Equipped for Life Podcast

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: 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.

Josh and Emily share interesting stories from their last two semesters of campus outreach, and some of the trends they're noticing among pro-choice college students. This is part two of the series, and includes the story of protesters apologizing to us, why we might change the way we promote Emily's speeches, the creative ways the pro-choice students at St. Olaf are now countering our outreaches there, an innovative pro-life response to a Jainist, and an improved response to people who bite the squirrel bullet! Then they discuss trends and recommendations for future pro-life outreaches. Josh and Emily share interesting stories from their last two semesters of campus outreach, and some of the trends they're noticing among pro-choice college students. This is part two of the series, and includes the story of protesters apologizing to us, why we might change the way we promote Emily's speeches, the creative ways the pro-choice students at St. Olaf are now countering our outreaches there, an innovative pro-life response to a Jainist, and an improved response to people who bite the squirrel bullet! Then they discuss trends and recommendations for future pro-life outreaches. Related Links: Abortion Dialogue on Campus: Outreach Stories and Trends - Part 1: https://youtu.be/_u6nAL0FTjk How One Student Group Radically Changed Their Campus Culture: https://youtu.be/lAsOzyg7M2c The Equal Rights Argument: https://youtu.be/louYc-9cvE0 How Josh Should Have Dealt with a Hostile Audience in Canada: http://bit.ly/2CSiGMd Firebombings and Vandalism: Planned Parenthood Must Condemn Jane’s Revenge: https://bit.ly/39qxANC How Should Conservatives Respond to the Disturbing Trend of Campus Censorship? http://bit.ly/2JOr1Gr Six Ways I’ve Seen Pro-Choice People Try to Censor Pro-Lifers: http://bit.ly/2vhr8ib Abortion and Medical Necessity: Improving the Pro-Life Approach: https://bit.ly/3eepkCj ERI LIVE - What Should I Say in a Post-Roe America? https://youtu.be/0eGpYM1I-5Y Defining the Word "Abortion" Will Change Your Dialogues (with Dank Pro-Life Memes): https://youtu.be/A8TVroArQLw A Simple Change That Instantly Communicates a Nuanced Approach to the Abortion Debate: http://bit.ly/2ufnjgM Why I Changed My Pro-life Elevator Pitch: https://bit.ly/3NERrrE Abortion Images: A Case for Disagreement without Division: http://bit.ly/2uJWRcI Godwin's Law Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law 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 Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland

Josh and Emily share interesting stories from their last two semesters of campus outreach, and some of the trends they're noticing with respect to abortion dialogue among pro-choice college students. This is part one of a two-part series, and includes the story of a young woman who chewed Josh out in Wisconsin, how Emily varies her "elevator pitch" based on who she's talking to, the way Josh thinks about swearing at outreach, and more! Related Links: How One Student Group Radically Changed Their Campus Culture Equal Rights Institute Website Equal Rights Institute Blog Equipped for Life Course Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Audio/Video Editor: Joshua Head & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland

It's the question we're asked more often than any other, and we want to answer it carefully. The question is, "What should I do about the pro-life activist near me who is being difficult? Should I approach them differently than I do my dialogues with pro-choice people?" Josh and Emily invited ERI Lead Editor Andrew Kaake and Secular Pro-Life's Executive Director Monica Snyder on the show for a two-part discussion on the way they think about responding to online comments, eight common types of difficult pro-life people, and how you can respond to them. Click here to listen to part 1: https://blog.equalrightsinstitute.com/responding-to-8-types-of-difficult-pro-lifers-with-monica-snyder-andrew-kaake-part-1/ Note: Sorry for the occasional distortion with Josh and Emily's mics. They've had a good six-year run, but we're replacing them before the next time we record (the mics, not Josh and Emily). We also had technical issues with Monica and Andrew's video streams due to technical issues. All of their audio is here, but the video is missing. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life https://secularprolife.org AHA: The Anti-Abortionists Who Fight Other Pro-Lifers (with Jonathon Van Maren - Part 1) AHA Fails to Understand Pro-Life History (with Jonathon Van Maren - Part 2) Abolitionists Are Going to Get People Killed, and the SBC Just Helped Them Fellow Pro-Lifers: Please Stop Sharing This Straw Man Meme ERI Bodily Rights Materials Landing Page https://equalrightsinstitute.com/bodilyrights Speech: Monica Snyder on Deconstructing Three Pro-Choice Myths http://secularprolife.org/myths/ Speech: Monica Snyder speaks at the Dobbs #EmpowerWomenPromoteLife rally https://youtu.be/vPOCw6BaHTQ SPL post asking why people became pro-life Should Pro-Lifers be Snarky? (with Dank Pro-Life Memes) 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: Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Guests: Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake Audio/Video Editor: Chapter One Films & Josh Brahm Publisher: Josh Brahm

