research studies have revealed that change of sexual orientation does
take place (see Spitzer, 2003; Byrd & Nicolosi, 2002). It is not a quick or
easy process, but as with any other therapeutic issue, varying degrees of
change are achievable through therapy and other means".
"The inaccurate concept that homosexuality is solely biological is extremely
misleading. Many therapists tell their clients that homosexuality is
biological and therefore unchangeable. These therapists encourage their
clients to embrace a gay identity, even when such clients are seeking change
for their orientation. In doing so, therapists negate clients' rights to
self-determination. Clients have the right to choose their own goals for
therapy and should be allowed to pursue the path they desire. Clients should
not be discouraged from pursuing change when change is what they seek. In
order for clients to have the options made available to them, it is vital
that therapists as well as clients become better educated on this issue".
References: Byrd, A. D., & Nicolosi, J (2002). A meta-analytic review of the
treatment
of homosexuality. Psychological Reports, 90, 1139-1152; LeVay, S. (1996).
Queer Science, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press;
Nicolosi, J. & Nicolosi, L. A. (2001). Preventing homosexuality in today's
youth. InterVarsity Press.
Satinover, J. (1996)." The gay gene?" The Journal of Human Sexuality.
Spitzer, R. L. (2003). "Can some gay men and lesbians change their sexual
orientation? 200 participants reporting a change from homosexual to
heterosexual orientation". Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32:5, 403-417.
Whitehead, N. & Whitehead, B. (1999). My genes made me do it: A scientific
look at sexual orientation. Lafayette, LA: Huntington House Publishers.
Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 32, No. 5, October 2003, pp. 403-417".
**On the contrary, the consensus from the American Psychiatric Association,
American Psychological Association, and other institutions in other
countries, is that the research and clinical literature demonstrate that
same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviours are
normal and positive variations of human sexuality. But there are those who
think that it was a political decision (due to pressure from the gay
groups).
See the history of this issue:
The American Psychiatric Association: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual,
also known as the DSM, is the official list of mental disorders that all
mental health professionals refer to when diagnosing patients. The first
version, released in 1952, listed homosexuality as a sociopath personality
disturbance. In 1968, the second version (DSM II) reclassified homosexuality
as a sexual deviancy. Soon afterward, gay protestors began picketing at the
APA's annual conventions, demanding that homosexuality be removed from the
list completely. In 1973, after intensive debate and numerous disturbances
by gay activists, the APA decided to remove homosexuality from it's next
manual (DSM IV) completely. What followed was a swarm of outrage from
psychiatrists within the APA who disagreed with the decision and demanded
that the issue be reconsidered. In 1974, a referendum was called and
approximately 40 percent of the APA's membership voted to put homosexuality
back into the DSM-IV. Since a majority was not achieved to reverse the
decision, homosexuality remains omitted from the APA's Diagnostic and
Statistical manual. Many in the scientific community have criticized the
APA's
decision to remove homosexuality from the DSM-IV, claiming its motives were
more political than scientific.
**Dr. Ronald Bayer, author of the book,
Homosexuality and American Psychiatry writes: "The entire process, from the
first confrontation organized by gay demonstrators to the referendum
demanded by orthodox psychiatrists, seemed to violate the most basic
expectations about how questions of science should be resolved. Instead of
being engaged in sober discussion of data, psychiatrists were swept up in a
political controversy. The result was not a conclusion based on an
approximation of the scientific truth as dictated by reason, but was instead
an action demanded by the ideological temper of the times". Along these same
lines, a recent radio documentary on the subject of homosexuality revealed
that the President-elect of the APA in 1973, Dr. John P. Speigel, was a
"closeted homosexual with a very particular agenda". Some have exaggerated
or misrepresented these studies in attempt to prove that homosexuality is
genetic. Others insist that homosexuality is developed after birth as a
response to one's environment. The truth is that we have no conclusive
replicable research to prove either conclusion. However, most researchers
have come to the conclusion that sexual orientation is likely determined by
a complex interaction between a person's genetic make-up and their
environment. Even the American Psychological Association asserts that:
"There are numerous theories about the origins of a person's sexual
orientation; most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most
likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive and
biological factors. In most people, sexual orientation is shaped at an early
age. And the American Psychiatric Association wrote: "Currently there is a
renewed interest in searching for biological etiologies for homosexuality.
However, to date there are no replicated scientific studies supporting any
specific biological etiology for homosexuality". Whatever the case, we know
from the personal testimonies of thousands that homosexuality is a
changeable condition. Stanton Jones, who is Chair of Psychology at Wheaton
College states: "Every secular study of change has shown some success
rate..."
Regards.
Fr.Ivo
_____________________
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