Right to Life Radio

Josh concludes his interview with Jojo Ruba, former staff member of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and Executive Director of Faith Beyond Belief. After talking about the mission of Faith Beyond Belief, Josh asks a follow-up question from the previous episode, where Jojo made a comment about pro-lifers needing to be "more offensive." Josh asks, "How can you tell whether you should be more offensive or less offensive when talking to pro-choice people?" Afterwards Jojo and Josh answer a listener mail question from Mark in Hawaii: "I'm a new listener, and I'm trying to figure out exactly what your views are regarding human development and when a person comes into being and should be granted human rights. Most importantly and perhaps most difficult, when do you believe God endues a body/soul carrier with a soul in human fetal development and what are your reasons for that?" The episode includes a discussion of the Equal Rights Argument that Josh and the Justice For All team have been using lately, and what Jojo and Josh think about animal rights.

Josh interviews Jojo Ruba, former staff member of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and Executive Director of Faith Beyond Belief. After talking about the pro-life presentations that have been protested and censored by Canadian pro-choice activists, Jojo answers the 9-question Life Report Questionnaire that has been answered by many other pro-life leaders in the past. I altered it a little for this interview, taking out the questions on stem cell research and euthanasia to focus more on the graphic pictures debate and how pro-lifers should treat pro-choice people. I love this quote from Jojo, in regards to what he does when he's talking to a pro-choice person: "I say a little prayer, and the prayer is this: 'Father, show me how I can love this person today.'" Questions: What did you get in trouble for as a child? What is your favorite movie, and why? What has been the pro-life movement’s greatest victory (or victories) so far? What has been the pro-life movement’s greatest failing or weakness? Graphic Pictures: Should we use them, and if so, how, when, and where? Is there a difference between showing non-graphic but disturbing images in public (like the human trafficking truck) and showing graphic images of abortion in public? How should pro-lifers interact with those who are pro-abortion-choice? What kind of tips are you offering students you train on how to treat pro-choice people with respect? What single thing should pro-lifers be doing that most are NOT doing right now?

It's Gabi's farewell show! So for something special, Josh and Gabi discuss the 21 most important lessons she's learned about abortion dialogue while working with Right to Life of Central CA and Justice For All.

After shooting the Life Report episode on arguments for embryonic stem cell research, Dr. Buratovich graciously stuck around 37-minutes to answer more questions! This audio includes my new favorite fact about early human development! Questions: 1: Ronald Bailey has argued that since somatic cell nuclear transfer can transform a nucleus from an adult cell into an embryo, then every cell in our body is a potential embryo. Since we do not get upset about all those cells we lose when we sneeze or scrape our knees, we shouldn’t get upset about the death of a bunch of embryos. I train people to respond to that by saying they’re confusing parts with wholes and talk about what an organism is. How do you respond? 2: Some argue that embryos are like acorns as opposed to oak trees. The loss of a majestic oak tree is a genuinely sad, but an acorn? We trample hundreds of those while playing with our kids at the park and think nothing of it. So people argue that embryos are similar, in that they only become valuable when they grow up. How do you respond to that argument? 3: Respond to the more intelligent pro-choice argument that would say that sentience or some other capacity is a necessary condition for being valuable. 4: But if self-awareness really is what's important, then it seems like the pro-choice person could respond by agreeing that the threshold of self-awareness isn't epistomologically knowable, but that doesn't mean that that threshold doesn't ontologically exist. Then they could do what Boonin and Singer do and just draw the line several weeks before that threshold could possibly exist. How would you respond to that person? 5: The early church made a distinction between abortion after quickening (the maternal sensation of fetal movement), which was viewed as murder, and abortion before quickening, which was not viewed as murder. Is the pro-life movement inconsistent with early church teaching? 6: How would you argue that the unborn is a living, human organism? 7: Clarify how the mother's uterus communicates with the embryo, signalling it to the optimum location to implant. 8: Can we use dead embryos to ethically make embryonic stem cell lines? 9: Should people freeze their baby’s umbilical cord blood as a deposit on future research?

Join the discussion at http://ProLifePodcast.net/187 Dr. Michael Buratovich is Professor of Biochemistry at Spring Arbor University and the faculty advisor for the SAU Students for Life club. Josh interviews him on what stem cell research is and how to respond to common arguments for embryonic stem cell research. Purchase "The Stem Cell Epistles: Letters to my Students about Bioethics, Embryos, Stem Cells, and Fertility Treatments:" http://amzn.to/1f2rM3b Read Dr. Buratovich's blog at http://BeyondTheDish.wordpress.com. 01:09 - How did this book come along? 04:10 - Can you explain for our listeners what a stem cell is, and why they are sought after in research for regenerative medicine? 11:03 - Can you talk about the differences between embryonic stem cell research, adult stem cell research and induced pluripotent stem cell research? 17:18 - Many people argue that the embryo is just a tiny clump of cells with no nervous system; no heart, no consciousness, no ability to feel pain. They think it's crazy to call that an intrinsically valuable human being. What do you say to them? 18:49 - Some people think we should use cloned embryos to solve the practical issues with embryonic stem cell research? Do you believe that to be an ethical alternative? 21:08 - Some people make a utilitarian argument that all those millions of embryos in storage units are going to die anyway. They argue that we should put them to good use instead of wasting them in a cold storage unit or flushing them down the drain. How would you respond to that utilitarian argument? 24:39 - What should pro-lifers be doing about stem cell research? Stay tuned for bonus audio with Dr. Buratovich to be posted later this week at http://ProLifePodcast.net

