(Oregon Right to Life) — Accomplished pro-life apologist and mother Stephanie Gray Connors presented some of the toughest pro-choice arguments and the most persuasive pro-life responses to them in a fast-paced session at the 2026 National Pro-Life Summit.
Connors, an author and international speaker who has given more than 1,000 pro-life presentations over two decades, delivered the talk at the National Pro-Life Summit held in Washington, D.C., the day after the 2026 National March for Life.
“When it comes to speaking on the topic of abortion, it can seem very overwhelming, especially as you engage in conversations with people and you think, ‘Well this makes so much sense, why aren’t I convincing them?” Connors, who is pregnant with her third baby, began. “You can be overwhelmed, thinking, ‘I can’t do it all. I can’t reach everyone.’”
But Connors urged pro-life advocates not to be discouraged, and to recognize that, even though they cannot reach everyone, they can reach some – and that’s enough.
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In her talk, Connors, shared some of the strongest pro-choice arguments: from the “burning IVF clinic” thought experiment (in which the pro-life advocate is asked to answer whether they would choose to save either born children or frozen embryos in a crisis situation), to the famous “violinist” analogy (in which pregnancy is compared to being kidnapped and forced to sustain the life of a famous violinist for nine months), and more, Connors helped her audience recognize and respond to the pro-choice arguments that rise above the level of simplistic memes or bumper stickers and actually require careful engagement.
Ultimately, Connors showed that even the most complicated and sophisticated-sounding pro-choice arguments fail to adequately explain why the unborn – as living, unique human persons – ought to be denied the right to life.
Her presentation helps pro-life advocates effectively navigate the apparent complexity of academic pro-choice arguments by asking simple, clear questions to get at the root of the argument. In doing so, pro-life advocates can eliminate unnecessary confusion, exposing the faulty assumptions that lead to support for legal abortion.
Providing the foundation for the pro-life response to any pro-choice argument, Connors summarized the pro-life view this way: “All lives are valuable. All lives are equal. And, a basic moral principle which says, ‘I may not do evil to bring about a good.”
At the end of the presentation, Connors responded to audience questions. Students mentioned several other common pro-choice arguments, including the claim that pro-life advocates are simply “pro-birth” and do not care about women or babies after pregnancy – an argument that skirts the central question about the humanity of the unborn and their right to life.
Click below to watch Connors’ full presentations and Q&A responses.
Connors’ presentation is an excellent primer for pro-life advocates who want to get better at responding to pro-choice arguments, whether the issue arises in conversations with family or friends or through public pro-life outreach.
For more pro-life apologetics tips, check out the articles below:
- One of the Most Influential Pro-Abortion Arguments and Why It’s Wrong
- Poverty, Foster Care, and Abuse – Answering Pro-Choice Arguments
- ‘Not Yet Human’? Responding to Common Pro-Choice Claims
If you’re interested in learning more about pro-life apologetics, reach out to Oregon Right to Life Community Outreach Director Makyra Williamson at [email protected] for free access to the Equal Rights Institute’s Equipped for Life online course. To learn more about sharing the pro-life message by volunteering at a pro-life fair booth this summer, visit ortl.org/fair-volunteers to sign up, or email Makyra for more information.
