#91: Intellectual Honesty, Transparency, and Observations about the Pro-Life Movement (with Apologist Dr. Randal Rauser)

Josh's favorite Christian apologist, Dr. Randal Rauser, joins the show. Randal describes himself as "progressively Evangelical and generously Orthodox." Josh asks him about open-mindedness, his observations about the pro-life movement, when it's appropriate to call leaders out publicly, and the difference between an "agitation apologetics model" and an "agreement apologetics model." While Josh doesn't agree with everything Rauser believes, that's not the point, and this isn't a debate episode. Josh found this to be a good opportunity to listen to the views of a very careful thinker in spite of the fact that they don't agree on everything within the abortion debate. Related Links: Randal Rauser's website: https://RandalRauser.com Randal's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Randal_Rauser Randal interviews Josh about the state of the abortion debate: https://youtu.be/zRQuuTh8YxI Randal debates Trent Horn on abortion: https://youtu.be/TCK_Pu4lf8A Randal's book, "Jesus Loves Canaanites" https://randalrauser.com/book/jesus-loves-canaanites ERI Blog: "Abortion Images: A Case for Disagreement without Division" http://bit.ly/2uJWRcI Equal Rights Institute Website:  https://EqualRightsInstitute.com Equal Rights Institute Blog:  https://Blog.EqualRightsInstitute.com Equipped for Life Course:  https://EquippedCourse.com Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: http://SidewalkCounselingMasterclass.com Chapters: 00:00: Introduction and thoughts on intellectual honesty 07:33: On trying to convince people to be open-minded 11:20: Defining what it means to be a “Progressive Evangelical” 15:05: What would he say to more conservative Christians who are concerned about Progressive Evangelicals?  17:30: How would Randall describe his views on abortion? 23:20: What are his observations about the pro-life movement from outside of it? 27:26: What advice would he give to pro-life leaders? 29:45: A discussion on when it’s appropriate to call other leaders out in public for poor behavior 40:35: What practical things can people do if they want to transition from agitative apologetics to more of an agreement apologetics model? 42:52: Final thoughts on deception and transparency Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Dr. Randal Rauser Audio/Video Editors: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder have an open conversation about biology, philosophy, and how they interact with persuasion in the abortion debate. Monica has a STEM background so she and Josh compare notes on how STEM professionals and philosophers feel about each other, and why many of them are arrogant.  They also discuss: - How arrogance, confidence, and impostor syndrome often interact with each other;  - The pros and cons of using big words;  - Whether biology vs. philosophy are more likely to change minds on abortion; - “Should we prioritize our arguments more based on whether they are influential, emotionally compelling, logically sound, or other factors?”  - Steps anyone can take to become more rational. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life: https://SecularProLife.org SPL posts about changing from PC to PL: https://secularprolife.com/becomingprolife SPL's “No. embryos aren't parasites” video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=5461153773924066 ERI's article "Abortion Images: A Case for Disagreement without Division" http://bit.ly/2uJWRcI Equal Rights Institute Website:  https://EqualRightsInstitute.com Equal Rights Institute Blog:  https://Blog.EqualRightsInstitute.com Equipped for Life Course:  https://EquippedCourse.com Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: http://SidewalkCounselingMasterclass.com Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm  Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Monica Snyder shares a very emotional story about going undercover in a late-term abortion facility in Washington DC while being 28-weeks pregnant. She talks about what was harder than she expected and the perspective she gained about the employees at the clinic. She also helps Josh understand some things he had never heard about some post-abortive women, and responds to the most frequently asked questions and challenges from both sides of the abortion debate regarding this video.  Editor’s note: As you may remember from a previous editor’s note, we had technical problems on this recording day that went undiagnosed until later because I didn’t think we needed to wear the headphones this time. I did the best I could to fix it, but it’s way below my standards. Thank you for your patience.  Related Links:  Watch the video Live Action released from this day: https://youtu.be/_6bqFOnUsfg Learn more about Justice for the Five here:  https://paaunow.org/justiceforthefive  Watch Josh's emotional interview with Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising's Terrisa Bukovinac and Lauren Handy: https://www.youtube.com/live/_8uDzYhrvXY?feature=share Read Monica Snyder's piece for the Washington Times about this story: https://bit.ly/3HxXwEv Read a similar piece Monica wrote for the Secular Pro-Life blog: https://bit.ly/3NASyuA Read this Secular Pro-Life Interview: How Gabriela became a sidewalk counselor outside the clinic where she had her abortion: https://bit.ly/3VCA1A7 Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: http://SidewalkCounselingMasterclass.com Equal Rights Institute Website:  https://EqualRightsInstitute.com Equal Rights Institute Blog:  https://Blog.EqualRightsInstitute.com Equipped for Life Course:  https://EquippedCourse.com Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm  Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Josh Brahm gives an update on what we've been working on at ERI, including recent speaking trips in Europe, progress on Equipped for Life Academy, and hiring our new administrator. Chapters: 00:00 Why Josh is in Paris 03:16 Cool story from England conference 06:08 Emily update from Denmark 09:13 Equipped for Life Academy update & a question for you 13:57 Replacing Jen 20:11 Equipped for Life Academy update continued Related Links: Equal Rights Institute Website:  https://EqualRightsInstitute.com Equal Rights Institute Blog:  https://Blog.EqualRightsInstitute.com Equipped for Life Course:  https://EquippedCourse.com Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: http://SidewalkCounselingMasterclass.com Performers: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Recorded in late 2022, Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life joined Josh to film a few episodes on what the pro-life movement should be doing right now. It took us a while to get back to regular podcast editing due to a TON of travel, but everything they said is still relevant.  The discussion includes:  - What do we mean when we use the term “pro-life movement” in this particular discussion? - Lots of ideas for things that pro-life people can do to fight abortion. - 4 “unforced errors” Josh is warning pro-lifers to avoid. - Choosing our terms carefully depending on the context. Learn more about Secular Pro-Life (and follow them on social media) here:  https://secularprolife.org Note: Monica referenced Amazon Smile, which was recently discontinued, because we filmed this late last year.  Related links: Check out Secular Pro-Life’s collaborative website: https://HowToBeProLife.com Check out Secular Pro-Life’s “The Abortion Debate Index”: https://SecularProLife.org/Index ERI deep dive podcast on the Dobbs oral arguments: https://www.youtube.com/live/Wxt4AhbUfjc ERI Statement: Should Women Be Prosecuted for Illegal Abortions? https://bit.ly/3OT8lTD ERI Podcast: Defining the Word “Abortion” Will Change Your Dialogues (with Dank Pro-Life Memes) https://bit.ly/3hs7mbH Secular Peo-Life Blog: ACOG has spoken: 13 phrases we no longer are supposed to use regarding abortion: https://bit.ly/3JTry6g ERI Blog: Why Pro-Life People Should Watch “After Tiller”: https://bit.ly/40no9Ui Equal Rights Institute Website:  https://EqualRightsInstitute.com Equal Rights Institute Blog:  https://Blog.EqualRightsInstitute.com Equipped for Life Course:  https://EquippedCourse.com Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: http://SidewalkCounselingMasterclass.com Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm  Publisher: Ellen Campbell

