Thread by @secularprolife

The Rehumanize Conference is about to start! Especially looking forward to Secular #ProLife's 4pm presentation "Deconstructing Three Myths about Abortion." #Rehumanize2021

We'll be live-tweeting all the abortion-related content, which also includes a "Global Perspectives on Abortion" panel, former PP worker turned whistleblower Mayra Rodriguez, SFLA's Apologetics 101, and (most timely) "Pro-Life Victories in the Law."

@RehumanizeAimee kicking it off with an introduction to radical inclusivity. "Our diversity is a strength, not a weakness."

#Rehumanize2021 attendees, be sure to visit the Secular #ProLife exhibit booth during breaks! I'd love to chat.

Rehumanize International Executive Director @HerbGeraghty with the opening keynote. "We oppose aggressive violence against human beings at all stages of life."

@HerbGeraghty Getting a history lesson on the origins of the consistent life ethic (CLE); although a commitment to nonviolence and human dignity has appeared in many times and places, the modern movement comes from the intersection of anti-war and anti-abortion activism.

@HerbGeraghty "We know that being pro-life doesn't end with overturning Roe v. Wade." We support public policies that support pregnant women and their children.

@HerbGeraghty Reliance on "personhood," an inherently political concept, is deeply problematic. Historically, it has been used to strip human beings of their most basic rights. We need HUMAN rights, not PERSON rights.

@HerbGeraghty Herb's comments on finding a human rights focus, because you can't do all of the things, are DEEPLY validating. Let's work together👊

@HerbGeraghty "REHUMANIZE IS A VERB." Yes! Refraining from violence is the bare minimum; "We must agitate!"

@HerbGeraghty Want to join forces with awesome #prolife people in your region? Consider starting a Rehumanize chapter! Chapters already exist in DC/MD/VA and Toronto. rehumanizeintl.org/community

Next up: "Global Perspectives on Abortion" panel featuring Kristina Artukovic of Serbia, Stephanie Midori Komashin of Japan, Martha Cecilia Villafuerte of Ecuador, and Luke Silke of Ireland.

Martha Villafuerte leads "Familia Ecuador," which opposes the abortion agenda in Latin America.

Stephanie Midori Komashin grew up in Los Angeles, where as a 10-year-old, she attended a convention and grabbed a fetal model from an exhibit booth. The science convinced her to be pro-life, but it wasn't until grad school that she got involved in the movement.

In Japan, where she serves as a pro-life volunteer, she finds the political climate around abortion to be much less heated compared to the U.S.

Luke Silke represents Students for Life Ireland. As a child, when he lost a sibling to miscarriage, his family mourned and organized a burial; then he learned about abortion, and wondered "What happens to the remains?"

Kristina Artukovic represents a fairly new Serbian #prolife organization, Etički front (Ethical Front). During her pregnancy, there were signs her baby had Down Syndrome and she faced pressure from doctors to abort. She is also a Rehumanize staff writer.

Ecuador currently bans abortion with exception for life/health of mother. An abortion bill attempt (second time) is in progress; initial focus is on legalization in cases of rape for P.R. reasons, but that is "tip of the iceberg" and everyone knows the goal is abortion on demand.

Abortion is legal in Japan. A key part of the history there is the exploitation of "comfort women" (sex slaves) during WWII, many of whom were subjected to forced abortions. Postwar concerns about a population boom also contributed to pro-abortion attitudes.

There is actually a criminal code provision against abortion in Japan, but the "National Eugenics Law" and its successor laws have functioned as a waiver.

The big shift in Japan occurred when abortion was legalized for "economic reasons." Financial need is never checked, so it's effectively abortion on demand.

Approximately 450 babies are killed in abortion every day in Japan.

Luke Silke now discussing the 2018 referendum that destroyed protections for unborn children in Ireland. As pro-lifers predicted, the number of abortions in Ireland has increased -- by 70%! Bear that in mind as American pro-choicers claim the law doesn't matter.

Horrifically, the Irish government has diverted money from its maternal and infant health programs (the National Maternity Strategy) to fund abortion instead.

Serbia has a "right to choose whether or not to birth children" written into its laws, making abortion abolition exceedingly difficult. Abortion is available on demand up to 10 weeks, and disabled babies can be killed later in pregnancy.

