Podcast recap: “Partnering with Non-Tradtional Pro-Lifers” with Center for Client Safety
Missy Martinez-Stone of The Center for Client Safety invited me to record a podcast episode with her focused on SPL’s work welcoming in non-traditional pro-lifers. You can watch/listen to the full episode here or read the summary below.
Key Takeaways
- SPL was built to make opposition to abortion accessible to non-religious and politically diverse audiences, relying on nonsectarian and nonpartisan framings.
- Persuasion is more likely when conversations are evidence-based, respectful, and attentive to the audience’s worldview, especially in secular and pro-choice spaces.
- Much of SPL’s strategy focuses on activating “latent” non-traditional pro-lifers: people already uncomfortable with abortion who do not see a place for themselves in the broader pro-life movement.
Summary
In this episode of The Centered Podcast, I talk with Missy Martinez-Stone about how I became involved in pro-life work, why Secular Pro-Life exists, and what it means to build common ground on abortion in a deeply polarized culture.
“It was the first time in my life that I really grappled with the issue.”
I explain I got involved in the abortion debate in my early twenties through long-form debate boards on Facebook. These conversations pushed me to seriously engage with people who disagree with me. I had already deconverted from religion and considered myself an agnostic at that time. Through the debate boards I met Kelsey Hazzard, who a couple years later would invite me to help her with a new project: an organization for secular pro-life people. What began as a humble Facebook page grew into a 501(c)3 nonprofit that produces secular, evidence-based arguments, presentations, and shareable content.
A major turning point came in 2018 when I developed my presentation Deconstructing Three Pro-Choice Myths. The presentation includes dozens of citations and I designed it to be accessible to any audience regardless of ethical views of abortion.
“You don’t have to change anything else about your identity to say, ‘I don’t agree with this.’”
I explain that SPL is a single-issue organization focused on abortion, intentionally working across political differences. Our goal is not to make everyone agree on everything, but to help people who disagree on other issues work together to oppose abortion. We want people to understand that you don’t have to register Republican or convert to Catholicism to be pro-life. Everyone can (and everyone should) be pro-life.
Throughout the episode, I emphasize that persuasion works best when people are not demonized and don’t feel defensive. I suggest many people who identify as pro-choice are motivated by compassion, even if they are wrong about abortion. I also discuss the emotional toll of online activism, and why maintaining boundaries and balance are essential for long-term engagement.
[Read more – Quick tips for making online debate worthwhile.]
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