(Oregon Right to Life) — “It’s not human yet.” “It’s just a clump of cells.” “It doesn’t even look like a person.”
Many pro-life advocates are familiar with these claims, or others like them. They’re not necessarily the most sophisticated or academic pro-choice arguments, but for many people who support legal abortion, they work because they emphasize something that seems obvious: a microscopic two-week-old human blastocyst certainly doesn’t look much like an infant, a toddler, or an adult… so how can it have the same rights as you or I?
Because statements like these are simple and make for catchy sound-bites, they can be appealing. But in reality, they lead to dangerous conclusions – even beyond support for abortion.
Our job as persuasive pro-life advocates is to help pro-choice people see where these statements lead, and to show that the pro-life position is actually the most consistent, inclusive, and ethical.
Here are three steps to gently but persuasively make a pro-life case when a pro-choice friend or family member makes one of these common yet problematic claims.
1. Find Agreement.
This might seem counterintuitive! But it’s important to always seek common ground in dialogue whenever possible – and it’s actually easy to see how these statements might seem compelling at first glance.
You could start with something like:
“The unborn definitely don’t look much like you or me, especially at the very earliest stages. I agree! But I don’t think that really matters as much as it seems, and I’d like to share why.”
2. Show The Implications.
Demonstrate the logical conclusion of the pro-choice argument while assuming good intentions and continuing to seek common ground.
You might say something like:
“Here’s my concern. Genetically, the unborn are whole organisms with human parents and DNA – so the science is pretty clear that they’re unique, living human beings from fertilization. And being human isn’t a spectrum – you’re either human or you’re not! But if abortion is okay because unborn humans don’t yet resemble older humans, that would mean that our rights are tied to what we look like, rather than our humanity. I’m pretty sure that’s not what you mean! But if we’re consistent, that’s where the logic goes. And that line of reasoning has been used to support discrimination or even violence against people based on things like race, gender, ethnicity, or disability. I think we both agree that that’s wrong!”
3. Share Why You’re Pro-Life.
Now, you can show how the pro-life position is consistent and ethical, not arbitrary or discriminatory.
That might sound something like this:
“If science shows us that the unborn are human, and philosophically we agree that human beings have equal rights – regardless of what we look like – I think it makes the most sense to protect all human beings from discrimination or violence, including the unborn. That’s why I’m pro-life. What are your thoughts about that?”
Often, after a conversation like the one above, a person defending a pro-choice position might pivot to a different focus, like a woman’s bodily autonomy or the potential financial hardship involved in having a baby.
- For tips on answering the “my body, my choice” argument, check out this video here.
- For help answering objections that emphasize financial circumstances, click here.
- For a fuller treatment of the pro-life “Equal Rights” argument, click here.
Pro-tip: Always keep conversations as open and friendly as possible! If you come to a crossroads, it’s perfectly okay to politely call a time-out while letting your friend know you’d be open to coming back to the conversation at another time.
