I feel the need to clarify something here, as I have worked around the auto parts industry for quite some time and have a good "insight" into brake pads.
First off, I want to point out that Ceramic brake pads do NOT "tear up rotors". This is a very common misconception. In reality, the "damage" people seem to see on a rotor is not actually something defective on the rotor at all. Ceramic pads do have a habit of leaving an imprint of themselves on a really hot rotor under hard braking circumstances when at a complete stop, and it's this imprint that causes a *bad spot* on the rotor. It's not actually damage to the rotor itself, but a lump of brake friction material that has now stuck itself to the rotor surface. This can easily be fixed by lightly sanding the rotor surface with some light grit sandpaper.
Now, to the differences between the pads themselves.
Organic - Cheapest friction material available, O.E. on some cars, not often anymore however. Will dust up fairly quickly, prone to squeal, and will have a much more noticeable "brake fade" than ANY OTHER disc brake material on the market. Usually only sold in auto parts stores as the "OE Replacement" for various cars.
Semi-Metallic - Best stopping capability of all the friction materials on the market today. Causes a significant amount of brake dust, but the trade-off is the much higher stopping power and improved heat dissipation over all other materials. If you do a lot of stop-and-go driving and value your car I recommend these. If you have a car that's mostly a "show-and-go" car, use Ceramic.
Ceramic - Least amount of brake dust. These are best recommended for show cars with flashy wheels to keep them clean, especially if the vehicle isn't driven much. Ceramic does NOT stop a vehicle near as efficient as semi-metallics (and even some organic) and does have a bit of "brake fade" when really hot. They do not dissipate heat as efficiently as semi-metallic pads do, and will occasionally stick to the rotor when really hot after coming to a complete stop, leaving an imprint of the pad material on the rotor (also causing a slight pulsing effect from the brakes afterward, usually blamed as a "damaged rotor").
So, in conclusion, your ceramic pads are best for keeping your wheels clean, your semi-metallic pads are best for stopping ability. I hope this post is of help to you all, and if you doubt what I have said here I urge you to research the material on your own. It's your car and your life, so it's your decision.