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The Ruth Institute Podcast


May 7, 2025

AJ Benjamin joins Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse to share a powerful story of healing from same-sex attraction and the deeper wounds that fed it — fatherlessness, confusion, and emotional pain. With honesty and humility, AJ walks us through the trauma he experienced as a child and how it distorted his identity, his relationships, and his view of God. Through years of spiritual growth and personal reflection, he came to see that his deepest needs weren’t about sexuality, but about truth, healing, and belonging.

 

Together, AJ and Dr. Morse explore how our culture often exploits emotional wounds rather than healing them — especially when it comes to sex, gender, and family life. They speak candidly about the ways trauma can mask itself as identity, and how the loss of strong father figures leaves children vulnerable to false ideologies. At the heart of their conversation is a call to compassion — not the kind that affirms everything, but the kind that loves enough to tell the truth.

 

This interview is filled with hope. AJ’s story is a testimony to the power of grace, the gift of confession, and the maternal care of Our Lady. His journey reminds us that healing is possible, that God hasn’t given up on us, and that love — real love — always leads us back to truth. Watch, share, and be encouraged.

 

Watch part 1 here: https://youtu.be/Uo0qXkqyT0U

Watch the full video

Subscribe to our newsletter to get this amazing report: Refuting the Top 5 Gay Myths https://ruthinstitute.org/refute-the-top-five-myths/

 

When the Son Frees You: A Catholic Man's Journey of Healing From Same-Sex Attraction - https://tanbooks.com/products/books/when-the-son-frees-you-a-catholic-mans-journey-of-healing-from-same-sex-attraction/

 

Nancy Charles with Dr. Morse part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99S1_mv903I

Nancy Charles with Dr. Morse Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99S1_mv903I

Christie May Jesse with Dr. Morse Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHjr84Zc8tg

Christie May Jesse with Dr. Morse Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piJ0vb954UQ

 

The Tilma of Guadalupe

https://garystockbridge617.getarchive.net/amp/media/guadalupe-tilma-33ab1c

 

Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/Fatima_BW_2018-10-05_21-52-30.jpg

 

Miracle of the Sun

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Miracle_du_soleil_attente_pluie.jpg

https://picryl.com/media/miracle-of-the-sun-0c9100?zoom=true

https://itoldya420.getarchive.net/amp/media/danse-du-soleil-fatima-13-oct-1917-764d84

 

The children who saw Our Lady of Fatima

https://picryl.com/media/fatima-children-with-rosaries-0ea2f2?zoom=true

 

Our Lady of Fatima

https://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/34587584510

 

The Servant of God, Maria Esperanza de Bianchini

http://www.thesilentknight.net/writings/maria-esperanza-and-a-kiss-from-our-lady

https://sign.org/articles/servant-of-god-maria-esperanza-prophecy-and-hope-245796

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2019/07/21/she-had-a-heart-for-souls-the-life-and-cause-of-servant-of-god-maria-esperanza-de-bianchini/

 

Reverend Mother Mary Angelica

https://www.olamshrine.com/about/mother-angelica

 

Watch on Rumble: https://rumble.com/v6skei5-what-if-youre-not-born-that-way-aj-benjamins-story-of-hope-healing-and-rede.html

 

Watch on Locals: https://theruthinstitute.locals.com/post/6877643/what-if-you-re-not-born-that-way-aj-benjamin-s-story-of-hope-healing-and-redemption

 

Have a question or a comment? Leave it in the comments, and we'll get back to you!

 

Watch the full episode, uncensored, on Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/Theruthinstitute

 

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Press:

NC Register: https://www.ncregister.com/author/jennifer-roback-morse

Catholic Answers: https://www.catholic.com/profile/jennifer-roback-morse

The Stream: https://stream.org/author/jennifer-roback-morse/

Crisis Magazine: https://crisismagazine.com/author/jennifer-roeback-morse

 

Father Sullins' Reports on Clergy Sexual Abuse: https://ruthinstitute.org/resource-centers/father-sullins-research/

 

Buy Dr. Morse's Books:

The Sexual State: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/the-sexual-state-2/

Love and Economics: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/love-and-economics-it-takes-a-family-to-raise-a-village/

Smart Sex: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/smart-sex-finding-life-long-love-in-a-hook-up-world/

101 Tips for a Happier Marriage: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-a-happier-marriage/

101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person: https://ruthinstitute.org/product/101-tips-for-marrying-the-right-person/

 

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