Listen to Josh's speech at the Students for Life of America 2014 West Coast National Conference: Josh responds to these four common statements:1: "I'm pro-life, but people tell me I come across like a jerk. What can I do about that?"2: "I'm pro-life, but I don’t know how to convince people that abortion is wrong?"3: "I'm pro-life, but I think it should be legal."4: "I'm pro-life, but what about rape?"

We weren't able to cover everything I wanted to during the Life Report episode, but Dr. Poupard was gracious enough to spend some more time answering questions about this important topic. 1: How do birth control pllls and Plan B work, why do some people think that they are abortifacients and why do you think that they may not be? 2: Comment on article from Catholic Bioethics...Quarterly that cites studies indicating that Plan B is not an abortifacient and argues that the labels on Plan B may not mean anything. Is there a medical bias issue at play? 3: Question #1 from Dan: What about the studies cited in Randy Alcorn's book that breakthrough pregnancies while on oral contraceptives are more likely to be ectopic? 4: Question #2 from Dan: What is the state of the research on Progesterone-only pills like the mini pill and copper/hormonal IUD's?

We've been wanting to shoot an episode on this topic for several years, and it's finally done! It's sometimes a contentious topic among pro-life people, but it's an important one nonetheless. How should pro-life people think and talk about birth control, aside from the important religious debate about whether or not you should plan your family? Dr. Rich Poupard from Life Training Institute comes on the show to offer his expertise. 02:25 - Dr. Poupard summarizes what he's learned about the medical question of how birth control methods work. 04:55 - How does Plan B work according to the research and what does a woman's weight have to do with it's effectiveness? 08:45 - Do you think women are getting enough information about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of Plan B? 09:25 - Why the new Plan B research will probably result in MORE abortifacient use, and not less. 12:32 - Were pro-abortion-choice advocates talking about the new Plan B/weight study when it came out, or have they been hesitant to discuss it publicly? 13:26 - What's the connection between abortifacient IUD's and implantables and Obamacare? 19:17 - Knowing everything you know, how would you train pro-life advocates to talk publicly about birth control? 23:24 - What should pro-lifers talk about when discussing the public policy side of this issue? Parental involvement? 26:05 - How would you answer in 60-seconds the direct question of whether Plan B causes abortions or not? We'll be posting bonus audio with Dr. Poupard answering more questions about birth control pills and Plan B later this week at http://ProLifePodcast.net. Life Training Institute: http://ProLifeTraining.com

We've got an unaired episode that was never published on YouTube for technical reasons that we recently resolved. Josh Brahm and Liz Goddard interview Bobby Schindler, the Executive Director of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network which works to protect the lives of the medically vulnerable and disabled from the threat of euthanasia. Join the discussion at http://ProLifePodcast.net/185. 00:29 Can you give us a brief overview of your sister Terri's story? 04:18 Did Michael wait 30-45 minutes after Terri's collapse before calling 911? 05:27 Can you define "persistent vegetative state" for us, and whether you believe Terri was in a persistent vegetative state? 06:53 Is there an objective definition of PVS? 08:11 Did Terri fit that medical criteria for PVS? 09:04 What progress did Terri show in the first two years of rehab before Michael took her off of rehab? 10:15 What happened to the trust fund that was earmarked for Terri's therapy? 12:25 Why do you think that Michael refused to divorce Terri after moving in with Jody Centonze? 13:02 What is it that the medical professionals believed whom Judge Greer refused to allow to testify? 14:37 Is there anyway Terri could have survived without the feeding tube? 15:26 Do you know anything about recent research to determine the extent of someones brain injury? 17:01 Do you have any how often people are starved to death who are not in a PVS state? 18:30 What is the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network doing now, six years later? 19:49 What do you believe is still the number one misconception about Terri? 21:36 What kind of legislation could be passed that would prevent Terri's situation happening again? 22:21 How will the new healthcare law impact people with situations similar to Terri's? 23:36 Would you be in favor of legislation that would sever spousal rights on the behalf of an incapacitated person in the event where there's a clear conflict of interest, such as when the spouse acting as guardian begins a new relationship? 24:47 What would you say to people who try to frame Terri's situation as a "right-to-die issue?" 26:02 So the clear distinction for you is that food and water is basic care and that ventilators and respirators are medical care that in some cases can be stopped? Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network: http://www.terrisfight.org/

Rebecca Hashke from Justice For All joins Josh Brahm and Gabi Vehrs to discuss a question that pro-lifers often struggle with. After offering some thoughts on how pro-lifers should respond to this question, the discussion turns to another philosophical conundrum that pro-choice people often ask about: should the fact that abortion bans would be hard to enforce mean that we shouldn't try to make abortion illegal?

