Day Eight - Pro-Life Apologetics (Part 1)

Today's Reflection

by Grace Chaffins

“But what about all the women who live in extreme poverty? Wouldn’t it be better for them to have an abortion so they don't have to live in that situation?"

How would you respond to this argument? When arguing the pro-life cause, it can be so easy to get sidetracked, stuck, or even angry with those on the other side. However, by learning and memorizing several important strategies, we can effectively guide others toward our position through a loving and logical approach.

Be Kind and Ask Questions

The most important part of pro-life apologetics is the way you treat others. If we insult, belittle, or raise our voices in a debate, nobody will ever listen to us. Even if others insult you, it is so important to stay calm and collected.

One of the most effective ways we can argue our point is through asking questions. Rather than asserting argument after argument, we can guide the other person to seeing our side through questions. These questions will help guard against anger or unkindness and will also allow the person to come to conclusions through their own use of logic. It’s rare that someone will change their mind because of an assertion someone makes. It’s much easier to change someone's mind if they can reason through it themselves.

On-Topic vs. Off-Topic

The first thing we should do when we hear an argument is to classify it in our mind as “on-topic” or “off-topic”. A question is on-topic if it addresses the ultimate question – “What are the unborn?” Since this question is at the root of pro-life objection to abortion, namely, that the unborn are alive human beings who deserve the right to life, we must only argue on that topic.

For example, let’s take the argument we heard in the beginning. If a pro-choice person states, “Women who live in poverty should be able to have an abortion because of their life circumstances”, we are not addressing the question “what are the unborn?” This statement is off-topic, and therefore must be made on-topic before we can continue. This can go for a number of off-topic questions, including those who name overpopulation and other life circumstances as reasons abortion should be allowed.

Trot out a Toddler

If we are not very careful in changing tracks and making off-topic discussions into on-topic ones, we can very easily get sidetracked into arguing over the truth of other claims. Instead, we can use a very simple method explained by numerous pro-life apologists, “Trot out a Toddler.”

In this method, we apply the pro-choice person’s rationale for wanting abortion to a toddler. The steps in Trot out a Toddler are the following: 1.) agree, 2.) apply, 3.) ask why, and 4) ah!

1.     Agree

We always want to make sure that we are approaching these discussions with understanding and love. The first step is to find some common ground with the person we are talking to. This humanizes us to the other person and shows that we genuinely care about the hard situations and life circumstances they are bringing up.

2.     Apply

Now, we apply the rationale and situation for abortion to a toddler. Since we believe that unborn babies and toddlers are equally human, we can equate them. This will move the discussion to the question, “What are the unborn?”

3.     Ask Why

Next, ask the pro-choice person why they answered the way they did for the toddler in contrast to the unborn child.

4.     Ah!

We can now demonstrate that the real question we must be discussing is what the unborn actually are.

Let’s see how this could play out in a dialogue:

Pro-choice: What about the women who live in poverty and can’t take care of a child?

Pro-life: I agree with you that poverty is such a difficult situation for women to be in. Especially, when they worry about how they will take care of their children. (Agree)

But let me ask you a question. Let’s say this pregnant woman living in poverty already has a two-year-old child. Could she kill the two-year-old in order to prevent this extreme poverty and be able to care for the new child? (Apply)

Pro-choice: Of course not! She couldn’t kill her two-year-old!

Pro-life: I know this is going to sound like a silly question, but humor me. Why couldn’t she kill the two-year old? (Ask why)

Pro-choice: Because it’s a person! It’s already alive.

Pro-life: Ah! So that’s the real question we need to address – are the unborn alive? Would you agree, then, that if the unborn are alive and human beings, it would be wrong to end their life through abortion? (Ah!)

Pro-choice: Well, I guess so! But it’s not alive. It’s just a fetus.

This is, of course, only a sample dialogue. Real conversations may play out much differently, but this approach to addressing the real issue at hand is an effective way to redirect the conversation.

Tomorrow, we will discuss how to clearly and simply answer the assertion that the unborn are not alive. Please remember that this barely scratches the surface of pro-life apologetics. There are many online resources and books that delve deeply into this topic. I would especially recommend “Persuasive Pro-Life: How to Talk About Our Culture’s Toughest Issue” by Trent Horn. This book covers nearly every argument for abortion imaginable and will truly prepare you to talk about abortion effectively.

Prayer for the Gift of Understanding

Lord Jesus Christ,
grant me the gift of understanding.
Help me to understand the feelings of others,
the desires of others,
the goals of others.
At the same time,
help me to understand myself
in my actions and reactions.
Widen my vision beyond my own small world
to embrace with knowledge and love the worlds of others.

Help me, Lord, to always see you at work in my own life
and in the lives of others.
Bless me with insight,
acceptance and love
that is tempered by you
who are all things to all men.
Help me to understand, Lord.

Amen.

Prayer by Catholic Doors Ministry