Recorded in late 2022, Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life joined Josh to film a few episodes on what the pro-life movement should be doing right now. It took us a while to get back to regular podcast editing due to a TON of travel, but everything they said is still relevant.  The discussion includes: - The five state amendments the pro-life movement lost in the midterms, and why we lost them. - Does the CA amendment actually mean that infanticide is being legalized? - Where is the American public on abortion? What do we know? - The difference between how Josh and Monica reacted to the Dobbs decision. Learn more about Secular Pro-Life (and follow them on social media) here: https://secularprolife.org Editor's note: There's a little electrical hum noise in one of the microphones that we didn't catch that day because we haven't had that issue before and decided to record without headphones. Oops! Won't make that mistake again. We've minimized it as much as possible, but there's no way to totally take it out. Sorry about that. Related Links: Emily Albrecht on MSNBC: http://bit.ly/3ZDUTrR Podcast: Behind-the-Scenes: Emily Discusses Abortion With NARAL President on MSNBC: http://bit.ly/3zGu5wm Podcast: What New Research Tells Us About Persuasion: http://bit.ly/33GsFkl

Josh explains how some upgrades to our podcast equipment will save us time editing the episodes later and how that will affect our listeners. (This will make even more sense if you watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2cqGMIgp9mM There's a short 2-minute summary, and then a longer "nerdier" version for those who are interested. We have some great podcasts coming out soon, but our production schedule has been thrown off by suddenly needing to find and train a new Administrator. New episode comes out tomorrow though! Thank you for your patience! Chapters: 00:00: The short "TLDR" version 02:36: The nerdier version about the equipment 07:17: Thank you for making this possible Related Links: Equal Rights Institute Website:  https://EqualRightsInstitute.com Equal Rights Institute Blog:  https://Blog.EqualRightsInstitute.com Equipped for Life Course:  https://EquippedCourse.com Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: http://SidewalkCounselingMasterclass.com

