One of our best tools in conversations about abortion is Trot out a Toddler (TOAT). It’s really helpful because it communicates how we need to think about unborn humans if we admit that they’re persons. Once you accept the conclusion that the fetal human is a valuable person like us, … Read More
The Anatomy of a Pro-Life Conversation
I have decided to share with you a transcript of an email exchange I had over the course of a few weeks with a woman from Canada; the emails have been lightly edited for clarity. At different points, I’ll be sharing my thought process about what’s going on in the … Read More
Does Your Image Need a Face-Lift?
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes. “Ben Shapiro DESTROYS Socialism” “Don’t Apologize to the Mob” Do titles like this sound familiar? Sure, the content inside might be entertaining to those who agree, but if you spoke like that in a conversation, would you convince anyone? It’s really easy to forget the … Read More
Pro-Choice Doesn’t Have to Mean Pro-Roe
American abortion laws are among the most radical in the world. Unfortunately, though almost everyone knows that Roe v. Wade made abortion legal at the federal level, few people understand exactly how the case changed the country’s abortion laws. This gives me the opportunity to educate people when dialoguing about … Read More
How to Avoid Two Extremes of Pro-Life Advocacy
Mastering the art of pro-life advocacy requires a delicate balance of candor and affability. Estimated reading time: 10 minutes. We should not be so afraid of making people uncomfortable that we are unwilling to share the truth. I have seen this happen in some Christian churches when leaders want to … Read More
What to Do When the Utilitarian Bites the Bullet
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes. Helping someone change their mind about something often comes down to presenting them with a choice: change your mind or bite a bullet. In other words, demonstrate that their position requires them to accept a conclusion they really don’t want to accept. This is why … Read More
It’s Her Body
Editor’s Note: With his permission, today we’re sharing the first in Steve Wagner’s recent series of posts on how to dialogue about bodily rights. Steve Wagner is the Executive Director of Justice For All and serves on ERI’s Advisory Board. It is extremely easy for pro-life advocates in a conversation … Read More
Don’t Come Across Like You’ve Taken an Apologetics Course
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes. Imagine there is an eager pro-life high school student named Jared. He has spent hours talking with his pro-choice friends on Facebook, but their conversations never seem to go anywhere. Although he sometimes thinks that his friends make good points, he doesn’t always know how … Read More
Debate vs. Dialogue: How Do They Differ?
Estimated reading time: 11 minutes. Debate is fun for me, but I’m odd like that. I’m an academic and ethics teacher, so I’ve debated abortion formally and informally, in academic settings and elsewhere. The subject arises most every time I’m in a panel discussion, too. In that time, I’ve come … Read More
The Foster Care Fallacy
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes. When I have conversations about abortion with pro-choice college students, they regularly express concerns about what would happen if abortion were to become less accessible or even illegal in the United States. One of the concerns I am hearing more and more frequently is about … Read More