In this post we're going to learn some tips for effectively discussing abortion with those of opposing viewpoints.
In his book Persuasive Pro-Life*, Catholic apologist Trent Horn lays out some tips for talking with those who identify themselves as pro-abortion. These tips are as follows:
1. Don't be weird
2. Make your evidence bulletproof
3. Use questions instead of statements
4. Actually Listen
5. Agree whenever possible
Don't be weird:
This step is pretty simple. Don't purposefully try to offend people because of their opinion of abortion. Don't insult them or use hateful words. For example, don't tell the person that you are talking to that they are going to hell because they think abortion is okay. That is not effective and will only make you seem insensitive and rude.
Make your evidence bulletproof:
Always keep good, unbiased sources in the back of your mind when discussing abortion. These sources could include medical journals, the CDC, articles from the Lozier institute, and many more. Know the basic facts of abortion and human development so that you have an answer to most questions that you are faced with. If you don't have an answer to a question, THAT"S OKAY!!! Simply tell the person that you're not 100% sure how to respond and see if they can give you their email address so that you can do some research and get back to them.
Use questions instead of statements:
Asking questions has proven to be very effective when speaking with people of opposing viewpoints. Asking questions shows that you are interested in the other person's opinion and you care about what they have to say. In Trent Horn's book, he gives some examples of questions to ask. Here are a few of them:
1. What is abortion?
2. What is a human?
4. What is pregnancy?
5. What's wrong with being pro-abortion?
6.Why is it wrong to kill a newborn baby?
7. What does an abortion do to the fetus?
In an upcoming post we'll be discussing how to use these questions in conversation and how to respond to the answers to the questions.
Actually listen:
Let the person you're talking to know that you care about their opinion and what they have to say. Use active listening skills (Learn more about that here: https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm) and try to stay open minded.
Agree whenever possible:
Try to find common ground with the person you're speaking with. For example,if someone says that they are for abortion because it helps women assure them that you also want what's best for women and then tell them why abortion actually hurts women instead of helping them. Finding common ground will make your conversations a lot more enjoyable and fruitful.
Let me know in the comments if you use any of these tips in conversations or if you know of any other good strategies. Try some of them out! They work, I promise :-)
* Pages 43-53
You should get the book! It's really good and Trent Horn is very smart. Here's the link to buy it: https://www.amazon.com/Persuasive-Pro-Life-Cultures-Toughest/dp/1941663044
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