Our favorite Notre Dame Law grad John Gerardi joins us again, this time to discuss the Pope's recent confusing comments about abortion. Note from Josh: We recorded this episode in October, 2013. I'm grateful that yesterday (December 9th) Pope Francis made a clear pro-life statement to the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, a pro-life group in Rome.

Steve Wagner from Justice For All joins Josh Brahm and Gabi Vehrs to discuss what Students for Life clubs should do with their events. Steve argues that every event should create a debate about abortion that can be turned into a dialogue. Here's the list of typical pro-life campus club activities that Steve assesses in this episode: 1: Cupcakes For Life. 2: Poll table event - Debate2Dialogue.org for pics. 3: Bringing speakers (pro-life apologetics, post-abortion, etc.) or hosting a debate. 4: Screening movies like "It's a Girl," "180," "October Baby" and "Bella." 5: Volunteering for the local Pregnancy Resource Center. 6: Diaper drives. 7: Traveling to the March for Life. 8: Bound4Life events. (Red tape over mouth.)

Steve Wagner from Justice For All joins Josh Brahm and Gabi Vehrs for a two-episode discussion about common terms and labels used in the abortion debate. In this episode they focus on the labels that both sides of the debate call the entity killed in an abortion: unborn, preborn, zygote, embryo, fetus, fetal human, baby and child. Steve uses the word "unborn" at the beginning of a dialogue with a pro-choice person so as not to add an unnecessary impediment to the conversation, and to avoid begging the question. Steve responds to the following challenges to his approach: "Aren't we humanizing the unborn by calling her a 'child' or by using male/female pronouns?" "What about when we're writing? Do we always need to make a case for the humanity of the unborn before we start calling her a 'baby' or using male/female pronouns?"

Steve Wagner from Justice For All joins Josh Brahm and Gabi Vehrs for a two-episode discussion about common terms and labels used in the abortion debate. In this episode they focus on the labels that both sides of the debate call each other: pro-choice, pro-abortion. pro-abort. pro-abortion-choice. pro-life. anti-abortion. anti-choice. Steve, Josh and Gabi explain why they are willing to use the term "pro-choice" when beginning a dialogue, even though many pro-life people see that as an inaccurate "weasel word." Steve argues that he needs to ask the person in front of him a lot of questions to accurately understand what they think about abortion, and he doesn't want to create unnecessary impediments to the dialogue by using offensive terms that he doesn't even think accurately portrays most abortion advocates. Steve also responds to the following challenges to his approach: "But isn't 'pro-choice' the least accurate label for the other side?" "What about when it's just pro-life people hanging out? Should we call them 'pro-aborts' then?" "What if the entire pro-life movement decides to use gracious language while the other side uses rhetorically powerful labels? Are we giving up too much ground? What if unborn babies die because of this approach?" "What should I do when I see other pro-life people using terms on Facebook that I think are mean or inaccurate? Should I confront the pro-life person, or just let it go?" Finally, Steve, Josh and Gabi discuss the terms that pro-choice people often call pro-lifers: anti-abortion and anti-choice. In the next episode, they will discuss the terms used for the unborn. (Zygote, embryo, fetus, unborn, preborn, baby, child.)

Megan Almon from Life Training Institute joins Josh Brahm and Gabi Vehrs to discuss strawman fallacies. Josh starts the show by stating that both pro-life and pro-choice people strawman the other side all the time, and he shares several examples. They then discuss how people can avoid making strawman arguments. How can we intentionally listen to people and ask a LOT of clarification questions to determine what they actually believe?

Josh Brahm and Gabi Vehrs have a candid conversation about the state of the pro-life movement, and some of the most important things we need to do in the next ten years to set ourselves up in a good trajectory towards victory.

Josh, Gabi and Megan Almon from Life Training Institute discuss how pro-lifers can best respond to pro-choice people who argue that abortion should be legal because the world is overpopulated or because women will die in back-alleys if abortion became illegal. Note: Our strategy for responding to back-alley abortions relies heavily on the work of Steve Wagner from Justice For All.