Villafuerte laments that Ecuadorians are poorly educated on abortion and it's too easy for the abortion industry to mischaracterize pro-lifers as extremists or "anti-rights." The pro-life movement needs to step up; can't take pro-life law for granted!

The prevalent attitude in Japan is that abortion is a necessary evil. Animosity toward pro-lifers is not prevalent; political apathy dominates, especially among younger people.

Japanese language doesn't even have well-known terms for "pro-life" and "pro-choice." The organization Komashin volunteers for recently put out a newsletter explaining what pro-life and pro-choice mean! (A more common phrase would be "protecting small lives").

Luke Silke on the #prolife movement in Ireland post-referendum: "We are no longer the establishment. We are now the rebels, the change-makers."

Meanwhile, Irish abortion supporters are still not satisfied; they want more abortions in rural regions, an end to the 3-day waiting period, and are frustrated by doctors who conscientiously object to abortion.

There are signs that the Irish public is having some buyer's remorse, not fully appreciating how extreme the results of the referendum would be (i.e. no pain relief for abortion victims). Pro-life politicians did well in recent elections.

In Serbia, the pro-life movement is very small and the abortion debate is virtually nonexistent.

This is a FASCINATING presentation on how language impacts the abortion debate.

Networking break is up next! Come over to the Secular Pro-Life expo booth and say hello :-)

Next up: "Formerly undocumented, Mayra Rodriguez will give a personal testimony about her experiences in the abortion industry and explain what changed her mind on the issue."

"She will also talk about how the abortion industry persuades immigrants, especially in the Latino community, on the need for abortions."

Mayra is a former Planned Parenthood director, and worked for the abortion giant for 17 YEARS before becoming a whistleblower.

She grew up in Mexico City and wanted to be a doctor. After moving to the U.S. as a teen without a valid work visa, her dream was crushed -- until a friend told her about a job opening for a bilingual person at Planned Parenthood.

In the job interview, asked how she felt about abortion, she just repeated what she'd heard: "I wouldn't have an abortion myself, but if someone else does, it's her body, her choice." That got her the job in 2000.

Initially, she was relieved to be placed in non-abortion clinics. She was a loyal Planned Parenthood employee and would argue with people about all the non-abortion services PP provided.

She was elevated to a clinic director in Phoenix, and eventually the Flagstaff location came under her purview as well. She got an employee of the year award. And then she was offered a promotion: lead the largest abortion center in Arizona.

She was still undocumented. She felt she had to take the job, because there were no other options; she had to support her family. This was 2016.

Right away, she finally saw what pro-lifers were talking about. Her non-abortion clinic had seen 14-16 patients a day. The abortion clinic had a goal of **45** a day.

Seeing behind the scenes of abortion for the first time, she saw how women were being treated. Patient charts were routinely falsified. Uterine perforations were hidden from the health department. Sexual abuse of minors was not reported.

The abortionist was too lazy to account for all the dead baby's body parts; he would sign the forms before he even saw the patients.

The breaking point came when a 19-year-old came in for a dismemberment abortion at 14 weeks. The baby's head was unaccounted for. An employee repeatedly brought this fact to the abortionist's attention; he didn't care. The employee ran to Mayra, crying: "He's about to leave."

So Mayra went back to talk to the abortionist. He said "I already told you, look in the trash." (They had.)

Hearing him call the baby's head "trash" opened Mayra's eyes.

Finally, the abortionist went and found the baby's head, hidden inside the teenager's uterus behind an IUD. He refused to report the complication -- so Mayra did.

And that's how Mayra, former Planned Parenthood employee of the year, got fired.

It's easy enough for Planned Parenthood to find a new clinic director. But the abortionist has to be protected at all costs. He's the moneymaker.

When Mayra got fired, she had no way to support her family. Who else would hire her, when she was undocumented?

But a pro-life sidewalk advocate noticed Mayra's disappearance, worried about her, and reached out. She found a lawyer.

Mayra made the courageous decision to file a lawsuit, even knowing that it would draw attention to her and could lead to her deportation. An Arizona judge could not look the other way from her immigration status.

"Women deserve to know the truth about abortion. Women deserve to know the truth about Planned Parenthood."

The lawsuit lasted for 2 years. The trial lasted for 2 weeks. Planned Parenthood stooped as low as to falsely claim they'd fired Mayra for having narcotics in her desk. It was a devastating betrayal. But her former co-workers told the truth.

