Responding to pro-choicers’ views on abortion

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Psalm30

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I’m feeling pretty outraged at the moment. I’m not highly active on Facebook, but I check in once a day or so to generally keep in touch with people I know. Someone in my friends list has been posting a lot of pro-choice propaganda over the last few days. She is adamantly opposed to abortion bans, posing the question, “What year is it again?!” and goes on and on about how wrong pro-lifers are. She supports her viewpoint using the “right to bodily autonomy” argument. Today she reposted something someone else wrote and gave the original poster a “shout-out,” praising everything the author of the original post said. This person shut down every single pro-life argument in the book — how there’s a natural drive to have sex, sex isn’t a crime, that sex isn’t reserved for people who want to procreate, that one shouldn’t be punished for having sex (especially not with a forced pregnancy which is considered a crime against humanity in the UN). But the worst part of it, in my opinion, was the person saying that God Himself is pro-choice due to the fact that He struck down the first borns in Egypt, and that the pro-lifers’ God is not everyone’s god, so the pro-lifers need to respect the pro-choicer’s opinion and agree to disagree. Literally every argument pro-lifers make was adamantly shut down. I considered un-friending her but then decided that would do no good. I wanted to say something, but based on what was posted, whatever I said would probably just add fuel to their fire.

All of this made me sick. I mean, my heart hurts. Physically. I really cannot believe how adamant people are about being allowed to kill babies, and that they really think they are right about all this.

How are we, as Catholics, supposed to respond to things like this, whether on social media or in real life? I don’t want to stand by and say nothing, but I feel like nothing anyone says or does is going to change the mind of someone who feels that strongly about “bodily autonomy” and thinks that God Himself is pro-choice. Has anyone ever dealt with this? If so, how did you handle it?
 
Although I am not on Facebook and highly recommend to everyone I encounter that is still on there to delete it, I am so sick of the “OMG it’s -current year- I can’t believe X is happening” trend. You see it everywhere but especially on social media rants.
 
Psalm30 said:
How are we, as Catholics, supposed to respond to things like this, whether on social media or in real life? I don’t want to stand by and say nothing, but I feel like nothing anyone says or does is going to change the mind of someone who feels that strongly about “bodily autonomy” and thinks that God Himself is pro-choice. Has anyone ever dealt with this? If so, how did you handle it?
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I would unfriend someone this vile and/or delete my Facebook.
 
At this point, the woman posting all this seems uninterested in discussion. All one can do is to pray for her.

If you know her in real life, remain friendly and kind towards her. She is much more likely to listen listen to someone friendly and kind than to someone who unfriends her and acts coldly towards her.

If you do not know her in real life and her posts are very disturbing to you, then you could unfriend her (do people know you have unfriended them?) or maybe reset your privacy levels or adjust your newsfeed so you don’t have to see these posts.

As to what others see as responses, sometimes on forums I will respond t I something not because I think it might change the OP’s mind but for the sake of those who are reading.
 
You can unfollow them, and they won’t know. This way, if down the road you wish to look at their posts, you can. You will still be friends.
Personally, when someone is blasting a horn about their pro-choice views and trashing pro-life views, time to end the friendship.

That polarizing that you are watching in your country is, I believe, Jesus separating the sheep and the goats, as he said he would do before he comes. I think the Old testament scriptures of the plaques hitting Egypt, and the final one that Egypt proclaims, falls on themselves, the loss of the first born. We are seeing people having sex without marriage, without regard to God and his word, and their first born are being slaughtered. At their own hand. It’s all foretold in Moses time as he points forward to when Christ comes in glory to separate the sheep and the goats. Choose well today my friends.
 
I think Karlo and Trent have great logical arguments against Pro-Choice if you want to equip yourself.

I would offer them to discuss about it to show them the Pro-Life argument, and if they refuse, then you can proceed with filtering them out of your Facebook.
 
I’m having the same issue myself. I deleted a lot of people over this kind of thing, but I have some family it would be hard to delete.
I have considered deleting FB myself. I’ve unfollowed a lot of people.
 
Vanny said:
I’m having the same issue myself. I deleted a lot of people over this kind of thing, but I have some family it would be hard to delete.
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You don’t have to delete them. There are 2 choices to unfollow and unfriend. You can unfollow them so you can still visit their page when you need to for family functions and events. You can still private message. Their postings will not come up on your page to see.
 
Psalm30 said:
How are we, as Catholics, supposed to respond to things like this, whether on social media or in real life?
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I used to be silent, but I don’t think it’s a good idea anymore. I think it was CS Lewis who said, “Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.”