Josh Brahm was invited to answer questions about abortion late last year at Fusion City Church in Kannapolis, NC. Pastor Brian Duncan had preached on abortion the week prior and asked Josh to help field the questions that came from the congregation afterward.  *Sorry for the bad audio during the intro. I forgot to grab the better audio before I formatted the SD card. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:19 Pastor introduces Josh 04:05 Josh summarizes the origin of his pro-life work 05:25 Pastor Brian on self-defense and the right to life 07:40 What if the mother's life is at risk? 11:34 But isn't every pregnancy potentially life-threatening? 17:19 What about cases of rape or incest? 20:24 How would you respond to the argument that the unborn aren't biologically human until they become a fetus? 23:33 "If someone should have the choice to use drugs or have multiple sexual partners, should they also not have the choice to have an abortion?" 26:38 How would you respond to a pro-choice Christian who says this: "My personal issue with the entire Roe v. Wade overturn was not so much the abortion aspect but the loss of bodily autonomy for me and my sisters and daughters.  If the movement wasn't so rooted in the dirty word of abortion, I think many people would have an easier time thinking of Pro-Choice as having a choice over one's body which everyone has and almost everyone exercises to some degree.  People choose to eat a vegan diet or a carnivore diet, both with very different reactions in the body.  People choose to drink energy drinks despite the consequences of heart damage.  People choose to be vaccinated or not, both with varying outcomes.  People choose to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol.  People choose to give their boy child a circumcision or not, way before the child is 'self-aware', both offering varying outcomes.  Saying "my body, my choice" is not pro-murder.  It is pro-autonomy, and I have no issues with that whatsoever." 31:43 What are some areas where pro-life people sometimes don't follow their logic to their natural conclusion? 34:01 Final thoughts Related Links: Refuting “Abortion as Self-Defense” Fusion City Church The full-service video Pastor Brian's previous sermon on what it means to be pro-life Equal Rights Institute Website Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Host: Pastor Brian Duncan Guest: Josh Brahm Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland

We've received hundreds of messages and comments about Emily's appearance on MSNBC last week! By popular demand, Josh and Emily are joined by Tim Hull to discuss the behind-the-scenes story of how Emily ended up discussing abortion with the President of NARAL on national television live from NBC studios in New York City!  In this episode, Emily will share the story of her trip to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, including insights into what she chose to say (and not say!) on air and how she was treated by MSNBC. Josh, Emily, and Tim will also watch the MSNBC segment together, reacting to the pro-choice arguments made and providing additional talking points pro-lifers can use to respond. If you'd like to watch MSNBC's published version of the segment, you can do so at the link below! https://on.msnbc.com/3gCfDi1 Related Links: Diane Greene Foster & Katrina Kimport for Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Who Seeks Abortions at or After 20 Weeks? https://bit.ly/3zDTt5O Katrina Kimport for Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Is third-trimester abortion exceptional? Two pathways to abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy in the United States: https://bit.ly/3WCzkXR Secular Pro-Life: Responding to 7 pro-choice claims about embryonic hearts: https://bit.ly/3UgUSan Secular Pro-Life: Later Abortion landing page: https://bit.ly/3gTuu7V Secular Pro-Life: Embryonic Hearts: https://bit.ly/3TXQSvN Equal Rights Institute Website:  https://EqualRightsInstitute.com Equal Rights Institute Blog:  https://Blog.EqualRightsInstitute.com Equipped for Life Course:  https://EquippedCourse.com Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: http://SidewalkCounselingMasterclass.com Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Alrbecht Guest: Tim Hull Audio/Video Editor: Tim Hull & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland

NOTE: For some technical reason this episode didn't publish on podcast feeds before, so we're posting it now. Scroll down to catch the second part of this series in episode 67. Thanks! Jonathon Van Maren joins the podcast to discuss what is going on with a hostile anti-abortion group called Abolish Human Abortion (AHA). This is the first of a two-part series. In this episode, Jonathon discusses AHA's origin, their slander of the pro-life movement, how they are not Wilberforce-style abolitionists, and how they're attempting to rewrite their history now. Related Links: Josh Brahm: AHA Attacks Justice For All for “Not Treating Abortion Like Sin” Jonathon Van Maren: How “Abolish Human Abortion” Gets History Wrong - Part 1 Jonathon Van Maren: How “Abolish Human Abortion” Gets History Wrong Again - Part 2 YouTube: Debate: Pro-Life Incrementalism vs Abolitionist Immediatism (Gregg Cunningham vs. T. Russell Hunter) We referenced Dr. Michael New's research on the effects of pro-life legislation. While much of his work is behind various paywalls, he helpfully sent a link to a 2018 policy analysis he wrote for the Charlotte Lozier Institute, where he summarized the academic research on the impact of pro-life laws: https://bit.ly/3o4Ek6m Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:01 Josh on the pro-life unity happening in this episode 02:43 Why we're talking about AHA 08:37 AHA's origin 27:21 The difference between critiquing in good faith and bad faith 31:42 Problems with AHA-supported legislation 33:10 Pro-life victories and AHA's slander 38:09 Why are abortion rates down? 39:44 Straw-manning or unintelligent? 40:59 "And then what?" 42:29 They're not Wilberforce-style abolitionists Jonathon Van Maren is the Communications Director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. His writings have been translated into more than six languages, and published in the National Post, National Review, First Things, The European Conservative, The Federalist, The American Conservative, The Stream, the Jewish Independent, the Hamilton Spectator, Reformed Perspective Magazine, among others. His insights have been featured on CTV, Global News, and the CBC, as well as over twenty radio stations. He regularly speaks on a variety of social issues at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions in Canada, the United States, and Europe.