Conversation Starter - "Human but not human"

Featured Conversation Starter (March):

Use Steve Wagner’s recent blog post, “Human but not human” to start a conversation with a friend about pro-choice statements that are often confusing to pro-life advocates. It’s easy to write off people who say things like, “The unborn is human, but it isn’t human,” but Steve offers practical advice for giving the benefit of the doubt when we hear perplexing statements like this. With a message to pro-choice advocates followed by a message to pro-life advocates, this post will make it easier to discuss a friend’s thoughts on when human life begins biologically and at what point he or she believes a human gains rights and value.

Conversation Starter - "He Forced Me to Get An Abortion"

Featured Conversation Starter:

Featured Conversation Starter: Use the recent post, “He Forced Me to Get an Abortion,” to start a conversation in a natural way. This post features a true story and highlights a great question for common ground (also found in Common Ground Without Compromise, JFA's featured resource for this month): Should boyfriends and parents pressure women to have abortions? Very few people will say yes. So, you can start a conversation by saying, “Whatever we think about the legality of abortion, can’t we agree that we shouldn’t pressure women to have abortions? Can’t we agree that what the boyfriend in this story did was wrong?”

Conversation Starter - “Eliminating Disabilities or the People Who Have Them?”

Click on the image above to read “Eliminating Disabilities or the People Who Have Them?”

Featured Conversation Starter:

Share Joanna Bai’s recent post, “Eliminating Disabilities or the People Who Have Them?” to start a conversation in a natural way about unborn children diagnosed with disabilities in the womb. The post features a video news story on Iceland’s treatment of unborn children with Down syndrome, gives links to helpful commentary, and asks a question to start the conversation.

Conversation Starter - "See What Baby Jesus Looked Like at 7 Weeks."

Last month, we shared a post to encourage curiosity and conversation about both the unborn child and the incarnation of Jesus (“See What Baby Jesus Looked Like at 4 Weeks”). We thought that for this month the theme is worth emphasizing again, but this time asking the question, “What Did Baby Jesus Look Like at 7 Weeks?” Share the post using the links below. If Christmas has passed when you read this, don’t worry. You can still share the post as a celebration of the “Twelve Days of Christmas”! 

Conversation Starter - "See What Baby Jesus Looked Like at 4 Weeks."

To start a conversation about unborn children and Jesus in a natural way during Advent, we suggest sharing the post, “See What Baby Jesus Looked Like at 4 Weeks.” The post includes a link to clear video imagery featuring the unborn child’s heart beating at four weeks and four days (from fertilization). We hope the post will encourage curiosity and conversation about both the unborn child and the incarnation of Jesus.

Conversation Starter - "Is Suffering Ever Better?"

Use Joanna Bai’s recent post, “Is Suffering Ever Better?” to start a conversation about abortion in a natural way.  It features a panel from JFA’s Art of Life Exhibit including a painting by Vincent Van Gogh.  Share the post on social media or email the link to a friend.  Just as the post doesn’t downplay the difficult circumstances and suffering which confront many women considering abortion, we should acknowledge that suffering early in our conversations, affirming the sympathy many feel.  In this way, our love for all human beings, both before and after birth, becomes evident to the person we’re trying to reach, commending our message. 

Conversation Starter - "One Tiny Free Speech Board Comment"

See the Featured Conversation Starter for this month (a small comment hidden in this free speech board) by clicking on the image above or the links below. 

Hiding in the corner of a JFA Free Speech Board (pictured) at our Colorado State event in April was a tiny gem of a comment that’s also a great conversation starter you can share with pro-choice advocates and pro-life advocates alike.  The comment helps people with different positions on abortion clarify where they really disagree, start with common ground, and give each other the benefit of the doubt.  You can find the post titled “One Tiny Free Speech Board Comment” at the links below.  Go check it out, and then share it on social media.

Featured Conversation Starter - "Not alive. Not human. Not biology?"

Share Joanna Bai’s recent post, “Not alive.  Not human.  Not biology?” to start a conversation about abortion in a natural way with a friend.  In the post Joanna isolates a short clip from Stephanie Gray’s recent talk at Google headquarters (the talk has more than 106,000 views on YouTube) and then asks three questions to encourage discussion about whether or not the unborn is alive and human...and whether or not these questions matter.

Featured Conversation Starter: "Equal Rights for Whom?"

