Rick Santorum struggled to explain his stance on gay marriage as he spoke to a crowd at a Christian college in Iowa on Monday night, saying that gay relationships should not be seen as 'equal' to straight ones, ABC reported.

Jason Kornelis, a recent graduate of Dordt College, asked the GOP primary candidate about his position on gay marriage. Comparing it to when interracial marriage was illegal in the US, Kornelis wondered how Santorum thought same-sex marriages would be "a hit to family and faith in America."

When Kornelis said that he could not see any consequence to gay marriage being legalized, Santorum became agitated. According to ABC,

Santorum then said that if same-sex marriage was legalized, then “their sexual activity” would be seen as “equal” to heterosexual relationships and it would be taught in schools.

“Really—wow—um, okay, well let’s see if we can have a discussion. Let’s look at what’s going to be taught in our schools because now we have same sex couples being the same and their sexual activity being seen as equal and being affirmed by society as heterosexual couples and their activity,” Santorum said.

Santorum went on to explain that the legalization of gay marriage would spread a "worldview that is fundamentally different than what is taught in schools today."

Kornelis said that he still disagreed, to which the candidate responded, “I think you’re wrong — okay, in fact you have to know you’re wrong," ABC reported.

Santorum has also said that gay marriage will cause America to collapse, the Huffington Post reported. "The family is the bedrock of our society. Unless we protect it with the institution of marriage, our country will fall," Santorum said.

His campaign stop in Iowa was also fraught with a terse discussion on healthcare, as another student asked him about the responsibility of Christians to care for the poor, saying that he doesn't think "God appreciates the fact that we have 50 to 100,000 uninsured Americans dying due to a lack of healthcare every year," ABC reported.

To which Santorum responded:

“People die in America because people die in America. And people make poor decisions with respect to their health and their healthcare. And they don’t go to the emergency room or they don’t go to the doctor when they need to. And it’s not the fault of the government for not providing some sort of universal benefit."

Santorum is not the only GOP candidate to have uncomfortable run-ins with the issue of gay marriage. Michele Bachmann quickly dismissed an 8-year old boy at a book signing in South Carolina when he told her, "Mrs. Bachmann, my mommy's gay but she doesn't need fixing," the New York Daily News reported. Newt Gingrich was covered in glitter by a gay rights activist at a Minnesota Family Council event, Buzzfeed reported.

What do you think about Santorum's opinions? Let us know in the comments.