tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-759178030677978044.post6364245035535857055..comments2024-02-19T07:24:42.397-08:00Comments on Anglican Curmudgeon: A Tale of Three HyperlinksA. S. Haleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05108498446058643166noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-759178030677978044.post-79652303271984624772009-04-09T07:35:00.000-07:002009-04-09T07:35:00.000-07:00Mr. Haley,Thank you for taking time to respond. As...Mr. Haley,<BR/>Thank you for taking time to respond. As neither of us are pediatricians, I think we are left with the recognition that there is a serious disagreement about this issue within the medical community and I would suggest that, given the nature of the issue, it may be impossible to find researchers who don't bring their own biases to any research. Given the fact that lesbians are giving birth, I suggest that those children would benefit from being raised in stable two-parent households and that the marriage of their parents might be a positive thing. That assertion, of course, recognizes how poorly heterosexual marriages do in being stable.Daniel Weirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430381764138066595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-759178030677978044.post-59410485487441519592009-04-08T23:20:00.000-07:002009-04-08T23:20:00.000-07:00Father Weir, once again I have to thank you for he...Father Weir, once again I have to thank you for helping to illustrate the point which I was making in my main post. Your citation to <A HREF="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/1/349?ijkey=c82708dc7e97530f2624ed34c118d8c59ed99d5b&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha" REL="nofollow">this article</A> published in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics was extremely illuminating. I went there expecting to read an equally well-documented discussion of the scientific studies dealing with the long-term effects on children of being reared by same-sex parents, and I looked forward to comparing it with the article I had cited from the American College of Pediatricians in my earlier comment. <BR/><BR/>Imagine my disappointment, therefore, when I scanned through the article looking for any citations to such studies, and found instead (in the section entitled "Psychosocial Characteristics of Gay and Lesbian Parents and their Children") only citations to wholly subjective surveys about the <I>attitudes</I> of same-sex parents, their children, and their teachers, and nothing about the actual objective measurements of factors like relative levels of violence, divorce, and continuity of relationship such as are documented in the article I cited.<BR/><BR/>You should have looked at the responses to your article written by pediatricians who read it (they are linked at the very bottom of the page). Of five responses published in the November 1, 2006 issue of the magazine, three were wholly subjective, and cited no scientific research in support of the article, while two were highly critical of it and provided extensive references to detailed research refuting virtually all of its premises. For example, <A HREF="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/5/2259" REL="nofollow">one of those two responses</A> states in part:<BR/><BR/>"I read with great concern the article entitled 'The Effects of Marriage, Civil Union, and Domestic Partnership Laws on the Health and Well-being of Children.' This article seemed to be published more for political expediency than for its scientific contribution to the practice of pediatrics. I believe that this article is pseudoscientific because it does not share any original research and its review of the medical literature regarding the impact of homosexuality on children, families, and society is significantly biased. This article would have been better suited for the commentary section of Pediatrics."<BR/><BR/>The <A HREF="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/5/2261b" REL="nofollow">second critical letter</A> takes the article to task for making precisely the statement which you quoted in your comment without any scientific evidence to back it up (I am leaving in the footnote numbers, but am not quoting the footnotes themselves, and I am putting the statement you quoted in bold):<BR/><BR/>"The evidence of favorable outcomes from homosexual parenting used in this article is the same faulty research cited in the AAP's 2002 same-sex adoption policy statement.7 The studies suffer critical flaws such as nonlongitudinal design, inadequate sample size, biased sample selection, lack of proper controls, and failure to account for confounding variables.8 Within the earlier policy statement was the acknowledgment that '[t]he small and nonrepresentative samples studied and the relatively young age of most of the children suggest some reserve.'9 (p343) With no such caution, Pawelski et al proclaim, '<B>There is ample evidence to show that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents. ... These data have demonstrated no risk to children as a result of growing up in a family with 1 or more gay parents.</B>'10 It is appalling that a professional medical organization could so recklessly champion "evidence" when none exists."<BR/><BR/>So what you find to be a contrasting view equally worthy of consideration, other pediatricians regard as unscientific, wholly subjective, and relying upon non-existent evidence. The same could be said of the sociological "analysis" provided by the Iowa Supreme Court as a rationale for its decision. There are huge leaps being taken here that will affect the lives of countless future members of our society. They are being taken on nothing better than an emotional response that such a treatment of LGBTs makes the liberals "feel good". The ones who will suffer the most from these subjective decisions, just as they will be the ones to suffer most from the current out-of-control fiscal policies of the Obama administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress, are our children.A. S. Haleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05108498446058643166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-759178030677978044.post-35204352572068624842009-04-08T18:33:00.000-07:002009-04-08T18:33:00.000-07:00For another view on the question of same-sex coupl...For another view on the question of same-sex couples raising children, I would recommend a report from Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which includes this statement: "There is ample evidence to show that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents. More than 25 years of research have documented that there is no relationship between parents' sexual orientation and any measure of a child's emotional, psychosocial, and behavioral adjustment. These data have demonstrated no risk to children as a result of growing up in a family with 1 or more gay parents. Conscientious and nurturing adults, whether they are men or women, heterosexual or homosexual, can be excellent parents. The rights, benefits, and protections of civil marriage can further strengthen these families."<BR/><BR/>The report can be found at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/1/349?ijkey=c82708dc7e97530f2624ed34c118d8c59ed99d5b&keytype2=tf_ipsecshaDaniel Weirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430381764138066595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-759178030677978044.post-59069988152384439412009-04-07T12:08:00.000-07:002009-04-07T12:08:00.000-07:00I am very glad to hear that in the case of couples...I am very glad to hear that in the case of couples whom you know, Father Weir. I am afraid that the situation in general is far less favorable, to the point where the American College of Pediatricians is <A HREF="http://www.acpeds.org/?CONTEXT=art&cat=22&art=50" REL="nofollow">not yet prepared</A>, based on all of the available evidence, to change its recommendation against regarding same-sex parenting as providing equal benefits:<BR/><BR/>"The environment in which children are reared is absolutely critical to their development. Given the current body of research, the American College of Pediatricians believes it is inappropriate, potentially hazardous to children, and dangerously irresponsible to change the age-old prohibition on homosexual parenting, whether by adoption, foster care, or by reproductive manipulation. This position is rooted in the best available science."<BR/><BR/>Admittedly they start from the premise that what has worked should not be lightly changed, but they document all of their assertions with references to peer-reviewed studies.A. S. Haleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05108498446058643166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-759178030677978044.post-68509297049723007892009-04-07T07:14:00.000-07:002009-04-07T07:14:00.000-07:00"The traditional notion that children need a mothe..."The traditional notion that children need a mother and a father to be raised into healthy, well-adjusted adults is based more on stereotype than anything else." While I would have avoided the use of "notion" and used "idea" instead, the evidence supports this statement. The children in our parish who are being raised by same-sex couples are doing just fine.Daniel Weirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430381764138066595noreply@blogger.com