Use the post, “Equal Rights for Whom? — Stephanie Gray at Google” to start a conversation in a natural way with a friend who has any perspective on abortion.  The post is written with the pro-choice person in mind and features a two-minute clip from Stephanie Gray’s talk at Google in which she discusses the UN Declaration of Human Rights.  Then the post asks two questions that get the conversation started.  To view the post and share it on social media, use the links below.  If you use this tool to start a conversation, please let us know how it goes!

Featured Conversation Starter - June

You can start a conversation with a friend in a natural way by sharing Joanna Bai’s recent post, “I’ll never know you.  I never got a chance.”  The post features a letter a father wrote to his child and left on a JFA poll table in 2004.  This letter, featured on JFA’s Stop and Think Exhibit, can help both pro-choice and pro-life advocates think more deeply about abortion’s effects and develop greater empathy for women and men dealing with past abortion.  The post, including reflection questions, is intended to be a tool you can use to create a conversation naturally with people of any perspective.  To view the post and share it on social media, use the links below.  If you use this conversation starter, please let us know how it goes!

Share the Post: Twitter ; JFA Blog Post

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About the Making Abortion Unthinkable with JFA Resource Bulletin

For friends of JFA who ask, “What can I do to make abortion unthinkable?” this resource bulletin offers some answers.  Beyond supporting JFA financially, which enables JFA’s trainers and volunteers to create conversations that make abortion unthinkable at JFA’s events, you can PRAY for the conversations the JFA community is creating (including your own), PREPARE for conversations, and START conversations. 

Featured Conversation Starter - May

You can start a conversation with a friend in a natural way by sharing Steve Wagner’s recent post, “Identifying with Her Uncertain Future.”  The post features a beautiful painting by Mexican artist Saturnino Herrán (from JFA’s Art of Life Exhibit).  The post and painting can help us start a conversation with important points of common ground: Many women who find themselves pregnant are in very difficult situations, they feel that their future is very uncertain, and we need to take this into account by discussing abortion with sympathy and compassion for the women experiencing these things.  To view the painting and share it on social media, use the links below.  If you use this conversation starter, please let us know how it goes!

Share the Post: Twitter (@7conversations) ; JFA Blog ("Start the Conversation")

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About the Making Abortion Unthinkable with JFA Resource Bulletin

For friends of JFA who ask, “What can I do to make abortion unthinkable?” this resource bulletin offers some answers.  Beyond supporting JFA financially, which enables JFA’s trainers and volunteers to create conversations that make abortion unthinkable at JFA’s events, you can PRAY for the conversations the JFA community is creating (including your own), PREPARE for conversations, and START conversations. 

Featured Conversation Starter - April

We encourage you to use the post, “Is this common surgery helpful or harmful?” to start a conversation.  This post features an informational video from www.abortionprocedures.com in which former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino explains in medical terms the most common abortion procedure, a first-trimester aspiration (D&C) abortion.  Dr. Levatino performed over 1,200 abortions before coming to the conclusion that “killing a baby at any stage of pregnancy is wrong.”  To view the video and share it on social media, see the links to the post below.  Remember, the goal of our conversation starters is to help an average pro-life advocate to create a conversation about abortion in a natural, less-awkward way.  If you use this conversation starter, please let us know how it goes!

Share the Post and Video: Twitter (@7conversations) ; JFA Blog ("Start the Conversation")

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About the Making Abortion Unthinkable with JFA Resource Bulletin

For friends of JFA who ask, “What can I do to make abortion unthinkable?” this resource bulletin offers some answers.  Beyond supporting JFA financially, which enables JFA’s trainers and volunteers to create conversations that make abortion unthinkable at JFA’s events, you can PRAY for the conversations the JFA community is creating (including your own), PREPARE for conversations, and START conversations. 

Featured Conversation Starter: MIA

We encourage you to use the “MIA” panel from JFA’s Stop and Think Exhibit to start a conversation.  The panel reads:

According to The Lancet, millions upon millions of girls around the world are missing due to sex-selective abortion and infanticide.  Are you saddened by this or do you find yourself indifferent?  Is this phenomenon an expression of women’s rights or a violation of women’s rights? 

To view the panel and share it on social media, use the buttons above or the links below.  Remember, the goal of our conversation starters is to help an average pro-life advocate to create a conversation about abortion in a natural, less-awkward way.  If you use this conversation starter, please let us know how it goes!

Share the MIA panel: @7conversations (Twitter) ; JFA "Start the Conversation" (Blog Posts)

Note: This post is the "Start Conversations" portion of the JFA's March 2017 Resource Bulletin.  Click here to view all of the Resource Bulletins.