All of us can learn to speak, persuade, and approach anyone at any time. You could find yourself in a pro-life conversation at the grocery, at church, at the office, at a party, really anywhere at any time. The good news is there are no new arguments. Every question, every challenge has been around for a while. The way it is phrased may be different, but the basic arguments are the same.
All the arguments can be broken down into five basic arguments.
5 Basic Arguments
1. It’s not a baby. It’s a clump of cells.
2. My body my choice. A woman has a right to control her own body.
3. Every child should be a wanted child, and other social arguments (poverty, over-
population, child abuse).
4. If abortion is illegal, there will be back-alley abortions.
5. The hard cases (rape, incest, disability, mother’s life threatened).
When They Say You Say
1. It’s not a baby. It’s a clump of cells.
YOU SAY: When a woman is pregnant, science tells us that the new life she carries is a complete and fully new human being from the moment of fertilization. The baby living in her mother is as distinct and unique a separate person/human being as I am from you. This human being, as we all do, has the inalienable right to life and deserves full protection under the law.
2. A woman has the right to control her own body
YOU SAY: Every mother is faced with profound decisions to make for herself and her child, but these decisions can never include the right to kill her baby. Mothers have a right to be fully informed about the facts at least 24 hours before making this life-or-death decision for themselves and their children. Our society is full of laws that control our bodies, such as the seat belt law or laws against illicit drug use.
3. A child should be wanted.
YOU SAY: We will never end poverty in our world simply by killing poor children. The baby is not the real problem; the circumstances are. Killing this child will never help address those issues. It often makes it worse. A poor mother is still poor the day after her child is aborted. Only now she’s the mother of a dead baby.
4. If abortion is illegal, there will be back-alley abortions.
YOU SAY: The numbers often used by pro-abortionists to back their claims are vast fabrications, mostly made up by the pro-abortion lobby as admitted by Dr. Bernard Nathanson, founder of NARAL. The widespread introduction of antibiotics into
medicine, not the legalization of abortion, saved the lives of women who would have otherwise died due to botched abortions. Mothers deserve better answers than the death of their children through the violence of abortion, legal or illegal.
5. Hard Cases: Rape, incest, disability, mother’s life threatened.
YOU SAY: We don’t cure illness by killing the patient. When a family learns that the child they are expecting may have a special need, that family needs support and good solid medical information – not the death of their most fragile member.
YOU SAY: When a woman has been the victim of rape/incest, she has been the victim of a terrifying act of violence. Tragically, we are sometimes faced with a second victim of this great crime committed by the rapist, a baby. The cruelest thing that can happen to the woman in question is to now be pitted against her child, who is the second victim. The key word is “support” – for both victims, mother and child.
Possible 6th argument is attacking the speaker: you’re a man, you’re old, how many children have you adopted. No matter what the personal attack, remember to go back to basics. Abortion is the ultimate human rights issue; that’s why we ALL have the right to speak out about this issue.
Before You Answer- First Learn How to Listen
To persuade well is about effective communication. When you talk with someone, you respectfully listen to their point of view. Here are 3 points on how to listen.
1. Listening well will make you an effective communicator. You can give a better answer
when you have heard and know where the person is coming from.
2. Active listening: Use eye contact and a smile to connect authentically.
3. 60/30/10 Factor. 60% is how you look and appear. Be aware of your body language and facial expression. Appear open and receptive. 30% is what you sound like. Work on your voice to allow yourself to be cool, calm, and clear, not angry. 10% is our words, the words you actually say.
The Words You Use to Save Lives
Words have power. The opposition knows this well. Don’t use pro-abortion words because they
validate the opposition.
Instead of
All of these issues can be addressed respectfully, accurately, and lovingly. Speak-up because it is right and just. Find your voice to speak, you can do it! For more information download this PDF “When They Say You Say” from National Right to
Life: https://www.nrlc.org/archive/abortion/facts/WhenTheySayPacket.pdf
Resources
National Right to Life
Olivia Gans-Turner