The second part of Josh's interview with Brad Mattes, CEO of Life Issues Institute and host of the Emmy award-winning television show, "Facing Life Head-On." Brad answers the questions from the "Life Report Questionnaire" and more! Questions: What did you get in trouble for as a child? What is your favorite movie, and why? What has been the pro-life movement's greatest victory (or victories) so far? What has been the pro-life movement's greatest failing or weakness? Does the pro-life movement need more unity, and if so, how can we accomplish that? Graphic Pictures: Should we use them, and if so, how, when, and where? What would you say to those who would argue that graphic pictures should be used in very public places because children don't seem to be too negatively effected by them? Stem Cell Research & Human Cloning: What should pro-lifers be doing about this, and why? What would you say to those who say it's unfair to compare the current successes of ESCR with adult stem cell research since ASCR has had more public funding until recently? What should pro-lifers be doing about human cloning now that it might actually be a reality? Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia: What should pro-lifers be doing about this, and why? Is the Netherlands a lost cause on the end-of-life issues debate? Respond to Americans who look at the problems with euthanasia in the Netherlands and respond, "That's them. We will do it better." What do you say to someone who is for assisted suicide in certain hard cases? How should pro-lifers interact with those who are pro-abortion-choice? Respond to pro-lifers who would say that we should be shouting at pro-choice people because that shows we're taking baby killing seriously. What single thing should pro-lifers be doing that most are NOT doing right now? How can pro-lifers start conversations about such a dark issue without being weird? How should pro-life people use Facebook? If people went to LifeIssues.org what could they find there?

Josh interviews Brad Mattes, CEO of Life Issues Institute and host of the Emmy award-winning television show, "Facing Life Head-On." Check back in two weeks for the second part of this interview, where Brad answers the questions from the "Life Report Questionnaire" and more! Questions: 1:11 - How did you get involved in the pro-life movement? 2:15 - How early was Dr. Wilke publishing pro-life literature and media? 2:54 - How do you think the pro-life movement has changed in the last 40 years, especially as it relates to media? 5:04 - What have you learned about how abortion affects men? 6:45 - What resources are available at http://LifeIssues.org? 7:32 - Tell us about your TV show, "Facing Life Head-On." 9:01 - What are some of the common themes on your show? 9:37 - How do you get Emmy nominations doing pro-life work? 10:38 - What were you hoping to accomplish by going to Ethiopia? 11:57 - What happened with the Ethiopian abortion worker you spoke to? 13:20 - Can you tell our audience about the woman you met who is suffering from leprosy? 14:14 - How has your life changed since you came back? 16:09 - What was the most difficult interview you did on Facing Life Head-On? 18:33 - Do you have a few favorite episodes looking back? 19:26 - How can we overturn Roe vs. Wade? 20:38 - Looking ahead, what will be very important for the pro-life movement to do differently as we work towards overturning Roe vs. Wade? 21:52 - Is there anti-intellectualism in the pro-life movement, and if so, how do we combat that? Check out the Life Issues Institute website and TV show: http://lifeissues.org Comment on this episode at: http://ProLifePodcast.net/175

I got a wonderful email from Andres in Santa Barbara who was in a dialogue about abortion and used an analogy about being hooked up to a machine in order to demonstrate that your personhood isn't based on your dependance. But the person he was talking to retorted, "Are you comparing a woman to a machine?!" Andres wants to know what I would suggest we do to avoid throwing people off when the analogies we use seem, at a surface level, to demean pregnant women. In the video, I offer six tips for making clear analogies and responding to people who continue to misinterpret them. 1: Make sure you're communicating clearly. 2: Narrate the debate. 3: Suggest a golden rule for dialogue. 4: Explain that analogies are just that...analogies! 5: Explain that pro-choice people would be wise to not throw out all analogies. 6: Determine the right time to politely end the conversation. Find more resources about bodily rights argument for abortion at: http://prolifepodcast.net/tag/bodily-rights

Casey Vroman from Students for Life of America joins us in studio to talk about the free resources that SFLA offers to college students and now high schoolers. We believe it's important that all pro-life advocates know about these resources so that you can point students in your sphere of influence to them. Questions: 1:55 How did you get involved with Students for Life and the pro-life movement? 3:15 How would you explain what Students for Life does to somebody who hasn't heard of SFLA before? 4:22 What is SFLA's long-term goal with campus clubs? 5:35 What is SFLA doing with high school students now? 6:46 What has it been like working with high school students? 8:18 Is SFLA planning on working with junior high students in the future, and what would you say to concerned parents about that? 10:29 What are some of the initiatives you're doing on college campuses now? 13:23 What practical resources is SFLA offering to college students? 16:14 What are some common mistakes students can avoid when starting a campus club? 19:50 Should clubs embrace a "whole life" model where they're also talking about capital punishment, sex trafficking and adoption, or should they focus on talking about abortion? 23:35 Talk to us about the Wilberforce and Steven's Fellowships. 25:20 What would be your key piece of advice for a high school student who wants a career in the pro-life movement? Related Links: - Visit Students for Life's website: http://StudentsForLife.org. - Read Scott Klusendorf's "reading list for smart pro-lifers" that Josh referenced: http://bit.ly/17RnCNS - Visit Students for Life's career opportunities page Josh referenced: http://StudentsForLife.org/Internships