In August of 2019, Mayra was VICTORIOUS in her lawsuit! The jurors, including Planned Parenthood supporters, was unanimous.

And today, Mayra is a legal resident of the United States, no longer living in fear.

"Planned Parenthood loses millions of dollars when it can't perform abortions in a few clinics in a few states."

Mayra points out the context of Lyft's recent $1 million donation to Planned Parenthood; they have a deal that PP will call Lyft for any abortion customers who don't have a ride home.

Also relevant to Lyft's supposed love of women's rights: cnn.com/2021/06/11/tec…

Mayra gives a nice shout-out to @prolifesf and its investigation of experimentation on abortion victims at UCSF

Back to the Secular Pro-Life expo booth for a networking break. Happy to chat!

Attending breakout session on "Walking with the Vulnerable" featuring @repreaux

@repreaux Always start by asking "Who's already doing the work on the ground?" And how can you help them? Don't overlook mutual aid!

@repreaux Figure out your feelings about working in difficult situations in advance, and be honest with yourself, so you don't wind up over-promising and under-delivering. Examples: Can you help pregnant moms who are incarcerated? Unhoused? Sex workers? Drug users?

@repreaux Know your boundaries; for instance, she is not comfortable distributing clean needles to drug users, but is willing to safely dispose of dirty needles and perform first aid.

@repreaux You may find that people in desperate situations, seeking resources, may lie to you or give you less than the full truth. Yes, it's upsetting! Keep it in perspective and don't take it personally.

@repreaux "It's OK if you mess up. It's OK if you need to take a step back." Often, the best thing you can do is simply be an active listener, without judgment or trying to "fix" the person.

@repreaux If you're going to make a referral to a hotline, call it yourself first! If you're going to make a referral to brick-and-mortar resource center, check it out first!

Next session: "Apologetics 101: Let's Talk About Abortion" with Stephanie Stone from @StudentsforLife. She will go over a scientific and philosophical defense for protection of the preborn and talk about ways to bring that conversation to your community.

@StudentsforLife She encourages pro-lifers to take a secular approach, because you never know the religious/non-religious background of the person you're speaking with

Basic principles:
-Truly listen and don't just be waiting to speak.
-Ask good questions! "What is your definition of abortion?" It may not be obvious.
-Be nice/compassionate! "Loving people are more persuasive than unloving people."

Note: this training is condensed from what is normally an hour+ long. Information on abortion procedures has been cut. Do that research, and contact your SFLA regional coordinator if you want to bring the complete training to your campus group.

Start with the basics: "What is the preborn?"
DISTINCT. (Unique DNA; but don't stop with this)
LIVING.
WHOLE. (Zygote is "self-directed," growing from within. All that's added are time and nutrients, same as any other age.)
HUMAN.

A baby is not like a car on an assembly line. A baby is more like a Polaroid picture. For more on that analogy: jfaweb.org/jfa-blog/2019/…

Human life begins at fertilization!

If someone says "It's not a human, it's a fetus," point out: Zygote, embryo, fetus are developmental stages, just like child, adolescent, etc. No need to shy away from the word "fetus"

Most disagreements don't come on the scientific end (i.e., the humanity of the unborn child); instead abortion supporters will fight you on when human rights begin.

"The only thing that gives us value is our HUMANITY. This is the only thing we have in common. We are only human and therefore we are all equally vulnerable."

The alternative is that Human + Something Else = Person.

That "something else" could be race, gender, ability...

Most pro-choicers have misplaced compassion, focusing on the circumstances that can make pregnancy difficult.

5-step response:
(1) Listen to understand.
(2) Acknowledge the difficulties! "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

If your dialogue partner is getting emotional and sharing something personal, it's *completely fine* to shut down the debate and shift to resource provision.

(3) Build genuine common ground. This doesn't mean compromising your position.
(4) Trot out the toddler. This means create a parallel example with a toddler and ask "Can we kill the child in this situation?" Shout-out to @EqualRightsInst

(5) Address her real needs. Why does she feel like she needs an abortion? Women deserve REAL, life-affirming solutions.

It's time to take a break from live tweeting. Please come back in 2 hours (4:00 p.m. EST), when our Executive Director, Monica Snyder, will present "Deconstructing Three Myths about Abortion."

