#109: Creative Pro-Life Apologetics: Reaching Out Without Burning Out

In this installment of the Equipped for Life Podcast, Emily Geiger and Dr. Rebecca Carlson dive deeper into what it means to express compassion in conversation, particularly when discussing difficult topics like abortion, rape, and poverty. Note: Although this episode does not describe rape or sexual abuse in detail, it does make reference to survivors and resources related to addressing sexual abuse.   Editor's Note: There was a bit of an audio glitch in Rebecca's audio during recording that we unfortunately didn't catch until post-production. Please bear with us over these next few episodes until our correction of the error catches up with our publishing schedule. Chapters: 00:11 Intro 02:50 How do you "get compassion"? 06:20 How do I prepare myself for hard conversations? 15:02 How do I learn about and work through hard circumstances? 27:07 Practical tips for expressing compassion well  Related Links: The Equipped for Life Course Rachael Denhollander talk on sexual abuse (YouTube)  The Allender Center  Equal Rights Institute Website  Equal Rights Institute Blog  Equipped for Life Academy Equipped for Life Course  Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass   Hosts: Emily Geiger, Rebecca Carlson, PhD  Audio/Video Editor: Joshua Head   Publisher: Melissa McGinness  

We at ERI challenge you to see how many creative methods of outreach in this podcast you've heard of (we bet at least one of these will be new to you)! In this podcast, Emily Geiger and Rebecca Carlson share some of the most creative forms of outreach that they've heard from the ERI Affiliate Groups program and also share some insights on how to manage proper self-care when participating in outreach. Chapters: 00:00 Intro and outlining creative outreach ideas 11:06 The most intense forms of outreach! 16:37 The hardest part of outreach for Emily and Rebecca 22:19 How to care for yourself when doing outreach

When is the last time that you've done outreach? Spoiler Alert: it might have been sooner than you think! In this episode, Emily Geiger and Rebecca Carlson discuss what defines an "outreach" and give some off-the-wall ideas on how to do outreach in less scary and more effective ways than what your imagination might think. Related Links: Summer 2026 Update Video - Introducing Greg Austen! https://youtu.be/cfl4pk4aHPw EFL#100 Celebrating 100 Episodes! https://youtu.be/nVCkgW1hB10   Chapters: 00:00 Intro and ERI updates! 07:36 Who can do outreach? 10:06 Defining "outreach" 18:06 Idea #1 (least intense version of outreach) 29:00 Idea #2  32:00 Idea #3   Hosts: Emily Geiger and Rebecca Carlson, PhD Audio/Video Editor: Joshua Head Publisher: Melissa McGinness   All rights reserved.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if there were a pro-choice version of ERI that taught pro-choice advocates how to effectively talk to pro-lifers? In Part 2 of "How to Talk to Pro-Lifers," Josh Brahm and Emily Geiger live react to three more TikToks where pro-choice advocates explain to their fellow pro-choicers which strategies they think are (and aren't) effective when talking to pro-life people. Related Links: First TikTok Second TikTok Third TikTok Emily TikTok on responding to corpse rights/blood donation ERI Index: https://equalrightsinstitute.com/index/ ERI Reels Index: https://equalrightsinstitute.com/reels-index/ Equal Rights Institute Website Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Academy Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Part 1 recap 02:27 TikTok #1 (Kate) 22:50 TikTok #2 (Erin) 36:25 TikTok #3 (feministlawyer)   Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm  Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if there were a pro-choice version of ERI that taught pro-choice advocates how to effectively talk to pro-lifers? In this episode, Josh Brahm and Emily Geiger live react to a popular new TikTok trend that does just that, as pro-choice advocates explain to their fellow pro-choicers which strategies they think are (and aren't) effective when talking to pro-life people. Related Links: First TikTok Second TikTok Third TikTok Randal Rauser's video Josh referenced:  When "Nice" Evangelicals Do More Harm than Good Josh's article: When and How You Should End Unproductive Conversations Emily on MSNBC Emily TikTok responding to steelman of "abortion is inevitable" SPL website (research) Emily's favorite post-Dobbs studies: https://docs.iza.org/dp16608.pdf  and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33642070/ ERI: The Pro-Life Argument You Should Never Use: (the Beethoven Argument) Quick Response: Sovereign Zone Emily TikTok on responding to corpse rights/blood donation ERI Article on avoiding strawman pro-life meme ERI Index ERI Reels Index Equal Rights Institute Website Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Academy Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Co-Hosts: Emily Geiger, Josh Brahm Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Josh Brahm and Emily Geiger welcome Ali Rak back to the Equipped for Life Podcast to discuss pro-life political activism, now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Much has changed since 2020 when Ali was last on the podcast, and the main focus of this episode includes an analysis of why the pro-life movement was caught so flat-footed after Dobbs, including the poor performance on state initiatives, the abortion lobby's gained momentum, and the generally lackluster support from pro-life politicians.  