Here's an outline of my main points in response to this question from Bobby: "Some pro-life people oppose 'incrementalist' pro-life laws because they always end with '... and then you can kill the baby.' What are your thoughts? Note: Many of my arguments and thinking on these issues comes from conversations I had with Scott Klusendorf and Dr. Francis Beckwith, who both graciously spent time with me while I was working through these issues in 2007. I'm not sure now who said what and how many of these arguments are really my own, nor would I want to source any of these arguments directly to Scott or Frank without their permission. (These were all private conversations.) It's probably a fair assumption that the really smart talking points came from one of them though. This was supposed to be a video but we had technical difficulties with the recorded video, so I'm posting the audio only. Common ground: I agree that we don't want to communicate to people that we only care about babies that feel pain, are a certain age, not conceived in rape, etc. I disagree that most forms of incremental legislation send that message. I think most people know how politics works. It's one thing to endorse something, it's another thing to say what is allowed under the law. I offer a clear example of this from Gonzales vs. Carhart. My argument is not that we should do evil that good may come. My argument is that when we pass incremental bills that will have a positive impact for the unborn, we are not actually doing evil. We are doing a good thing. What's implicit in these bills is that we want to save all, but we know we can't, so we're going to save the most we can, and go from there. That's called graduated absolutism. Why I'm not utilitarian: I'm not saying 'We'll kill one baby if you let another go.' It's more like if in a Japanese POW camp, the Japanese soldier tells a prisoner, 'We'll let you go, and you can either take two with you and we'll kill the other eight, or you can go alone and we'll kill all ten.' It seems like some pro-life people that support personhood amendments would say that by taking the two I'm implicitly saying you can kill the other eight. 'As long as you give me these two, THEN you can kill the POW's.' No, we value life, and we're trying to save as much as we can. The Bible doesn't say that if you can't save all, you can't save any. The midwives in Exodus 1 weren't able to save all the babies, but they saved as many as they could, and they are praised for it. When the Pharaoh confronted them, they didn't make a pro-life argument or statement; they lied about it so that they could continue saving some! It could be argued that they were implicitly telling the leader of the land that it's okay to kill infants. They never to his face say 'You shouldn't do that.' They lied, and saved as many as they could. William Wilberforce helped pass a bill, the Foreign Slave Trade Bill of 1806) that you could have ended with, 'and then you can sell the slave.' Do you think it's more important to make an impact or to make a statement? I don't believe that passing a bill with a rape exception tacked onto it at the last minute sends a message to pro-choice people that we don't care about the babies conceived in rape that are sometimes killed in abortions. Are there some pro-life bills that don't directly save many lives after they pass? Yes. (Parental notification with judicial bypass; the partial-birth abortion ban.) Yet both had educational value, especially the PBA ban.

After summarizing Abby Johnson's story, Josh asks 40 Days for Life co-founder Shawn Carney about his ministry as well as the state of the pro-life movement. Questions: How do you think 40 Days for Life has changed the pro-life movement? Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when starting 40 Days for Life? Do people often go from participating in 40 Days for Life to doing other pro-life activities? What are you doing to encourage that? What do you think are the best methods for a local 40 Days for Life campaign? What could RLCC do better to persuade people to participate in sidewalk counseling? What has been the pro-life movements greatest victory so far? What has been the pro-life movements greatest weakness? What single thing should pro-lifers be doing that most are not doing right now? How should pro-life people interact with those that are pro-abortion-choice?

Josh, Tim and Gabi discuss what it actually means to be open-minded, (it does NOT mean being wishy-washy,) and whether pro-life people should be open-minded too.

After wrapping up four Life Report episodes, Josh, Tim and Gabi hung out to cover some material they didn't have time to get into earlier in the day. Those topics and questions for Tim include: You said, "Love does not insist on its own way; it does not need to have the last word in a debate." Does that conflict with the Stand to Reason mantra of trying to leave people with a pebble in their shoe? A discussion of pro-life memes and why most of them are bad. You said, "Love is not resentful, it does not dwell on the failures of those around us. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing. It is not excited when those around us are caught in sin." What about pro-life groups like Live Action that do undercover investigative videos catching Planned Parenthood doing bad things? Can you talk about how we are to love practically with those in the pro-life movement who may disagree on our political method, for example on our use of graphic images? How would you apply your piece to that? Which line in the 1 Cor 13 piece do you feel is the most important, or the most contrasted by the way a lot of pro-life people actually act?

Megan Almon from Life Training Institute joins Josh and Gabi to discuss how pro-lifers can have productive conversations about Gosnell, as well as the common mistakes pro-lifers should avoid. One of the most common questions we get is "how do you start non-weird conversations about abortion when you're not on campus next to a pro-life exhibit?" One of the easier methods is to use a story that's currently in the news. Josh thinks pro-life people can have good conversations about abortion starting with the controversy of what Gosnell did, but he doesn't think you should stop there. He uses several specific questions to lead the conversation into talking about the abortions that are less controversial to pro-choice people: abortions done on first-trimester babies that are in the womb, aren't viable, aren't conscious and don't feel pain. After giving these questions and dialogue tips, the discussion turns to what pro-life people should NOT do when talking about Gosnell. What are the most common mistakes pro-lifers make regarding this story? Listen to the episode to find out. Josh also briefly responds to the pro-choice argument that it's pro-lifers fault that women went to Gosnell's clinic in the first place. Note from Josh: We shot this episode a week before Gosnell was finally convicted of murder, among other things. This content is still relevant, it just means you might change the first question from "Should Dr. Gosnell be in jail," to something like "do you think it's a good thing that Dr. Gosnell is serving a life sentence in prison?"

