Right to Life Radio
#202 Embracing Those Considering Abortion with Prayer

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Outreach Director Marcos Espinoza shares some exciting testimony from the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil currently happening outside Fresno's Planned Parenthood. New host, Education Director Rebecca Peerson, interviews volunteers down at the vigil and chats with Marcos about the nuances of Sidewalk Counseling.

Life Report is produced by Right to LIfe of Central California. For more information visit:

www.LifeReport.org

www.RightToLifeCA.org

www.40DaysFresno.org

Direct download: LifeReport202.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:07pm PDT

Outreach Coordinator, Gabi Vehrs, sits down with Outreach Director, Marcos Espinoza, to talk about the 40 Days for Life campaign happening this September 24 - November 3 in Fresno and across the nation. John Gerardi also explains a pro-life win regarding a buffer zone law repealed by the Supreme Court and we welcome Right to Life of Central California's new Education Director!

 

Life Report is produced by Right to Life of Central California

 

www.LifeReport.org

www.RightToLifeCA.org

www.40DaysFresno.org

 

Direct download: LifeReport201.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:56pm PDT

We are back from hiatus! Life Report welcomes some returning faces and some new ones! Gabi Vehrs and Liz Goddard are back to discuss why we are pro-life. Executive Director Michael Salinas joins Liz to discuss the mission statement of Right to Life of Central California and how this shapes the organization's outreaches. Find out how you can get involved at the end of the episode.

www.LifeReport.org

Life Report is produced by Right To Life of Central California

www.RightToLifeCA.org

www.40DaysFresno.org

Direct download: LifeReport200.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:27pm PDT

Join the discussion at http://ProLifePodcast.net/199

Life Report welcomes Abby Johnson! Abby talks about leaving Planned Parenthood and what she is doing now to help end abortion. 

Check out Abby's organization "And Then There Were None" at http://www.attwn.org

Purchase her book "Unplanned" http://www.unplannedthebook.com/

Life Report is produced by Right to Life of Central California. For more information visit http://www.LifeReport.org or http://www.RightToLifeCA.org

 

Direct download: LifeReport199.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:58am PDT

Host Josh Brahm and guests Eric Scheidler (Pro-Life Action League) and Timothy Brahm (Justice for All) discuss speaker Phil Plait's speech on not being a jerk when talking to people with different views. 

Eric Scheidler is the Executive Director of Pro-Life Action League; dedicated to saving unborn children through non-violent direct action. See more at: http://www.prolifeaction.org

Timothy Brahm is a Training Specialist at Justice For All. See more at:http://www.jfaweb.org

Life Report is produced by Right to Life of Central California. Visit their website at http://www.RightToLifeCA.org

Direct download: LifeReport198.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:07am PDT

Josh Brahm interviews Jonathan Keller from California Family Council and Megan Almon from Life Training Institute to discuss the pro-life bill that just failed to pass a committee in Sacramento. The goal of the bill was to prevent sex-selection abortions in California.

Direct download: LifeReport197.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:59pm PDT

Post YOUR dialogue tips at http://ProLifePodcast.net/196!

 

Josh interviews Justice For All trainer Timothy Brahm and JFA volunteer Anthony Trent on the subtle things they're doing lately in dialogues about abortion that seem to be making them more productive.

Direct download: LifeReport196.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:42am PDT

Secular Pro-Life West Coast Representatives Monica and Ellen join Josh to discuss the Justice For All seminar they attended, and how they felt as atheists among Christians. 

 

They also discuss how the pro-life movement could be more welcome to atheists and when it's appropriate for Christians to evangelize their atheist acquaintances or friends.

Direct download: LifeReport195.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:31am PDT

Steven Ertelt from LifeNews.com discusses his list of pro-life pet peeves with Josh.

 

While obviously not all pro-life advocates do these things, many do, and Steven argues that we will be more effective as a movement if we eliminate these bad habits.

Direct download: LifeReport194.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:25am PDT

Comment on this episode at http://ProLifePodcast.net/193!

We're interrupting our series with Steven Ertelt to give you an update on the Supreme Court case, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores.

Notre Dame Law grad John Gerardi and Jonathan Keller from California Family Council explain the case and what happened during the oral arguments.

Questions:

1: Where are we in this case right now and how did we wind up here?

2: One of the issues in this case is whether or not a corporation should be considered a "person." Many people think it's crazy to call a corporation a person, that it just protects the rich and helps them get richer. What are your views on that?

3: What were some of the highlights from the oral arguments?

4: Is this about religious freedom or is it about the rights of the poor employees against their corporate employer?

5: How do you think the court will rule and why?

6: Where does the religious freedom road lead if Hobby Lobby loses this case?

 

Direct download: LifeReport193.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:42am PDT

Steven Ertelt from LifeNews.com discusses his list of pro-life pet peeves with Josh.