However, I would caution against a tit-for-tat argument on FB. Normally, I quote stats from Pew or Gallup. Pro-choicers constantly pretend that the vast majority of folks in the U.S. are for abortion on demand for all 9 months. But the stats don’t bear that out—not even close.

The real picture is that those who oppose abortion for any reason at all (strict opposition, to include rape, incest, save life of mother) are a minority—maybe 20% or so. So too is the percentage of Americans in favor of unrestricted abortion on demand—minority, maybe 20%.

So, the vast majority are in the middle, quite opposed to extreme pro-choice views. If folks in FB disagree, ask them to show some data to support their beliefs.

And there are other interesting facts to point out. An author and sponsor of the strict AL bill was a woman, as is the governor who signed the bill, right? So much for a “war against women,” such language is just propaganda. But it should be shown to be propaganda by noting the facts.

Charitably opposing with stats is always worthwhile, I think. Silence is not such a great option. Bad philosophy needs to be answered…
 
I have, sadly, learned over the course of the last day that my sister holds many of these abhorrent views. I confronted her about it and responded with why her arguments weren’t actually very good.

As expected, she didn’t take this particularly well, and even went so far as post an article by some crazy Mormon lady about how all unintended pregnancies are the man’s fault, as if women have no say in choosing to have sex.

All I can really do is pray for her, and hope that my dad and grandmother don’t see that she’s supporting these evils…
 
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There is an excellent booklet about abortion called 20 Answers: Abortion from Catholic Answers. It provides some guidelines for talking to pro-choice advocates as well as arguments.
 
Psalm30 said:
how there’s a natural drive to have sex, sex isn’t a crime, that sex isn’t reserved for people who want to procreate, that one shouldn’t be punished for having sex
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every rapist could use that to rationalize rape. what more needs to be said?
Psalm30 said:
the worst part of it, in my opinion, was the person saying that God Himself is pro-choice due to the fact that He struck down the first borns in Egypt,
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she just destroyed her own argument. She just said its God’s choice, not the woman’s choice. So we need to surrender to God’s will and that if the baby is born, to honor God’s choice but if the baby isn’t born through some natural cause like miscarriage, to honor God’s choice there too.
 
I got rid of Facebook years ago and from what we know now that they have zero respect for your privacy I’m glad I did.

Attitudes like this is the result of years of cultural Marxist and abortion industry indoctrination. It’s about time the pro life movement fights back.

It won’t happen but would be justice to see a Becket style excommunication for “Catholic” politicians on the wrong side of the abortion issue.
 
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I would pray over it firstly and see where God leads you because it will be different for all of us.
Facebook is not bad or evil in itself. There are some amazing and wonderful Catholic ministries and highly spiritual paths on there. Facebook can be good or bad, depending on what you follow and look at as well as how much time and effort you give it. Good old moderation.
If it were me, I would at least hide the person for 30 days like Facebook gives you the option to do. You may be being tempted, let yourself have time to pray and discern your purpose in this. Are you being called to evangelise? or is this the time to walk away and avoid temptation? Like the song of Solomon, there is a time for all things. Don’t try to rush anything, let the Holy Spirit guide you. In my humble opinion the sin of pride (always wanting to your opinion to be put out there and have the last word - even in good things) is often overlooked on social media and the devil loves that. I only say that cos I am guilty of this, trying to make others see my point of view… and yes sometimes we are right and we should speak out… but just knowing when to stop is also important. Even Jesus (who is always right) knew when to stop arguing his point and fall silent as he had said all that could be understood. God bless you in whatever you decide to do.
 
The best rebuttal is science and common sense. Always charitably.
The pro choice argument is irrational and anti science, and anti human rights. And it’s easy to point out the holes in it.

The problem is, when people are faced with their lack of thought, they don’t respond very well. And that takes a lot of patience and charity on our part.

It’s easy to point out contradictions and evils, it’s hard for someone to face the fact that they aren’t thinking well.
 
You’re right that most are in the middle on the issue. Reason you’re seeing such an extreme response from the pro choice side however is that the 20% on the other extreme (banning all abortion with no exceptions and extreme penalties (Alabama) and even punishments if you have one done in another jurisdiction where they’re legal (Georgia) are the people making policy right now. If you’re being pulled heavily to one extreme (which these new laws are), the other extreme is going to pull just as hard back in the other direction. I wouldn’t be surprised to see states like California and New York pass laws that expand abortion protections and reporting to protect both abortion and people from states like Georgia.
 
Padres1969 said:
and even punishments if you have one done in another jurisdiction where they’re legal (Georgia)
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The law does not say that. That is sensationalism from Slate, a left wing sympathetic magazine.
 
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