It starts young.
Our pro-life kids start getting hammered on the abortion issue at younger and younger ages. By the time they get to college, Big Abortion has created a highly trained cadre of abortion rights evangelists ready to pounce on your pro-life child and rhetorically beat them into submission if they dare to defy abortion orthodoxy.
Worse, the onslaught causes many of our kids to question the pro-life position, and even embrace the lies espoused by Big Abortion.
Fight back. You can arm them with ammunition now.
Iowans for LIFE is launching a pro-life apologetics video series called, “What would you say?” The series features a team of ten pro-lifers from our community role-playing pro-life vs. abortion rights positions.
How would your child answer this?
Ask your child, “what would you say” if someone says this to you:
“I’m personally against abortion, but I can’t impose my religion on someone else.”
“Abortion is but one of many important issues. I refuse to be a single issue voter.”
“A man can’t tell a woman what to do with her own body.”
“Well, what about rape? Would YOU force a woman to have her rapist’s baby?!!”
“Women are going to have abortions whether they’re legal or not. If you pro-lifers have your way, there will be more back alley abortions than ever, putting women’s lives at risk.”
“If abortion isn’t legal, women will be forced to get them from untrained back alley abortionists. Is that what you really want?”
“A fetus isn’t a person.”
“A fetus isn’t a person until viability.”
“If you don’t like abortion, don’t have one. It’s that simple.”
“Why don’t you pro-lifers care about the baby after it’s born?”
“What about the 14 year old girl who becomes pregnant?”
“My candidate is pro choice, but they support all of the other important social justice issues.”
“The right to abortion is vital for gender equality.”
“The right to abortion is vital for a women to attain her full potential.”
“Women need a right to abortion in order to have the same freedoms as men.”
“Abortion rights are fundamental to a woman’s reproductive health concerns.”
“It’s not fair to bring a child into the world that is going to be unwanted.”
“Children born into bad situations are being set up for a life of poverty and social pathology.”
“It’s not fair to bring a child into this world with serious defects.”
Avoid a weak response
Most kids are going to hem and haw and sputter an unfocused, non-compelling response. Frankly, same with most adults.
You and your family need to know exactly how to respond when confronted with these assertions. Our pro-life video apologetics series arms you with smart, concise, compassionate responses. Some are as succinct as 20 seconds, very easy to be memorized.
We’ve included two for your immediate review.
If you like what you see, you can access a complete set of written responses by clicking here now.
If you’d like a set of flash cards with question on one side and response on the other, you can order our complete Pro-Life Apologetics Tool Kit for a suggested donation of $25.
Iowans for LIFE has begun posting these “What would you say” videos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to like/follow us. And share our videos. Pro-lifers need to be on their toes when faced with an opportunity to ‘evangelize’ their own pro-life belief system.
Iowans for LIFE just made your job easier.
This project was made possible by a grant from the Catholic Foundation of SW Iowa. We thank them for their support.
[Support Iowans for LIFE’s pro-life educational outreach. Donate today. Thank-you.]
The House of Representatives changed the rules on ratifying the pro-abortion Equal Rights Amendment along a largely part line vote. If it passes the Senate, President Biden promises to sign it.
Here’s what the ERA actually says:
“Equality of rights under law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
How could any modern person disagree with such a straight forward proposition? Because the Amendment is a Trojan Horse intended to gut pro-life laws and usher in a Constitutionally protected era of unfettered abortion.
Here’s the background:
The ERA is all about abortion
Liberal Congresswoman, Bella Abzug (D-NY) made it clear back in 1971 that the ERA would supersede sex-based pro-life laws, because only women can become pregnant:
“Thus the amendment … eliminates all existing legal distinctions based on sex and rejects the assumption that sex is ever a reasonable legal classification.”
Another liberal Congressman from New York, Gerald Nadler (D-NY), made it clear in 2018 that passing the ERA is a back-up plan if Roe v Wade is overturned:
“We cannot trust the Supreme Court not to go back … what the Supreme Court giveth, the Supreme Court can taketh away … we are worried now that another Supreme Court nominee … might overturn Roe v. Wade …”
Legal scholars admit Roe v Wade needs the ERA
Abortion-friendly legal scholars recognize that the Roe v Wade decision was a verbal smokescreen with no Constitutional basis. Harvard’s pro-abortion, pro-ERA legal scholar, Laurence Tribe, admitted as much:
“One of the most curious things about Roe is that, behind its own verbal smokescreen, the substantive judgments on which it rests are nowhere to be found.”