 

While obviously not all pro-life advocates do these things, many do, and Steven argues that we will be more effective as a movement if we eliminate these bad habits.

Direct download: LifeReport192.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:03pm PDT

I spoke last month at the Students for Life of America Regional Leadership Summit at UCLA. I spent the first 54-minutes speaking about bodily rights arguments, and you can download that audio here. I spent the last 24-minutes talking about life-threatening pregnancies and taking questions.

 

My thinking on this subject is heavily influenced by my friend Trent Horn at Catholic Answers. Trent has done a lot of research and great thinking on this subject, and the material I presented is largely based on what Trent has written on the subject that I subsequently agreed with.

 

After arguing that we should treat both mother and child as patients and that in late-term situations, we can usually save both, I explain that there are still some cases where we cannot save both, particularly in tubal pregnancies.

 

I respond to the concern that tubal pregnancies aren't really that risky, and offer a real-world example when it was also justified to put an innocent human being's life in perilous risk.

Direct download: JoshBrahmLive-LifeThreateningPregnancies-UCLA.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:29am PDT

Post your comments at http://ProLifePodcast.net/191.

 

Steven Ertelt, Founder and Editor of LifeNews.com, shares his expertise on the relationship between the Girl Scouts of America and Planned Parenthood. 

 

He also explains why the Girl Scouts have sent a threatening legal letter to LifeNews.com.

 

Finally, Steven and Josh discuss the boycott and whether or not local Girl Scout groups should be boycotted.

 

Direct download: LifeReport191.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:45am PDT

Josh concludes his interview with Jojo Ruba, former staff member of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and Executive Director of Faith Beyond Belief.

After talking about the mission of Faith Beyond Belief, Josh asks a follow-up question from the previous episode, where Jojo made a comment about pro-lifers needing to be "more offensive." Josh asks, "How can you tell whether you should be more offensive or less offensive when talking to pro-choice people?"

Afterwards Jojo and Josh answer a listener mail question from Mark in Hawaii:

"I'm a new listener, and I'm trying to figure out exactly what your views are regarding human development and when a person comes into being and should be granted human rights. Most importantly and perhaps most difficult, when do you believe God endues a body/soul carrier with a soul in human fetal development and what are your reasons for that?"

The episode includes a discussion of the Equal Rights Argument that Josh and the Justice For All team have been using lately, and what Jojo and Josh think about animal rights.

Direct download: LifeReport190.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:01pm PDT

Josh interviews Jojo Ruba, former staff member of the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and Executive Director of Faith Beyond Belief.

 

After talking about the pro-life presentations that have been protested and censored by Canadian pro-choice activists, Jojo answers the 9-question Life Report Questionnaire that has been answered by many other pro-life leaders in the past. I altered it a little for this interview, taking out the questions on stem cell research and euthanasia to focus more on the graphic pictures debate and how pro-lifers should treat pro-choice people.

 

I love this quote from Jojo, in regards to what he does when he's talking to a pro-choice person: "I say a little prayer, and the prayer is this: 'Father, show me how I can love this person today.'"

 

Questions:

 

What did you get in trouble for as a child?

What is your favorite movie, and why?

What has been the pro-life movement’s greatest victory (or victories) so far?

What has been the pro-life movement’s greatest failing or weakness?

Graphic Pictures: Should we use them, and if so, how, when, and where?

Is there a difference between showing non-graphic but disturbing images in public (like the human trafficking truck) and showing graphic images of abortion in public?

How should pro-lifers interact with those who are pro-abortion-choice?

What kind of tips are you offering students you train on how to treat pro-choice people with respect?

What single thing should pro-lifers be doing that most are NOT doing right now?

Direct download: LifeReport189.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:13am PDT

It's Gabi's farewell show! So for something special, Josh and Gabi discuss the 21 most important lessons she's learned about abortion dialogue while working with Right to Life of Central CA and Justice For All.

Direct download: LifeReport188.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:59pm PDT

After shooting the Life Report episode on arguments for embryonic stem cell research, Dr. Buratovich graciously stuck around 37-minutes to answer more questions! This audio includes my new favorite fact about early human development!

 

Questions:

 

1: Ronald Bailey has argued that since somatic cell nuclear transfer can transform a nucleus from an adult cell into an embryo, then every cell in our body is a potential embryo. Since we do not get upset about all those cells we lose when we sneeze or scrape our knees, we shouldn’t get upset about the death of a bunch of embryos. I train people to respond to that by saying they’re confusing parts with wholes and talk about what an organism is. How do you respond?

 

2: Some argue that embryos are like acorns as opposed to oak trees. The loss of a majestic oak tree is a genuinely sad, but an acorn? We trample hundreds of those while playing with our kids at the park and think nothing of it. So people argue that embryos are similar, in that they only become valuable when they grow up. How do you respond to that argument?

