REGARDING THE LETTER Homosexuality Complex, by P. Abdon Dasilva, of June 29, the author is morally, historically and scientifically incorrect in his many assumptions in favour of homosexuality.

Dasilva incorrectly compares animals with humans to suggest that homosexuality is acceptable.

The flaw with this argument is that in the great chain of being, humans, unlike animals have reason and a free will which enables them to discern right from wrong and overcome behavioural disorders.

Dasilva may be correct in claiming that homosexuality existed "throughout history" but there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that it was ever considered a norm of any culture. In any event exceptions do not invalidate but prove the rule; variations do not nullify a norm.

Authentic, large scale, and unbiased statistics show that there is a much higher rate of psychiatric illness, such as depression, suicide attempts and drug abuse among homosexuals.

These statistics, which compare homosexuals with ethnic minorities exposed to racism, indicate this is not due to "homophobia".

Homosexuals tend to recklessly characterise those in society who disagree with them as "homophobic" – the term "homophobia" itself intended to denote a disorder.

No one can deny that homosexuals must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Nonetheless, homosexual acts must be considered wrong and intrinsically disordered.

They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. The Bible clearly and unequivocally condemns homosexual acts (Genesis 1:27-28; Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19: 4-6; Romans 1 24-27; I Corinthians 6:10; I Timothy 1:10).

There is also no scientific evidence to confirm homosexual activity as a normal behaviour. The Laumann Report, published in 1994, is today universally recognised as definitive.

Not a stable trait

In summary, its major findings are that homosexuality is not a stable trait and that it tends spontaneously to convert into heterosexuality as an individual gets older; that sexual identity is not fixed at adolescence but continues to change over the course of life and that there is no evidence for homosexuality being innate. The so-called "gay gene" has never been found.

As natural law implies, sexual-orientation does not constitute a quality comparable to race, ethnicity, gender or age in respect to non-discrimination.

Unlike these, homosexual orientation is an objective disorder and evokes moral concern. In suggesting otherwise Dasilva is merely exploiting tolerance in the service of a particular ideology.

Nonetheless, were it to be proven that some individuals have a genetic determination to homosexuality, in itself this evidence would not serve to invalidate the long tradition of human belief that homosexuality, according to the "natural law", is an unnatural or disordered condition.

"Natural" does not, as some think, refer here simply to what is in accord with biological processes of man. Nor does it refer to what is innate, nor even to what is "normal".

Rather, the word "natural" has a metaphysical meaning. That is said to be "natural" which accords with what is food for human beings. Homosexual acts do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarily.

All human beings are, in fact, in an unnatural and disordered condition. It is common to the human condition, for instance, for human beings to want to eat, drink, and sleep, more than is good for them.

It is common to the human condition for humans to want to have sexual intercourse with those with whom they should not or when they should not or in ways that they should not. In this context, homosexuality is simply one more of the "unnatural" or "disordered" conditions to which humans are susceptible.

– PAUL KOKOSKI