The second half of the episode includes more practical advice from Ali on how pro-life people can effectively talk to their elected representatives, with different advice for whether their representative is in the majority or minority opinion, and how to communicate with representatives and their staff in a way that will be heard, respected, and even appreciated.  Finally, Ali implores all pro-life advocates (including you!) to reengage their activism with renewed vigor, as she reveals the grim truth that the pro-life movement needs support now more than ever. Chapters: 00:00:00 Reintroducing Ali Rak 00:04:30 What is going on in the legislature post-Dobbs? 00:5:40 How did the abortion lobby prepare for Roe's overturn? 00:07:13 Why is the pro-life side doing so poorly on state initiatives? 00:12:10 Why were pro-lifers caught flat-footed after Dobbs? 00:18:20 What could have been better if things had gone differently? 00:22:55 Pro-life politicians struggle to articulate the pro-life position well 00:25:05 What to do if you're in a red state 00:26:48 What to do if you're in a blue state 00:32:20 What is the pro-choice lobby after once they win?  00:35:50 "My guy is in power, so I don't have to work as hard." 00:42:07 Should citizens pick one issue at a time when talking to their representatives? 00:46:35 Finding common ground with your representative 00:50:13 If your representative is in the majority but not doing enough for life 00:54:15 What are potential traps that people should avoid when talking with representatives? 00:56:21 What can make your call worthwhile to your legislator? Related Links: EFL #56: Become an Effective Lobbyist Using These Practical Tips (with Ali Rak) Ali's Twitter/X: @alirak8710 WSJ News: Trump Tells Christians 'You Won't Have to Vote Anymore' if He's Elected Equal Rights Institute Website Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Academy Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger Guest: Ali Rak Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head; Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder wrap up their series of recent discussions by addressing denial-of-care stories. In this episode, Monica and Josh define what a denial-of-care story is, explain why abortion bans are often blamed for causing pregnancy-related deaths, identify the actual problems behind the most sensationalized stories, empathize with tragic outcomes and legitimate pro-choice concerns, and propose courses of action that pro-life people can take to help prevent similar tragic stories from happening in the future. Related Links: California's progress with decreasing maternal mortality Secular Pro-Life's entire blog category of debunking content: https://secularprolife.org/category/debunking/ Adriana Smith and laws about pregnant patients on life support Does Texas require doctors to wait until there's no heartbeat to intervene in emergencies? (Josseli Barnica) Kaitlyn Kash Yeni Alvarez - New Yorker article ProPublica can't see malpractice, only abortion bans (Neveah Crain) ProPublica identifies their medical experts a little too subtly Are OBGYNs fleeing Idaho because of abortion laws? ERI Blog Post on Adriana Smith's case: Is It Okay to Find Edge Cases Challenging? Equipped for Life Podcast #96: Survey Review: How Pro-Life & Pro-Choice People Define Abortion (with Monica Snyder) Equal Rights Institute Website Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Academy Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:09 Defining "denial of care" stories 00:05:49 Theory posited by many media outlets 00:07:26 How to go about testing this theory 00:12:32 Adriana Smith 00:22:28 Josseli Barnica 00:25:51 Categorizing the cases 00:37:10 What is the most charitable interpretation of pro-choice reactions to these stories? 00:39:01 Malpractice and the in-between cases 00:41:43 Idaho case 00:44:28 Nevaeh Crain 00:49:54 What can pro-lifers do about this? Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder return to discuss the question: "Do You Need Religion to be Pro-Life?" The conversation touches on practical and philosophical points, including discussion about objective and subjective morality and its relationship with deism, as well as Monica's experiences responding to both pro-life and pro-choice people who raise a scrutinizing eyebrow when they realize that they are talking with a pro-life atheist.    Links:   Secular Pro-Life Secular Pro-Life: "Is belief in God necessary for the pro-life cause to succeed?" Secular Pro-Life: "Where do atheists think human rights come from?" A couple of examples of pro-choice religious-ish-ness: "'Where does life begin?' is a spiritual question" "We invited the child's spirit to revisit Earth another time." Human Life Review: SYMPOSIUM: What's God Got to Do with It? Secular Pro Life's blog of sources about moral realism from non-theistic perspectives "Is God Necessary for Morality?" Debate between Shelly Kagan and William Lane Craig Pew Research Center study on religiously unaffiliated people (specifically the "Beliefs & practices" tab)   EFL Podcast on Stanford persuasion study   Retten Til Liv (Denmark Right to Life) Equal Rights Institute Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Academy Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Chapters:   00:00:00 Introduction   00:00:46 How both sides react to pro-life atheists   00:03:29 How do you respond to the pro-choice people?   00:13:15 Responding to pro-lifers   00:20:10 Examining demographic trends, statistics, and labels   00:27:27 Widening the tent to welcome atheists and other alt pro-lifers   00:35:50 How do you respond to the nihilist as an atheist?   00:42:52 Will the Pro-Life Movement survive increasing secularity?   00:47:57 Do you need religion to be pro-choice?   00:52:57 Can pro-life Christians evangelize without being off-putting?   01:04:18 Wrap-up   Host: Josh Brahm   Guest: Monica Snyder   Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm   Publisher: Ellen Campbell