Stanford Law School’s former dean, John Hart Ely concurred by acknowledging that Roe v Wade …
“is not constitutional law and gives almost no sense of an obligation to try to be. What is frightening about Roe is that this super-protected right is not inferable from the language of the Constitution …”
What is frightening to the pro-life community is that such a dishonest case still stands.
Even a sitting Supreme Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has acknowledged that Roe v Wade’s flaws need to be shored up, which the ERA would do:
“the Court presented an incomplete justification for its action … the Court’s Roe position is weakened … by the opinion’s concentration on a medically approved autonomy idea, to the exclusion of a constitutionally based sex-equality perspective.
It is essential to woman’s equality with man that she be the decision-maker, that her choice be controlling. If you impose restraints that impede her choice, you are disadvantaging her because of her sex.”
The ERA forced New Mexico taxpayers to fund abortion
New Mexico passed the ERA in 1973. In a 1998 ruling, the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld a case which compelled New Mexico taxpayers to fund abortions, basing its ruling solely on the ERA. The same happened in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
Ultimately, the Equal Rights Amendment has nothing to do with equal rights. It is a smokescreen to beat back pro-life regulations which have been spreading across the U.S. at the speed of love.
The ERA passed Congress in 1972, who then gave the states seven years to ratify the amendment. It takes 38 states to amend the Constitution. Thirty-five approved the ERA before the deadline for ratification passed. Five of those states later changed their mind and rescinded their approval.
Undeterred, pro-abortion legislators are trying to work around the process to resuscitate the ERA. The House vote removes a deadline on the ratification process.
In recent years, Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia have passed the ERA, bringing the total number of states approving the amendment to 38 according to abortion advocates, even though the deadline passed decades ago, and even though five of those states rescinded their ratification.
This bill effectively resuscitates the amendment.
The Senate requires 60 votes to pass this change to the Amendment process, and of course the president’s signature. Two Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, are the only two Republicans likely to support the bill, along with all Democratic senators.
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The pandemic may have slowed us down, but at long last, IFL’s pro-life apologetics video series is in production! We filmed each segment this past weekend, and now the project has moved to the editing stage.
We are excited to launch this video series online to arm pro-life students and young adults with quick come backs to common questions and assertions made by supporters of abortion rights.
What do you say when?…
In other words, how should you respond when you hear stuff like this:
“I’m personally against abortion, but I can’t impose my religion on someone
else.”
“Abortion is but one of many important issues. I refuse to be a single issue voter.”
“A man can’t tell a woman what to do with her own body.”
“Well, what about rape? Would YOU force a woman to have her rapist’s baby?!!”
“Women are going to have abortions whether they’re legal or not. If you pro-lifers have your way, there will be more back alley abortions than ever, putting women’s lives at risk.”
“If abortion isn’t legal, women will be forced to get them from untrained back alley abortionists. Is that what you really want?”
“A fetus isn’t a person.”
“A fetus isn’t a person until viability.”
“If you don’t like abortion, don’t have one. It’s that
simple.”
“Why don’t you pro-lifers care about the baby after it’s born?”
“What about the 14 year old girl who becomes pregnant?”
“My candidate is pro choice, but they support all of the other important social justice issues.”
“The right to abortion is vital for gender equality.”
“The right to abortion is vital for a women to attain her full potential.”
“Women need a right to abortion in order to have the same freedoms as men.”
“Abortion rights are fundamental to a woman’s reproductive health
concerns.”
“It’s not fair to bring a child into the world that is going to be unwanted.”
“Children born into bad situations are being set up for a life of poverty and social pathology.”
“It’s not fair to bring a child into this world with serious defects.”
Quick counter arguments
IFL’s pro-life apologetics video series gives you quick, smart counter arguments to these types of encounters you have already had … or will face one day soon. They are presented by a diverse group of actors, pictured above, in 60 to 90 second vignettes.
We hope to showcase our first ones within a week on this blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
This project has been supported by the Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa along with IFL stakeholders like you. Iowans for LIFE thanks you all.
[We need more support for upcoming video projects. Donate today and make Iowa more pro-life than ever. Be sure to subscribe to this blog below.]
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By Tom Quiner
[Bob Weast was the recipient of IFL’s Life Award for 2020 for his unwavering support of the pro-life cause generally, and Iowans for LIFE specifically. He died a week after receiving his plaque, at the age of 91. IFL Board president, Tom Quiner reflects on his friendship with Bob, adapted from a toast he made on Bob’s 90th birthday.]
