Is Being Pro-Life Merely a Religious Stance?
Not if Atheists can also be Pro-Life
Trent Horn is a Catholic Apologist with Catholic Answers. His podcast, “The Council of Trent” is a favorite of mine. In addition to being a Catholic Apologist, Trent has spent years advocating the pro-life cause. He wrote a great book on the topic, Persuasive Pro-Life, which I highly recommend reading.
In a recent podcast, Trent reviewed another podcaster’s effort at articulating Pro-Life arguments. That podcaster is Michael Knowles of The Daily Wire fame. He was debating some women, in one instance a medical student, and in another a group of women who were also podcasters. According to Trent, Michael did a good job of explaining the pro-life side, but in the spirit of helping everyone improve their arguments, he gave some further analysis of what could have been said better.
One of the suggestions Trent mentioned was that when debating we should not lead with religion as being the basis for our pro-life beliefs. This is not because of some sort of shame for that, but because the pro-choicer can easily reply that there are many religions and yours is just one of them. The Pro-Life argument, Trent argues, can be made quite easily without explicit calls to religion. In fact, pro-choicers usually want to bring religion into an argument, so that any such arguments can be quickly dismissed.
I would not presume to disagree with Trent on this matter, who is an excellent debater and able to think quickly on his feet during live call-in shows. However, when you are accused of basing your pro-life beliefs only on your religions beliefs, I think you can counter this quite well.
What I suggest is this.
First, I would define what we are talking about when we say “religion.” Our religion is our belief system. Everyone, even so-called atheists, have a set of beliefs (one of which is that they don’t believe in God). So, yes, in my belief system, abortion is evil and wrong.
Second, my religion, and all religions I have ever heard of, universally rule the killing of an innocent human being as always and everywhere evil and wrong. Even most atheists and agnostics would not, I presume, argue against this.
Third, it is not a matter of faith or a belief system that an unborn baby, fetus (or whatever you want to call it) is a human being. That is a matter of science.
Fourth, if your belief system says that you can kill certain innocent human beings, then you have made an exception to the universal rule. Who else may be added to the list of exceptions? Remember, you created the exception. It is now open for additions. Who else would you allow to be killed? The disabled, coma patients, certain troublesome minorities; there is no limit once an exception is made.
Just my thoughts on the matter. What do you think?