After much anticipation, Josh Brahm FINALLY gets to interview Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life about her background and expertise in Forensics. Monica explains how her work in forensics and DNA analysis affects her view on the abortion issue, particularly when it comes to questions about the justice system and why we shouldn't prosecute women who have had abortions.  Content warning: Includes discussion of forensic rape kits as well as methods of testing whether a baby was aborted instead of miscarried.  Links: Testing biological tissue for abortion drugs "Was the Infant Born Alive?" A Review of Postmortem Techniques Used to Determine Live Birth In Cases of Suspected Neonaticide National Right to Life: Joint Open Letter: Criminalizing Women Who Have Abortions is Not Pro-Life ERI Statement: Should Women Be Prosecuted for Illegal Abortions? Secular Pro-Life Equal Rights Institute Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Academy Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Monica's forensics credentials and background 00:03:25 Describing the Innocence Project 00:06:25 Monica describes her forensics work 00:09:30 Real forensics vs. TV forensics 00:15:50 Why rape cases are difficult to prosecute 00:21:40 Where forensics touches the abortion debate in a post-Dobbs world 00:24:45 Distinguishing abortion pills and miscarriage? 00:34:16 Concerns with attaching criminal penalties to women who have had abortions 00:41:55 What rights do convicted people have? 00:48:35 What would a dystopian prosecution of all women who had abortions look like? 00:49:50 What is a more realistic interpretation of pro-lifers who want to attach criminal penalties to abortion look like? 00:51:10 Plea deals and public defenders 00:54:40 'Steel-manning' the pro-lifers who want to attach criminal penalties to abortion 00:58:10 Trauma associated with miscarriage  00:59:45 Relevant questions from real cases 01:02:20 WARNING: Morbid description 01:03:45 Conclusions from Monica  01:06:30 Josh's eyewitness testimony story 01:11:16 Monica's eyewitness testimony story 01:13:55 Applying this to a recent case  01:17:25 Wrapping up Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Content warning: This whole episode is about sex. It's probably not the episode to listen to around your kids.   Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder returns to the Equipped for Life Podcast for another series of episodes, beginning with the topic, "It's About Babies, Not Your Sex Life." Stemming from real-life conversations, Monica and Josh identify many of the various factors that contribute to pro-choice perceptions or labeling of pro-life people as being "anti-sex" and then respond accordingly to each factor.   The Dynamic Duo also provides some fun commentary on the symbiotic relationship between Secular Pro-Life and Equal Rights Institute, and how the pro-life movement as a whole can benefit from similar relationships.   Finally, towards the end, Josh and Monica talk about how snark might be a good last-resort effort in a dialogue situation.   Secular Pro-Life: It's about the babies, not your sex life: 5 examples   Josh Brahm: Relational Apologetics Tips: How to Cultivate Friendship Amidst Challenging Conversations   Josh Brahm's speech on relational apologetics   Gallup's Moral Acceptability poll   Episode 47: Should Pro-Lifers be Snarky? (with Dank Pro-Life Memes)   Episode 49: Defining the Word "Abortion" Will Change Your Dialogues (with Dank Pro-Life Memes)   Episode 100: Celebrating 100 Episodes! (with the Whole Staff!)   Memes to End Abortion (formerly "Dank Pro-Life Memes"): https://www.facebook.com/MemestoEndAbortion   Pro-choice groups we mentioned who are worth following:   Center for Reproductive Rights   ANSIRH: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health   Jessica Velenti   Jen Hamilton   Chapters:   00:00 Introducing the argument we're responding to   06:05 Steel-manning the pro-choice argument   12:36 What do pro-life and pro-choice people mean when they use the term "anti-sex"?   20:12 Why pro-life organizations should stop bringing LGBT politics into their events   22:18 Subdivisions within conservatism   25:11 More reasons why some pro-choice people think pro-lifers are "anti-sex"   30:02 Responding to the steelman arguments   41:58 Conversation starter idea   44:40 Counter-examples   47:25 Counter-examples to the counter-examples   49:54 On the rape exception   53:26 Both sides sometimes use the word "sex" in simplistic, unclear ways   58:30 We need to ask more questions   1:02:20 We need to have conversations in-person more often   1:04:32 Helpful pro-choice people to follow   Host: Josh Brahm   Guest: Monica Snyder   Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm   Publisher: Ellen Campbell