Men and Women Make Mistakes

Being accused of mistrusting women can hurt. Try not to take personal offense. Faced with that accusation, well-meaning pro-lifers might be tempted to say something like, “It’s not about women, it’s about taking care of the baby.” The truth is, it’s about both. Defending the child of an abortion-minded woman means preventing her from making a particular choice. That’s okay! “To err is human” after all. We all need help sometimes making right choices.

Your pro-choice conversation partner probably recognizes the goodness of stopping someone from doing something horrendous. We think child abuse is a good example. Thankfully, there is widespread agreement that child abuse is never okay. As pro-lifers, we understand that the fetus is a small child, and ending their life is an extreme form of abuse, even if those involved have good intentions.

Don’t expect their mind to change immediately. Pro-choice people usually feel that there’s some important difference between abortion and child abuse. Hopefully, they’ll respond by expressing more clearly what they disagree with you about. Do they think the fetus isn’t a child? In that case, it’s time to for a conversation about human biology and human value. Or maybe they think abortion doesn’t count as abuse. Then the two of you should discuss the ethics of violence and killing.