Last February we published two episodes with our favorite (nearly graduated) student from Notre Dame Law John Gerardi with an update on the HHS mandate lawsuits as well as answering the controversial question, "why did so many church-going Catholics vote for President Obama, again?!" After we recorded those two episodes, we spent another 20 minutes answering questions we hadn't talked about yet, and answered a good questions sent from a listener. This is the audio from that post-episode discussion. Topics/Questions: "Tell me about states like Massachusetts, that are heavily Catholic and Irish but are totally in the tank for Obama." "What do you think is the future for the bishops' involvement in politics?" Karen: "Is it even possible that we really change our society legislatively, or do we need to concentrate on the hearts of women and men?" Note from Josh: We try to get bonus audio published a lot closer to the original recording, but it wasn't as high of a priority as keeping our publishing schedule for TV and radio. As you listen to this, it'll be obvious that this was recorded before Pope Benedict stepped down. Also, John said in this discussion that we're only "one Supreme Court justice away from overturning Roe vs. Wade." Based on some recent research that I plan on blogging about in the future, I now think this may be a bit optimistic. In other words, I think it's more likely that we have one or two justices that would overturn Roe, and a few others that we really don't know how they would rule on overturning Roe, even if they have pro-life beliefs. I hope history proves me wrong.

Josh, Tim and Gabi respond to fair questions that pro-choice people ask that we think pro-life people should be willing to answer. In this episode, we discuss how a lot of pro-choice people believe that pro-lifers want to punish women for having premarital sex by forcing them to remain pregnant. This seems clear because we're not distributing condoms or encouraging the use of birth control, which could arguably lower the rate of unintended pregnancies and abortions. How should pro-lifers respond to this concern? We also discuss the common conception (no pun intended) that pro-life activists are doing what they do because they're Christians. If so, is this just a ploy to force religion on people or win converts? We end the episode by discussing a recent story of a teen who sued her parents who were trying to coerce her into having an abortion. We offer some tips for pro-life people to use this story in dialogues with their pro-choice friends.

Josh, Tim and Gabi spend the next two episodes responding to fair questions that pro-choice people ask that we think pro-life people should be willing to answer. For example, when pro-lifers "trot out a toddler," does that mean we think women that have abortions are just as evil as mothers who kill their toddler? They also discuss how pro-choice people are often confused when they see a picture of a six-day old embryo at implantation, and then see us point at that picture and call it a "person."

It’s the twelfth and final part of our popular “Responding to Pro-Life Lies Video” series! The video we're responding to lists 55 “pro-life lies” a woman named Kenna heard, and in this series we respond to them all. This is the first of four episodes with Josh's brother Timothy, who is now a staff member at Justice For All. After discussing the last six "lies," Josh, Tim and Gabi have a conversation about the need for pro-life people to get out of their "echo chamber," and the need to ultimately be known by their love. We also communicate a mutual desire for both sides to be more charitable, considering the best arguments from the opposing side as opposed to just trumpeting the worst they can find. Here are the 8 “pro-life lies” we respond to in this episode: "Birth control causes abortion." "Emergency contraception is an abortifacient." "Women are sacred vessels." "Pro-choice women don't have children." "Pro-choice women should have their children taken away." "Pro-choice people don't care about babies." Note from Josh: I reached out to Kenna to let her know we finished the series based on her video and offered her a chance to respond. She wrote, "It was great to meet people who could discuss abortion and present their point of view in a civil manner. YouTube was my main forum for political discussions and it doesn't have the greatest reputation. I'm not as active online anymore since I finished college and started working, but I really did enjoy your podcast. Congratulations on finishing your series." ~ Kenna I told her I would always be open to discussing abortion with her further.

Stephanie Grant, Executive Director of Infant of Prague Adoption Services and Laurel Boylan, Founder of God's Waiting Children join Josh to discuss adoption. Topics include: Clarifying common misconceptions about adoption. The difference between open and closed adoption. The differences between the process of domestic and international adoption. Available grants for adopting parents. Addressing the common resentment between families that have adopted domestically and those that have adopted internationally. An update on the situation with Russian president Vladimir Putin banning American families from adopting children from Russia. How adopting children from the foster care system works. Does a pregnant teen need to choose adoption before contacting an adoption agency?