Everyone has been talking about the tragic case of a 10-year-old who was raped, became pregnant, and driven across state lines to get an abortion. Even President Biden referenced her story in public. Multiple ERI followers have asked us how pro-life people can answer questions about this story without sounding like a moral monster. Josh and Emily invited licensed mental health counselor Robin Atkins to discuss the story with us. Our conversation included the rules regarding public discussion of patient information, particularly in CHINS cases, and the damage done if the rules are violated as well as how pro-life people should talk about this story. Robin is a licensed mental health counselor, specializing in reproductive issues. She also has a philosophy degree. She spent four years doing home-based therapy with the Department of Children's Services. She's a pro-life advocate with an atypical perspective on some of the issues surrounding abortion. Related Links: The source that Robin read from about laws governing confidentiality in CHINS cases: Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2022). Disclosure of confidential child abuse and neglect records. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau. Reprotection: https://www.reprotection.org/ ERI Podcast with Reprotection She Found His Grace Abortion Recovery (Serena Dyksen) https://www.shefoundhisgrace.org Book: She Found His Grace: A True Story Of Hope, Love, And Forgiveness After Abortion: https://amzn.to/3v7TRHv Responding to 8 Types of Difficult Pro-Lifers (with Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake - Part 1) Here are the medical studies we referenced regarding young pregnancies: Too much too young? Teenage pregnancy is not a public health problem: https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/31/3/552/629768 What's so bad about teenage pregnancy? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12457546/ Why I Changed My Pro-life Elevator Pitch: https://bit.ly/3NERrrE “Abortion is Healthcare”: A Misogynistic Non-Argument: http://bit.ly/2oYPP5k ERI resources on responding to the question of rape: https://blog.equalrightsinstitute.com/rape/ Previous episodes with Robin Atkins: A Different Perspective: Adoption vs. Foster Care vs. Abortion: https://youtu.be/yChl-sReTP0 Mental Health and Informed Consent in Abortion: https://youtu.be/E4Pn_wf5kSU A Mental Health Counselor on Psychology in Debate: https://youtu.be/sZDIVOKJ6hE Bonus Discussion about Whether Sidewalk Counselors Should EVER Bring Up Adoption: https://youtu.be/HaUJMcEgpcQ Chapters 00:00 Introducing Robin and this story 06:23 CHINS cases and why the fact checkers got this story so wrong 35:14 Can abortion treat the trauma of rape? 53:31 Examining an apparent contradiction in what Robin said about how Ohio treats these crimes 57:36 Is it actually more physically dangerous when a young person is pregnant? 1:19:02 How should abortion laws treat a situation where a doctor claims that their patient has a life-threatening pregnancy? 1:27:26 How should pro-life people talk about cases like this? Disclosure: The book above is an Amazon affiliate link. This means that, at zero cost to you, ERI will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

The days after Roe v. Wade’s overturning have been riddled with confusion, panic, anger, protests, and misinformation. There has never been a more important time for pro-life advocates to provide clarity, explain what overturning Roe v. Wade really means, and describe how we want to see our society move forward. Josh, Emily, and Andrew went live on YouTube and Facebook to help you think clearly and respond effectively to the most contentious issue of the moment. After summarizing what the Dobbs decision did, the staff pull the curtain back on what their experience was like on the day that Dobbs came out, and their emotional reactions to the situation since. Then they discuss the question of whether pro-lifers should be even trying to get into dialogues right now, given the heated emotions right now. Finally they respond to these commpm pro-choice arguments right now: - Back-alley abortions - Pro-lifers don't care about babies after they're born - Handmaid's Tale - "This is a step back 50 years for women's rights" - "People will still get abortions anyway!" - "You’re going to force women to die from tubal pregnancies. Are doctors really not allowed to do live-saving procedures?" - The maternal mortality rate in Mississippi - "Justice Thomas' concurrence proves that they're coming after same-sex marriage and birth control next!" - "You can't force people to donate organs. Women have less bodily autonomy than corpses now." - "You want to throw women into jail." - "Women will be prosecuted for miscarriages." Finally the staff discuss the three steps for the pro-life movement now before taking questions from the audience.