We're back in just a few minutes! Monica has helpfully compiled the sources for today's presentation here: blog.secularprolife.org/2021/09/source…

She'll be deconstructing the following myths:
(1) "We don't know when life begins."
(2) "Late-term abortions are only done for medical reasons."
(3) "Laws restricting abortion don't actually decrease abortion rates."
All 3 are lies, and we have the data to disprove them.

"All three myths involve motivated reasoning, at least on some level." Kicking things off with quite the understatement, Monica.

Unlike some aspects of the abortion debate, where competing values are at play, the three issues Monica is addressing today are purely matters of what is factually true.

When human life begins is a biological fact, not a philosophical view. Zygotes, embryos, etc. are all human organisms at different stages. Whether all human organisms are morally relevant & deserving of rights is a value question; identifying human organisms is a science question

"Science can't tell us when life begins," from the lips of a pro-choicer, might mean "Science can't tell us when life begins TO BE VALUABLE." We're talking past each other.

But sometimes, it's not a misunderstanding; pro-choicers are just plain wrong about the biology.

When Scott Gilbert leans on his credentials as an scientist to claim that "there is no consensus among embryologists as to when an individual human life begins," that's perpetuating the myth.

Gilbert knows better; his own embryology textbook recognizes life at fertilization.

An August 2018 survey of over 5,000 biologists found overwhelming consensus (91%) on life at fertilization. Even 70% of those describing themselves as "very pro-choice" conceded it.

The idea that human life begins at fertilization is totally uncontroversial outside of the abortion debate.

Moving on to Myth #2: The narrative, commonly perpetuated in popular media, that late-term abortions are used primarily as euthanasia: a loved, planned baby aborted after a heartbreaking diagnosis. While that does happen, most late (21+ week) abortions are NOT for medical reasons

In 7 states - Alaska, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont - there are no gestational limits on abortion whatsoever. It is legal at any time for any reason.

The vast majority of Americans oppose medically unnecessary late-term abortions. That even includes a slim majority of pro-choice Americans. But support for late-term abortion is much higher if it's medically necessary.

So the savvy pro-choice strategy is to hyper-focus on late-term abortions for medical reasons, and treat that as *representative* of all late-term abortions.

One surprising departure from that strategy came when Teen Vogue published a story about a woman who didn't find out she was pregnant until 26 weeks. The pro-choice reaction on social media was highly negative; "it harms the cause."

Data on late-term abortions are harder to find compared to early abortions. States pick and choose what to abortion statistics to track. But Arizona has that information available...

78% of 21+ week abortions were NOT for medical reasons.

Medical reasons become *more prevalent* the later in pregnancy you go, but it's never close to a majority.

So why would a woman get an elective abortion so late? Are they just glib and heartless? That's not what we're saying at all. This issue has been studied, and the biggest cause is lack of knowledge of the pregnancy.

Abortionists who commit abortions in the third trimester have confirmed in interviews that they do abort healthy, viable babies.

Finally Myth #3: "Abortion restrictions don't stop abortions! They just make abortion unsafe!"

While no law can *eliminate* abortion (just like no law eliminates homicide), pro-life laws absolutely do *decrease* abortions.

The typical pro-choice approach to this research is to compare different countries or regions, looking at their laws and abortion rates. A Guttmacher study which did this and found no association is frequently cited for the notion that law makes no difference.

But Guttmacher doesn't go so far as to claim abortion law makes no difference, and there's a good reason for that: there is a MAJOR confounding variable. Countries have wildly different rates of unintended pregnancy.

When you compare countries with the SAME rates of unintended pregnancy, countries with pro-choice laws have higher abortion rates.

Monica is a fire hose of information, but long story short... it's complicated.

Domestically, it's a similar picture. The states with the lowest abortion rates have BOTH many abortion restrictions and low unintended pregnancy rates; the states with the highest abortion rates have neither.

Longitudinal studies are also helpful here. Looking at the same region before and after a pro-life policy is implement show a significant impact. And it's not just people getting untracked illegal abortions; the birth rate goes up.

Again, here are the sources: blog.secularprolife.org/2021/09/source…

Monica would love to give this presentation to more audiences; contact [e-mail] to book her as a speaker!

