Pray with JFA (October)

Pray for Recent and Upcoming Events (Partial List):

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JFA Executive Director, Steve Wagner, talks with students at George Mason University (Oct. 17, 2018).

Our team has been busy in GA, KS, MN, VA, and TX recently, and we’re preparing for upcoming events in OK, MO, CO, and TX. Please pray for the many conversations we’re creating, including the one described in Jeremy Gorr’s letter, “My Mom Wanted to Abort Me.” We thank God for the change Jeremy was able to see take place in Amin’s life.

• Oct. 7-9 (Minneapolis, MN): Workshop and Kiosk Outreach — University of Minnesota

• Oct. 17 (Fairfax, VA): Poll Table Outreach — George Mason University

• Oct. 21 (San Antonio, TX): Workshop — Students for the Right to Life at UTSA

• Oct. 25 (Del City, OK): Interactive Seminar — Christian Heritage Academy

• Oct. 28 (St. Louis, MO): Workshops — Respect Life Conference

• Oct. 28 (Norman, OK): Interactive Seminar — Trinity Baptist Church

• Oct. 29-30 (Norman, OK): Outreach Event — University of Oklahoma

• Nov. 11 (Denton, TX): Interactive Workshop — Denton Bible Church

• Nov. 12 (Denton, TX): Interactive Workshop — University of North Texas

• TBD (Denton, TX): Outreach Events — TBD

Featured Resource for October - Story: “My Mom Wanted to Abort Me."

In “My Mom Wanted to Abort Me,” Jeremy Gorr shares a story from our recent outreach event at Kennesaw State University. In the conversation, he saw first-hand how a personal story can help open a person’s mind and heart to change. Take note of Jeremy’s approach to the conversation, asking questions and gently challenging Amin to consider a more optimistic perspective. Note also how God caused Ima to be present at precisely the right time with the courage to speak. We’re reminded that we can train Christians in good conversation skills and good arguments, but ultimately we depend completely on God and his work behind the scenes to change hearts and minds.

Featured Conversation Starter for October - "Opposite Poles?"

Use Joanna Bai’s recent post, “Opposite Poles?” to start a conversation in a natural way. This post refers to a recent article by Conor Friedersdorf in which he argues that many people are more similar in their beliefs than at first they appear to be. You can start a conversation with a friend or acquaintance by retweeting or posting to Facebook and asking, “Do you think this writer is correct that many people are not as far apart as the media many times portrays them? I’m interested in seeing if we can agree and work together on some solutions to unintended pregnancy in order to help women and children.”

"My Mom Wanted to Abort Me."

Featured Resource for October 2018
By Jeremy Gorr, JFA Training Specialist

Sometimes it’s not a logical argument that makes people open their minds about abortion, but a story. In the case of Amin, a student I met this fall at Kennesaw State University, that story came from the person standing right next to him.

When we started talking, Amin was quite rude. He kept interrupting me. When some others joined the conversation, he started interrupting them. In fact, when someone asked him to stop interrupting, Amin cursed at him, and I thought he was close to starting a fist fight. Amin wouldn’t listen to what anybody had to say.

Still, I was trying to connect with him, explaining why our conversation was so important.

Grace (left) and Jeremy (right) interact with students near our poll table at Kennesaw State University (KSU).

Jeremy: The reason we should both be listening to each other is that over 925,000 lives are lost to abortion each year in this country, and I think if we listened we could find a way to save those lives.

Amin: Would we actually be able to save those lives, though? How many of those children would make it to age 25 with the kind of upbringing they will probably get? If a mother wants to have an abortion, and she can’t get one, how do you think that kid will be raised?

Jeremy: I don’t think we can say for sure what kind of life that child will have.

Amin: But probably it will be bad. If my mom didn’t want to have me, and then she did, I don’t think that I would be her top priority.

At that moment, standing right next to him, a woman named Ima decided that she had to respond.

Ima: I don’t think it is a fair assumption that those kids are going to have horrible lives.

Amin: I’m saying if the mother wanted to have an abortion, they are pretty much guaranteed to have horrible lives.

Ima: My mom wanted to abort me, but instead she put me up for adoption. And I have had a successful life. I don’t think it’s fair to assume that the children we’re talking about will have horrible lives. They can be put into loving environments like I was.

Amin: But you got adopted. There are tons of children who don’t.