It's the question we're asked more often than any other, and we want to answer it carefully. The question is, "What should I do about the pro-life activist near me who is being difficult? Should I approach them differently than I do my dialogues with pro-choice people?" Josh and Emily invited ERI Lead Editor Andrew Kaake and Secular Pro-Life's Executive Director Monica Snyder on the show for a two-part discussion on the way they think about responding to online comments, eight common types of difficult pro-life people, and how you can respond to them. Note: Sorry for the occasional distortion with Josh and Emily's mics. They've had a good six-year run, but we're replacing them before the next time we record (the mics, not Josh and Emily). We also had technical issues with Monica's video stream due to technical issues. All of her audio is there, but the video is missing sometimes. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life: https://secularprolife.org Monica Snyder for Secular Pro-Life: “Nine months of inconvenience.” https://bit.ly/3MvqDs4 First episode of our two-part podcast with Jonathon Van Maren on AHA: https://youtu.be/0SvNYXQqvuM 00:00 Introducing the guests and topic 02:49 Opening comments 09:28 ERI/SPL's policies on responding to comments 18:58 8 Types of Difficult Pro-Life People... 19:39 Type 1: The Ones With Only One (Unpersuasive) Argument... 26:08 Type 2: The Ones Who Need to Stop Saying This, Now! 38:20 Type 3: The Ones Who Are Very Out of Touch with Reality 47:20 Type 4: The Ones Who Really Frustrate Monica Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Guests: Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake Audio/Video Editor: Chapter One Films & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland

In this podcast, two authors discuss recent research regarding fetal pain: John Bockmann, co-author of "Reconsidering Fetal Pain" (2020) and Dr. Bridget Thill, MD, MS, author of "Fetal Pain in the First Trimester" (2021). Bridget and John graciously typed out a full transcript of this episode that includes a ton of links to sources of the factual statements they made in this episode. Here's a link to the five slides Bridget Thill discussed, including working links to the sources in the footnotes: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/equippedforlife/Thill_Fetal_Pain_PowerPoint_slides_PDF_3.pdf (Opens PDF) Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Background on fetal pain and "Reconsidering Fetal Pain" 10:47 Keys to this unlikely, productive collaboration 13:39 Fetal pain: Advances in understanding 16:30 Current science and treatment of fetal pain 19:47 Cortex needed for pain? 22:40 Are fetal responses to pain just reflexes? 27:10 How did we get fetal pain so wrong? 29:52 A lack of compassion or a lack of understanding? 33:30 Recognition of fetal pain 38:19 Correlation with behavior, not overreliance on hypotheses 41:02 Pain assessments are calibrated to patient response, not brain imaging 42:10 Correlation with clinical behavior 42:56 Specialized pain assessment tools for different stages of development 45:23 Fetal Pain 101 45:45 Slide 1: An Evolving Understanding of Pain 46:33 Slide 2: Development of Fetal Pain Pathways 47:36 Slide 3: Responses to Pain in Fetus & Extremely Preterm Infant <24 weeks 49:00 Slide 4: The Fetal Pain Paradox 49:37 Slide 5: Levels of Consciousness 50:50 Future fetal pain research 52:37 How to receive updates regarding fetal pain 53:22 Pro-choice response to "Reconsidering Fetal Pain" 55:34 How to talk–and not talk–about fetal pain 59:36 Summary on fetal pain