Bob Weast (center) presents Maggie DeWitte and Tom Quiner with a CD of his greatest hits.
I did a little calculation. Using higher mathematics, I discovered I have spent a little more than a thousand hours of my life discussing God with Bob Weast. That something like 43 days of non-stop talking.
I have learned much from Bob on a variety of subjects, but especially when it comes to faith and music subjects.
Let’s start with faith. I don’t know if anyone has ever noticed, but Bob sometimes latches onto a subject and won’t let go of it for five or ten years.
One of his favorite themes at our Catechism & Coffee group regards the nature of evil generally, and specifically why God allows natural disasters.
Has anyone ever heard Bob ask,
“Well, what about tsunamis?”
I’ll let the theologians reading this wrestle with the vexing implications of the question. In the meantime, I’m rather struck that Bob is something of a tsunami in his own right.
After all, a tsunami is a force of nature. Can anyone deny that Bob is a force of nature?
And after all, tsunamis reach tremendous heights, as has Bob Weast. His accomplishments in the world of music are obvious, culminating in his election to the Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame.
The power and beauty of his trumpet playing is a transformative force that makes people feel better about life, and more importantly, draws us deeper into prayer when it is enjoyed at Mass.
Despite the impact that his music has had on me and the tens of thousands of people it has touched over the years, I think it is Bob’s robust, childlike faith in God and His creation that has made an even bigger impact on those lucky enough to spend 43 days of their life discussing faith matters with Bob Weast.
His love of the Eucharist and the Catholic Mass is contagious. His ardent support of the pro-life movement was unwavering. I thank Bob for being such a great mentor to me and so many others, whether the subject is Mozart or Mass, God or Gershwin, or transubstantiation or transposition.
Let me leave you with a Bob story from, where else, but Mass!
I was on piano and Bob was on trumpet, of course, in what turned out to be one of the last Masses he played with me. To be clear, I am a fairly functional piano player, without the spit and polish of, let’s say, a Janice Weast, Bob’s virtuosic late wife. I always loved it when Bob played with me at Mass because he always made me sound better than I am.
Anyway, my fingers were racing over the keyboard as the congregation sang “The Gloria.” You could practically hear the choir of angels joining in!
Bob’s cue was imminent.
I glanced out of the side of my eye and noticed Bob sitting on his chair with his eyes closed.
“Hmmm,” I said to myself. “I wonder if he’s praying?”
Ten seconds to his cue. Several measures pass.
I glanced again over at Bob. Eyes still closed.
“Hmmm, I wonder if he’s sleeping?”
Five seconds to his cue. A few more measures pass.
I take another glance. Eyes STILL closed.
“O my God, I wonder if he’s dead!” I screamed to myself.
His cue is NOW!!!!!
Like clockwork, Bob whipped his trumpet into position and produced the loviest of sounds with his magical horn … exactly … on … cue.
Ye of little faith.
Bob was a consummate professional at the distinguished age of 90, as I was once again reminded.
One other time at Mass, I had written a trumpet part for Bob and forgotten to transpose it. Bob could transpose on the fly with the best of them, but this time, I was thrusting him into a key with something like 47 sharps. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but it was a lot.
Bob said, “You know, Tom, this might take me a minute.”
I said, “That’s all the time you’ve got, Mass is starting in twelve seconds.
Needless to say, he played the transposition flawlessly, with his usual eloquence and lilt.
I could go on.
Bob was such a good man. I’ll never forget his infectious laugh and his passionate commitment to the pro-life cause.
I’ll never forget his peerless trumpet prowess.
I’ll never forget the support and mentoring he provided me, an untrained musician and composer.
I’ll never forget his kindness, or his wonderful family, from wife to daughters, to grandkids, to son-in-laws.
But ultimately, it is his childlike devotion to his Catholic faith that will stick with me the longest. That is the supreme compliment I can pay to Robert Weast.
[Do you have a loved one you’d like to remember with a pro-life memorial? Visit our Memorials Page for details. A memorial is a beautiful way to support Iowans for LIFE’s pro-life educational outreach.]
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DAY NINE PRAYER
Mother of little children; Be with the child who is alone or afraid.
Saint Frances Cabrini, In every corner of hemisphere you sought out those whom everyone had forgotten. Mother of immigrants, friend of orphans, protector of the poor, intercede for us who seek to follow your example. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mother of those who care for the sick; Inspire doctors to be apostles for life.
