We all know that abortion is a heated issue in our country. For years, protecting preborn life has been a critical plank in the Republican National Convention platform. However, the party is considering removing its strong defense of preborn life from the national platform this year, instead referring people to their states to determine when preborn life becomes valuable.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the RNC is removing this long-standing plank from the platform. While prolifers have focused on legislation, abortion supporters have poured millions into their marketing campaign to win hearts and minds to abortion. Their message: abortion equals compassion.
In an age of feelings over facts, the facts of life have been lost on both political sides to the feeling that women need help. The spin says that women are better off without children. Still, reality reveals that abortion not only destroys preborn life, it also negatively affects the mental, emotional, and, yes, sometimes even the physical health of women. In our Center, we regularly see women burdened, depressed, addicted, scared, and angry in the aftermath of an abortion.
So what do we do? How do we bridge the gap between truth and marketing?
I have recently had the opportunity to speak with several pro-abortion women and men. They were ready to fight until they heard all of the ways that we work (for years) to help women. By acknowledging hardship and how we help, I diffused half of their arguments before the battle of words could even begin. Once they realized that I truly cared, they were more open to hearing about the facts of fetal development. This led to the point that most pro-lifers begin with: life begins at conception; therefore, we should protect life. After I agreed with their original point that women need help, they at least listened to my final point of valuing human life regardless of age or stage of development.
We need laws that protect life, but to make those last, we must persuade hearts to value life. We accomplish that by valuing the women and families we serve as well as the opposition we talk to in person and online. In our culture of strong convictions, fighting for what we believe in, and never backing down, valuing others may seem weak, yet that is precisely what can win the battle long-term.