More myths she would love to tackle in future presentations: that there is a gender divide in the abortion debate (i.e. women are pro-choice and men are pro-life) and all the nonsense denial/obfuscation of "heartbeat"

We will resume our live-tweeting at 7:15pm for "Pro-Life Victories in the Law," a panel featuring @Michael_J_New and @cateici

@Michael_J_New @cateici And we are back! Dr. Michael New (Charlottes Lozier Institute) and Catherine Glenn Foster (Americans United for Life) will discuss how pro-life legal victories at both the state and federal level are lowering abortion rates and protecting preborn children

@Michael_J_New @cateici Dr. New is the social science researcher of the #prolife movement; "I'm lots of fun at cocktail parties." The U.S. abortion rate is down by more than HALF since the 1980s!

@Michael_J_New @cateici The headline-grabbing cases (Texas, Dobbs) are important, but not the end all, be all; whatever the outcomes, long-term trends are in favor of life. Keep going.

@Michael_J_New @cateici Catherine Glenn Foster came to the pro-life movement because of her abortion experience and the harm she suffered; "There is a better way."

@Michael_J_New @cateici Americans United for Life will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. Congratulations @AUL!

@Michael_J_New @cateici @AUL "What do you think are the most important #prolife victories we've achieved in the past 50 years?"

Foster cites the shift to Casey and laws like parental involvement and waiting periods. She believes her own abortion could have been prevented by a waiting period.

@Michael_J_New @cateici @AUL Foster continues: The goal is to make abortion "illegal, unthinkable, and not even DESIRABLE." (I've heard unthinkable but undesirable is even better!)

@Michael_J_New @cateici @AUL Foster shares the story she "can't shake." In 2014, a 14-year-old girl in Birmingham came to Planned Parenthood pregnant with her *THIRD* child. Planned Parenthood did the abortion with no questions asked, no child abuse reported. A few months later: same thing.

@Michael_J_New @cateici @AUL Dr. New: Most important victory in terms of number of lives saved is passage of the Hyde Amendment and its survival in the Supreme Court.

@Michael_J_New @cateici Dr. New: Abortion researchers disagree on a lot, but there's a clear consensus on taxpayer funding of abortion. "There are 2.4 million people walking around today who owe their lives to the Hyde Amendment."

@Michael_J_New @cateici Focus on policies that restrict abortion, versus those which support families like paid leave? Foster: "It's a both/and."

@Michael_J_New @cateici Top 3 reasons for abortion: Financial issues, relationship concerns, and not feeling ready to be a parent. "All of those are areas where we can help women."

@Michael_J_New @cateici Dr. New summarizes his research: "Incremental pro-life laws work." Parental involvement laws lower minor abortion rates -- and are also affiliated with lower teen pregnancy, STI, and suicide rates.

@Michael_J_New @cateici "I understand that people wish we could do more faster," but most social movements make progress incrementally. For example, the civil rights movement began with desegregating law schools. The right to life for the unborn is no exception.

@Michael_J_New @cateici Shout-out to the joint AUL and Rehumanize white paper on a vision for restorative justice after Roe: rehumanizeintl.org/justice-after-…

@Michael_J_New @cateici What bills and cases should we be following?

Dr. New: "Everyone's excited about what's happening in Texas . . . but we're not out of the woods yet." "The onus is on pro-lifers to step up." Every time a state does something good, we should shower PRCs with support!

@Michael_J_New @cateici Dobbs case (15 weeks) is also one to watch; it's possible the Court would overturn or weaken Roe. Judiciary is the least predictable branch of government, but don't be discouraged. We have 6 abortion-skeptical Justices; we just need the right case.

@Michael_J_New @cateici Foster: Many people may be hearing about the abortion issue in depth for the first time. Just getting abortion in front of the public eye, not swept under the rug, is a victory. If it's not out in the open, there can't be healing.

@Michael_J_New @cateici Social media makes it look like everyone is firmly on one extreme side or the other, but that's not true; there are plenty of people in the middle, and many areas of consensus (including opposition to abortion after 1st trimester & taxpayer funding).

@Michael_J_New @cateici Foster: "We can't pass the laws and ignore the culture. For many people, law is morality."

@Michael_J_New @cateici We seem to be having some technical difficulties, so this will conclude our live tweeting. Thank you to the @RehumanizeIntl team for a fantastic conference, as always! #Rehumanize2021