How to Talk About Abortion
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Abortion is truly the greatest human rights injustice of our time, so learning how to talk about abortion is mission-critical. There are groups on every school campus committed to supporting social justice causes like homelessness/poverty, the environment, anti-bullying, religions, racial issues, etc. But we need students who are called to stand up for the countless babies killed every year in our country. One-fifth of our generation is missing. This message is the most important one our generation has to share.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter.” Life, at all stages of development, from conception to natural death, matters. We need to be fearless as we make our peers aware of the abortion crisis that impacts women and children every day.
Engage With Your Peers
As pro-life students, we need to take initiative and engage with our peers. It’s our job to invite students to have good conversations that could change their hearts and minds about abortion. You can do this in three basic ways:
- Start a Students for Life group on your campus.
- Talk to your peers in between classes & outside of school, and work with SFLA to do pro-life outreach on your campus.
- Post on social media.
You can find downloadable social media graphics, flyers, and more on Students for Life HQ.
How to Start the Conversation There are plenty of ways to naturally ignite conversation about abortion. Consider asking these types of questions:
Talk about a current event in the news. Go to our blog to see what the latest news is! “Did you hear about the new law our state government is considering about abortion?”
Share a fact you learned. “I learned how many abortions happen every day and was shocked! About 3,000! What do you think about that?”
Share someone’s story. “I heard about a lady who had an abortion and feels traumatized, but she joined a support group with other women and is feeling better. Did you know Post-Abortion Syndrome is a real thing?”
Talk about what you do. “I’ve gotten involved in Students for Life. I’m really excited to volunteer at the pregnancy center. Would you like to join?”
If you feel comfortable, you can get right to the point! “The issue of abortion gets complicated. Science says life begins at conception, but I think it comes down to people’s different ideas on when human rights begin. When do you think that is?”
Passion Invites Conversation
Creating opportunities for your peers to think and talk about abortion is only half the battle. They will need someone they know to challenge their views on a regular basis. When you are open and passionate about your pro-life values, your classmates will notice, and that curiosity will turn into genuine interest in what you have to say.
Dialogue Principles
When someone wants to talk to you about abortion, it can be intimidating. Always be open to a conversation. You don’t have to know all the answers to show that you care about women and the preborn, but all pro-life advocates should strive to be educated about the issue.
How to Talk About Abortion in 4 Steps
First, listen to understand. Ask yourself, are you just waiting to talk or are you truly listening to the other person?
Second, clarify objections. It can be easy to assume you know what the other person thinks, feels, or intends, but often we are wrong. This is why we use clarifying questions to ensure that we understand what they are trying to say.
Third, you want to find common ground. Look for things you can both agree on. Perhaps they think that abortions should be illegal once the heart starts beating or once the child can feel pain. Share your agreement and take the conversation from there. Finding points of agreement can help make the conversation more civil and even create more dialogue.
Fourth, and most importantly, be nice. We must follow our passion to defend the preborn while still treating others with respect and kindness. When students on your campus and in your community define what it means to be pro-life, what they observe from your group will become part of that definition. So, if you don’t treat your peers like they are valuable, why would others believe you when you say that the preborn are valuable?
For more practical tips and apologetics training, schedule an Apologetics 101 or 201 Training with your SFLA Regional Coordinator! Just email [yourstate]@studentsforlife.org.