This is a continuation of Josh's conversation with Gary Freeman on crossing the racial divide in pro-life work. In this episode they discuss the high abortion rate in the African-American community and why that is, and how we should think about the debate over Planned Parenthood being an allegedly racist organization. Learn more about Major League Dad here: https://www.MajorLeagueDad.org Related Links: Alan Guttmacher Institute article that Josh referenced: "Abortion and Women of Color: The Bigger Picture" Audio recording of Josh's "Planned Parenthood Unveiled" presentation from before ERI, including his explanation of why Planned Parenthood is not a racist organization: https://bit.ly/3s2kjRb (Direct MP3 link) Audio recording of a Q&A session from another recording of the "Planned Parenthood Unveiled" presentation with more discussion on the racism question: https://bit.ly/3vTS9Jb (Direct MP3 link) Live Action's investigation on Planned Parenthood systematically covering up sexual abuse: https://bit.ly/38DBu4U ERI's coverage of the Center for Medical Progress videos: https://bit.ly/3OISPKf Live Action's investigation into "racially-motivated donations": https://bit.ly/3MIvyq3 Angela Franks' book "Margaret Sanger’s Eugenic Legacy: The Control of Female Fertility": https://amzn.to/3FeSR8t (affiliate link) Josh Chatraw's book "Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age": https://amzn.to/3snHjun (affiliate link) Chapters: 00:00 The way pro-life people tend to talk about this statistical disparity 5:07 What is going on with the African-American abortion rate? 8:42 Is the Alan Guttmacher Institute right that the higher unintended pregnancy rate among African-Americans is part of the puzzle? 11:41 Is Walter Hoye right when he says that abortion is less stigmatized in the African-American community? 16:06 Why Gary doesn't use the word "privilege" in the way it often is used 17:03 Josh summarizes some of the reasons pro-lifers tend to call Planned Parenthood a "racist organization" and his take 22:58 Gary's response 26:40 Acknowledging examples of real racism in the abortion industry 27:45 How pro-life people could better help these people not choose abortion 29:37 Considering Live Action's racism investigation 34:15 Considering Margaret Sanger 45:19 Should pro-lifers talk about Margaret Sanger in order to get African-Americans to distrust Planned Parenthood? 48:41 Why pro-lifers should be careful how they talk about Planned Parenthood with pro-choice people Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Gary Freeman Audio/Video Editor: Andrew Kaake & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland Disclosure: The books above are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, ERI will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the links and finalize a purchase.

This is a continuation of Josh's conversation with Gary Freeman on crossing the racial divide in pro-life work. In this episode they contrast Gary's position with those who say that you can't be pro-life unless you agree with them on other social issues, why people in black churches are distrustful of Gary as soon as he calls himself "pro-life", and how the church could have possibly made Black Lives Matter irrelevant. If you haven't listened to the first part of this conversation, do that first for this section to make sense in context. Learn more about Major League Dad here: https://www.MajorLeagueDad.org Chapters: 0:00: Contrasting what Gary's saying with the pro-choice people who say that you can't be pro-life unless you agree with them on the death penalty, animal cruelty, etc. 10:27: "Are you saying I have to become a Democrat in order to have pro-life views?" 16:00: Why people in black churches are distrustful of Gary as soon as he calls himself "pro-life". 20:53: How the old way of responding to "you're only pro-life if you do X" doesn't work anymore. 25:15: What should white conservatives take from Black Lives Matter and what should they not? 30:39: How the church could have possibly made Black Lives Matter irrelevant. 35:35: What could both the white church and black church have done better after George Floyd was killed?

Josh and Emily went live last Friday with Lauren Handy and Terrisa Bukovinac from Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) to discuss the story people around the world are talking about, and get answers to the questions everybody is asking. Lauren and Terrisa were incredibly open and shared a lot of information that hasn't been released before. If you want the most extensive interview and discussion of this story, then this is where you can get it. CONTENT WARNING: This is the most somber discussion we've ever put out. There is no way to talk about this situation without it being graphic and disturbing, and frankly, it would be inappropriate to try to gloss over the difficult parts of this story. Beyond descriptions of what was found, we played a four-minute video that PAAU created (with their permission) for the press conference. Josh broke down multiple times during this live stream, commenting that it's the worst video he's ever seen. If you have a personal history with abortion, please consider whether it would be healthy for you to watch or listen to this one. Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 19:58: Lauren and Terrisa share their story 36:29: GRAPHIC video 42:00: Josh asks questions 1:44:13: Emily responds to other pro-choice assertions, five takeaways, and Q&A