Mother of the homeless; Teach us that all life comes from God and rests only in him.
Mother of little children; Be with the child who is alone or afraid.
Our Father …
Hail Mary …Glory to the Father …
Thank-you for praying for the most vulnerable members of our society: the unborn.
[Pray for life. Pray for IFL’s pro-life educational outreach. Support IFL with your gift.]
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The Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is the third approved vaccine in the U.S., along with Moderna’s and Pfizer’s earlier entries. Unlike the first two on the market, J & J’s is produced using abortion-derived cell lines.
Moderna and Pfizer used cells cloned from abortion-derived cell lines in the testing phase only, not in the actual manufacture of the product.
Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, reacted to the J & J vaccine in a statement yesterday:
“The approval of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in the United States again raises questions about the moral permissibility of using vaccines developed, tested, and/or produced with the help of abortion-derived cell lines.
“Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged that ‘when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available … it is morally acceptable to receive Covid-19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process.’ However, if one can choose among equally safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.
“While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good.”
For a closer look at the ethical implications of the COVID vaccine, read an earlier blogpost on the subject.
[Protect life. How? Support Iowans for LIFE’s pro-life educational outreach.]
DAY EIGHT PRAYER
Saint Frances Cabrini,
In every corner of the hemisphere
you sought out those whom everyone had forgotten.
Mother of immigrants, friend of orphans, protector of the poor,
intercede for us who seek to follow your example.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mother of the aged;
Be with those who are forgotten and alone.
Mother of the oppressed;
Pray for all who are condemned to die.
Mother of the sick;
Pray for those tempted to forget the infinite value of life.
Our Father …
Hail Mary …
Glory to the Father …
Check back tomorrow for our Day Nine Prayer as our Novena comes to and end. And thank-you for supporting the cause of Life with your prayers.
[Pray for life. Pray for IFL’s pro-life educational outreach. Support IFL with your gift.]
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Our Novena comes from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops who encourage us to invoke three powerful pro-life witnesses on behalf of the cause.
We invoked Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton the first three days of our Novena and Saint John Neumann for the next three days. Now we turn to Saint Frances Cabrini. According to the USCCB:
“Frances Cabrini was born in a little village in Lombardy in 1850, so fragile at birth that she was brought immediately to Church to be baptized. While from her youth she dreamed only of being a missionary, she was three times rejected when applying to a convent. Yet in her years of religious life she founded an order, 70 orphanages, schools and hospitals, scattered over eight countries in Europe North, South, and Central America.”
DAY SEVEN PRAYER
Saint Frances Cabrini,
In every corner of hemisphere
you sought out those whom everyone had forgotten.
Mother of immigrants, friend of orphans, protector of the poor,
intercede for us who seek to follow your example.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Mother of immigrants;
Give us a love for the lives of all who are rejected or forgotten.
Mother of the oppressed;
Inspire us to work for justice and the protection of all life.
Mother of the lost;
Inspire us to seek out all whose lives are forgotten.
Our Father …
Hail Mary …
Glory to the Father …
***
Check back tomorrow for our Day Eight Prayer. And thank-you for supporting the cause of Life with your prayers.
DAY SIX PRAYER
Saint John Neumann,
as a loyal son, a faithful priest, and a tireless Bishop,
you worked to support and defend life in all its wonder.
Intercede for the Church you loved with all your heart
that we may be faithful witnesses to the Gospel of Life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Preacher of the truth;
Teach our nation to protect the lives of all its citizens.
Friend of the sick;
Inspire doctors to cherish the lives of all.
Our Father …
Hail Mary …
Glory to the Father …
Check back tomorrow for our Day Seven Prayer. And thank-you for supporting the cause of Life with your prayers.
[Support IFL. Support life. Donate today.]
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DAY FIVE PRAYER
Saint John Neumann,
as a loyal son, a faithful priest, and a tireless Bishop,
you worked to support and defend life in all its wonder.
Intercede for the Church you loved with all your heart
that we may be faithful witnesses to the Gospel of Life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Missionary to America;
Pray for the leaders of our country.
Tireless servant of the cross;
Make our hearts to love Christ suffering in those who have grown very old.
Model of self sacrifice;
Help us not to count the cost in proclaiming the Gospel of Life.
Faithful unto death;
Guide unwed fathers, that they may be true to the Faith.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory to the Father…
Check back tomorrow for our Day Six Prayer. And thank-you for supporting the cause of Life with your prayers.