On dealing with pro-choicers who openly defend killing humans

 Abby S. wrote to Secular Pro-Life for advice:

This is a six-year-old article, and I assume most of you have already read it. However, I wanted to mention that it brought me to a sickening epiphany: It’s not that the abortion advocates don’t know that a fetus is a human being, with arms, legs, brain activity, etc. They do know it; they just don’t care. I’m incredibly disheartened. How can you have a reasonable discussion with someone who already knows the facts, but simply chooses to ignore them? 

The article linked to is very disturbing. To summarize it for our purposes, it is about a pregnant abortionist who kills a preborn baby the same age as the one she is carrying.

Our response:

Many abortion advocates are ignorant about prenatal development, or are grieved by abortion but believe that it is a necessary evil. In such cases, we can find common ground, educate, and propose alternatives to abortion. But as you point out, the most die-hard abortion advocates know full well that abortion is killing and simply do not care. They reject the fundamental idea that all human beings are equal. That is the mentality that produces, for instance, the Salon article that famously asked “So what if abortion ends life?”

For your own sanity, you have to know when someone is a lost cause and walk away. I take some comfort in the fact that these extremists shine a light on abortion for those who are on the fence. We can use their extremism against them in this way. Be the sane one in the conversation, make your points for the benefit of others who may be reading, and then respectfully leave.

There is no instant gratification in social movements. History is pretty clear about that. The pro-life movement is no exception; even after the right to life is restored, it will no doubt take several generations for anti-prenatal attitudes to die out. Yes, that is disheartening. But focus on the here and now. Focus on the reasonable people who are open to discussion. Focus on the families who you can aid financially. The pro-life movement is roughly half the United States population; collectively, we can do more than we can imagine.

Readers, please add your thoughts for Abby in the comments section.

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