Frequently, group conversations spontaneously formed during our three days of outreach at KSU.

Ima: But there are also tons of parents that want to adopt children. I think we can find a way to help more people adopt them. I just don’t think you’re considering both sides and considering adoption as an option.

Amin: You make a good point. I don’t think we should go straight to abortion as the only option.

After Ima shared her story, Amin finally started listening. Ima, Amin, and I then discussed many of the arguments against abortion. By the end of the conversation, Amin admitted to me that he had gained a whole new perspective on the issue.

Amin: I’m glad we had this conversation. You do bring up many good points. Because I started listening I was able to hear you. It is a human life, and I have to put that perspective in my head. Ima, your story was great, and you allowed me to see other sides of the story when it comes to abortion.

Jeremy: Thank you for having an open mind.

Amin: This is good. We all got to talk. We all got to share our opinions. I apologize for snapping at you and interrupting initially. When you started talking you seemed passionate, and you seemed informed. I’m glad I started listening. I’m honestly not very well-informed on this topic.

Amin realized that while he was eager to dispute all of my arguments, he could not dispute Ima’s life. She was proof that he was wrong to assume all children in situations of unwanted pregnancy would have horrible lives. That realization caused him to start listening to my arguments and reconsider his overall perspective on abortion. That’s one of the things I like most about Justice For All’s outreach events: they create a space for people like Amin to meet people like Ima, a space where they can discuss their views on abortion together. Many times that’s all it takes to change hearts and minds.

Opposite Poles?

We think Conor Friedersdorf is right (see below). People aren't as different on abortion as they sometimes appear. One idea: Don't let labels like "pro-choice" and "pro-life" be walls preventing genuine dialogue. Asking questions about abortion in specific circumstances and stages of pregnancy can help a lot.

Even as voters disagree about the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, many are drawing on the same basic set of values to reach opposing conclusions. (Quickly hides for 36 hours or so...) https://t.co/aq1outzV8h

— Conor Friedersdorf (@conor64) October 5, 2018

Pray with JFA (September)

Outreach at The University of Kansas (KU) - September 2018

Pray for Recent and Upcoming Events (Partial List): 

Pray for wisdom for the team members who plan JFA’s event schedule. Pray for the health of our trainers that they might keep active in the field. Pray for each person we train and each person with whom we converse at outreach, that God will kindle new affection in their hearts for women in distress and for the smallest humans on earth.

• Sept. 23 (Fort Collins, CO): Interactive Seminar — Colorado State University (CSU)

• Sept. 23 (Lawrence, KS): Interactive Workshop — University of Kansas (KU)

• Sept. 24-25 (Fort Collins, CO): Kiosk Outreach — Colorado State University (CSU)

• Sept. 24-25 (Lawrence, KS): Kiosk Outreach — University of Kansas (KU)

• Oct. 7 (Minneapolis, MN): Interactive Workshop — University of Minnesota (UMN)

• Oct. 8-9 (Minneapolis, MN): Kiosk Outreach — University of Minnesota (UMN)

• Oct. 25 (Del City, OK): Interactive Seminar — Christian Heritage Academy

• Oct. 28 (Norman, OK): Interactive Seminar — Trinity Baptist Church

• Oct. 29-30 (Norman, OK): Outreach Event — University of Oklahoma (OU)

Featured Resource for September - “What Is the Unborn?” and “What Is Abortion?” Web Pages

Our “What Is the Unborn?” web page features the most important information you can share in conversations to demonstrate that the unborn is a living human being. Our “What Is Abortion?” web page helps viewers wrestle with accurate videos, images, and descriptions of what abortion does to unborn children. Both of these pages is written with the pro-choice reader in mind so you can pass the pages on to start a conversation. Both pages have been recently updated to include new links and information. Take a look!

Featured Conversation Starter for September

Use the recent post, “Liz Harman’s Interview: A Lesson I Didn’t Expect to Learn” to start a conversation about unintended pregnancy and abortion in a natural way. This post features a reflection from JFA Trainer Joanna Bai after a video of a pro-choice philosopher defending abortion was mocked by many viewers when it was posted last year. Note Joanna’s
willingness to say she learned something through the process. Note also the questions she poses at the end of the post to get a conversation started. You can share her experience with a friend to help your friend see that you are interested in different viewpoints and aim to be intellectually honest.