This is the recording of a sermon Josh preached on January 20, 2013 at Free Grace Church in Clovis. Josh addresses two common reasons why Christians don't take a stand to make a difference on the issue of abortion: the concern of offending people, and the argument that pro-life advocates should be focused solely on Christian evangelism. Josh argues pragmatically that pro-life work has actually given him more opportunities for evangelism and than makes a principled argument that Christians should be doing both evangelism AND speaking up for the unborn. Josh closes with some easy things that Christians can do to dip their toe in the waters of pro-life advocacy, and then takes a few questions that were texted in anonymously from the congregation. Q&A Session: "I have a friend that believe that abortion is actually evil, but he doesn't care. He blatantly admits that he is selfish and apathetic but he chooses not to do anything about that. How do you think I could help him to care and deal with his apathy?" "Could you recommend one foundational pro-life and pro-choice text for a better understanding of both sides of the abortion issue?" "I know a young girl who recently had an abortion. What can I do or say to help her that she had other choices?" "What do you say to people who say that the embryo evolved because it has gills and a tail?"

Pro-choice people often accuse pro-life Christians of being hypocrites, charging that we don't really believe what we say we believe, evidenced by the fact that some Christians have abortions, among other things. Hypocrisy is a rhetorically powerful charge, effectively silencing many Christians from saying anything about the issue of abortion. It's our view that some pro-choice accusations of pro-life hypocrisy are unfair, but that some of their charges are fair. In this episode, we discuss both categories.

We’re super excited about this episode, because we think it’s the best roundtable discussion we’ve recorded in a long time. Megan Almon from Life Training Institute joins us to discuss the recent Planned Parenthood ad that distances itself from the labels “pro-life” and “pro-choice.” While pro-life bloggers discussed the ad when it came out, I felt like we had some unique perspectives to contribute. Discussion topics include the main problems with the argument in the ad, the weaknesses of labels in general, the importance of not stereotyping people and the question of whether moral neutrality is possible on abortion. Josh closes the show with questions for both sides of the abortion debate to consider.

Our favorite (nearly graduated) student from Notre Dame Law John Gerardi is back to help the pro-life community understand why so many faithful Catholics that go to mass every week still voted for President Obama in the 2012 election. Gerardi explains the history of the Catholic church's relationship with the Democratic party and the increasingly uncomfortable position many bishops are in since the Democratic party is so openly pro-abortion rights and anti-religious liberty. Note from Josh: Life Report has never been an anti-Catholic show, and that hasn't changed. Frankly, a lot of Protestants didn't even vote. But there's no way to have a frank dialogue about this issue without recognizing that the Catholic church in America has had a long relationship with the Democratic party and that relationship is clearly having an impact on elections that effect the rights of unborn babies. We welcomed the chance to have a Catholic expert on the subject explain what he has learned for the benefit of our audience.

Our favorite (nearly graduated) student from Notre Dame Law John Gerardi is back to give us an update on the current status of the different lawsuits against the HHS mandate. We talk about the kinds of entities that are suing and on what grounds, whether it's looking favorable or not and which religious groups have been exempted and why. Listener Questions: Michael from Tulsa, OK: Will Scientologists get an exemption for all medical treatments that go against their religion now that Priests for Life got an exemption?

Published on the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton decisions that made abortion legal in all 50 states through all nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason, out interview with pro-life hero Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life was focused on the current state of the pro-life movement. Questions: What can pro-lifers do to more effectively change peoples minds? Why did 43% of church-going Catholics vote for President Obama in the last election? What have been the pro-life movement’s greatest victory (or victories) so far? What has been the pro-life movement’s greatest failing or weakness? How can we overcome the obstacle of apathy? How should pro-lifers interact with those who are pro-abortion-choice? What single thing should pro-lifers be doing that most are NOT doing right now? What single thing do pro-life people sometimes spend TOO much time doing, when they could be doing something else that’s more effective? Graphic pictures: should we use them, and if so, how, when, and where? Assisted suicide & euthanasia: what should pro-lifers be doing about this, and why? Questions from Listeners: Patrick in Grand Rapids, MI: "Given the election results, what do we most need to double down on: politics, public education/demonstration, educating the 'people in the pews,' support Pregnancy Resource Centers, something else?" JP Prichard from Hanford, CA: "What do you see as being the best ways to promote unity among pro-life organizations and sects?"

Josh and Jonathan Keller finish their interview with Kristi Burkhart, Executive Director of the Fresno Pregnancy Care Center, focusing on the unique relationship our two organizations have and practical advice for people who want to help a girl who has an unplanned pregnancy. Topics include: Why our right to life organization has been able to maintain such a good partnership with the local pregnancy resource center. (Sadly, a rare situation.) Common misconceptions that pro-life people have of girls that are pregnant and abortion-vulnerable. How can our listeners practically help their friend that suddenly becomes pregnant? What are common mistakes that well-meaning pro-life people make when talking to a pregnant teen? Should sidewalk counselors offer to adopt the babies of mothers considering abortion? Is it true that it's impossible for college students to have kids and stay in school?

We just filmed an interview with pro-life hero Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life for our January 22nd episode. After we were finished, Fr. Pavone agreed to answer one more question geared toward pastors and priests as they prepare for Sanctity of Life Sunday. (January 20th.) Specifically I asked besides the obvious messages on imago dei and the sanctity of human life, what is the most important message for pastors to preach that Sunday morning. What should the congregation walk away with? Please forward this video on to your pastor or priest! Visit ProLifePreaching.com. Tune into ProLifePodcas.net for the full interview of Father Pavone on January 22nd, 2013.

Josh and Jonathan Keller interview Kristi Burkhart, Executive Director of the Fresno Pregnancy Care Center. This is not just a puff piece about PRC's. Most of our discussion is about the most common accusations leveled at PRC's by pro-abortion-choice people and organizations. Topics include: The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) says that PRC's give false information about the abortion/breast cancer link, post-abortion syndrome and physical effects of abortion. Kristi explains how her center handles those three topics with their clients. What does her center do if a client doesn't want to discuss one of her options? (Parenting, adoption, abortion.) How does her center talk about birth control? The difference between PRC's under CareNet, NIFLA and Heartbeat International, and "rogue centers" that often have less quality control.

It's the eleventh part of our popular "Responding to Pro-Life Lies Video" series. The video lists 55 “pro-life lies” she’s heard, and in this series, we’re responding to them all. This was easily the toughest episode in this series to record, because so many of the statements are blatantly hateful. These are the worst statements from that entire video. Josh ends the episode with a plea to pro-lifers be good ambassadors for Christ. Here are the 8 "pro-life lies" we respond to in this episode: "Abortion is anti-feminist." "Jobs aborted children could have held are taken over by illegal immigrants." "Women who abort should be sterilized." "Childbirth is easy and women who don't want to do it are just lazy." "Planned Parenthood lies to women." "Teen mothers are whores." "No mother would ever kill her child." "Women don't know what they really have." Stay tuned for the final episode of this series coming soon!

Valerie from Silver Lake, Kansas emailed Life Report to ask for advice on a discouraging debate she had with her pro-choice, Christian father about abortion. Josh continues a three-part video series responding to different aspects of her email, and some of her dad's pro-choice arguments. This is part three, where Josh discusses... how to respond when somebody claims that personhood begins when a baby takes its first breath; what to do when the person you're talking to states that their mind is closed on the issue.

Valerie from Silver Lake, Kansas emailed Life Report to ask for advice on a discouraging debate she had with her pro-choice, Christian father about abortion. Josh continues a three-part video series responding to different aspects of her email, and some of her dad's pro-choice arguments. This is part two, where Josh discusses... how to respond when people call the unborn a "potential human being;" the claim that life is just a cycle and nothing really begins at fertilization; how to use Richard Stith's Polaroid analogy; how to define the term "human being."

Valerie from Silver Lake, Kansas emailed Life Report to ask for advice on a discouraging debate she had with her pro-choice, Christian father about abortion. Josh begins a three-part video series responding to different aspects of her email, and some of her dad's pro-choice arguments. In part one, Josh discusses the most important question when somebody states that the unborn is "not a human being," how to effectively "narrate the debate" when people don't answer our reasonable questions, and a few quick thoughts on Valerie's dad's assertion that the functional DNA of an early embryo is different from the DNA at later stages.

Josh responds to an email from Ashlen who was debating abortion with somebody who responded that parents should have the right to kill their children until they are 18 years old! She wants to know what she should have said. Josh's response includes comments on what to do when you get stumped or run out of steam and the proper introduction of humor into a dialogue.

Josh responds to a listener email that makes some strong claims about Margaret Sanger. Josh has a different take on Sanger's views and explains why.

Josh responds to an email from someone who isn't finding lots of success using economic arguments for the pro-life position. Her pro-choice friend's response is to reference "Freakonomics" and add that if the country needs more people, we should just open up the borders.

Josh responds to an email from someone who seems frustrated that Josh mis-characterized pro-life people as being uninformed about fetal development. Other topics include late-term abortions, Down Syndrome abortions, post-fertilization age vs. LMP, and the use of the term "pro-aborts."

Josh, Liz and Gabi respond to the story of a pro-choice blogger who wrote some things about sex-selection abortion that was deemed embarrassing by her pro-choice colleagues and publicly berated for it. Is there an inherent inconsistency in Laurie Penny's article? Can you be both pro-choice and opposed to legal sex-selection abortions? Should the other pro-choice bloggers have responded a different way? What does it mean to have an attitude of seeking truth? How can pro-lifers use this story to start conversations with pro-choice people? These questions and more are discussed on this episode of Life Report.

Josh, Liz and Gabi respond to a listener mail question: how much do pro-life advocates need to know about fetal development to be adequately prepared to have good conversations with lots of pro-choice people? Ultimately, the team offers two separate lists: the minimal things you NEED to know and the things that will make you an even better advocate. The team close the show by summarizing the best arguments for the humanity of the unborn and the idea that human beings are valuable in the first place.