 

3: Respond to the more intelligent pro-choice argument that would say that sentience or some other capacity is a necessary condition for being valuable.

 

4: But if self-awareness really is what's important, then it seems like the pro-choice person could respond by agreeing that the threshold of self-awareness isn't epistomologically knowable, but that doesn't mean that that threshold doesn't ontologically exist. Then they could do what Boonin and Singer do and just draw the line several weeks before that threshold could possibly exist. How would you respond to that person?

 

5: The early church made a distinction between abortion after quickening (the maternal sensation of fetal movement), which was viewed as murder, and abortion before quickening, which was not viewed as murder. Is the pro-life movement inconsistent with early church teaching?

6: How would you argue that the unborn is a living, human organism?

 

7: Clarify how the mother's uterus communicates with the embryo, signalling it to the optimum location to implant.

 

8: Can we use dead embryos to ethically make embryonic stem cell lines?

 

9: Should people freeze their baby’s umbilical cord blood as a deposit on future research?

Direct download: BONUS-DrMichaelBuratovich.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:38am PDT

Join the discussion at http://ProLifePodcast.net/187

 

Dr. Michael Buratovich is Professor of Biochemistry at Spring Arbor University and the faculty advisor for the SAU Students for Life club. Josh interviews him on what stem cell research is and how to respond to common arguments for embryonic stem cell research.

 

Purchase "The Stem Cell Epistles: Letters to my Students about Bioethics, Embryos, Stem Cells, and Fertility Treatments:" http://amzn.to/1f2rM3b

 

Read Dr. Buratovich's blog at http://BeyondTheDish.wordpress.com.

 

01:09 - How did this book come along?

 

04:10 - Can you explain for our listeners what a stem cell is, and why they are sought after in research for regenerative medicine?

 

11:03 - Can you talk about the differences between embryonic stem cell research, adult stem cell research and induced pluripotent stem cell research?  

 

17:18 - Many people argue that the embryo is just a tiny clump of cells with no nervous system; no heart, no consciousness, no ability to feel pain. They think it's crazy to call that an intrinsically valuable human being. What do you say to them?

 

18:49 - Some people think we should use cloned embryos to solve the practical issues with embryonic stem cell research? Do you believe that to be an ethical alternative?

 

21:08 - Some people make a utilitarian argument that all those millions of embryos in storage units are going to die anyway. They argue that we should put them to good use instead of wasting them in a cold storage unit or flushing them down the drain. How would you respond to that utilitarian argument?

 

24:39 - What should pro-lifers be doing about stem cell research?

 

Stay tuned for bonus audio with Dr. Buratovich to be posted later this week at http://ProLifePodcast.net

Direct download: LifeReport187.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:28am PDT

Listen to Josh's speech at the Students for Life of America 2014 West Coast National Conference:

Josh responds to these four common statements:
1: "I'm pro-life, but people tell me I come across like a jerk. What can I do about that?"
2: "I'm pro-life, but I don’t know how to convince people that abortion is wrong?"
3: "I'm pro-life, but I think it should be legal."
4: "I'm pro-life, but what about rape?"

Direct download: JoshBrahmLive-2014SFLAConference.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:57am PDT

We weren't able to cover everything I wanted to during the Life Report episode, but Dr. Poupard was gracious enough to spend some more time answering questions about this important topic.

1: How do birth control pllls and Plan B work, why do some people think that they are abortifacients and why do you think that they may not be?

2: Comment on article from Catholic Bioethics...Quarterly that cites studies indicating that Plan B is not an abortifacient and argues that the labels on Plan B may not mean anything. Is there a medical bias issue at play?

3: Question #1 from Dan: What about the studies cited in Randy Alcorn's book that breakthrough pregnancies while on oral contraceptives are more likely to be ectopic?

4: Question #2 from Dan: What is the state of the research on Progesterone-only pills like the mini pill and copper/hormonal IUD's?

Direct download: BONUS-DrRichPoupardOnBirthControl.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:17am PDT

We've been wanting to shoot an episode on this topic for several years, and it's finally done! It's sometimes a contentious topic among pro-life people, but it's an important one nonetheless. How should pro-life people think and talk about birth control, aside from the important religious debate about whether or not you should plan your family? Dr. Rich Poupard from Life Training Institute comes on the show to offer his expertise.

02:25 - Dr. Poupard summarizes what he's learned about the medical question of how birth control methods work.

04:55 - How does Plan B work according to the research and what does a woman's weight have to do with it's effectiveness?

08:45 - Do you think women are getting enough information about the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of Plan B?

09:25 - Why the new Plan B research will probably result in MORE abortifacient use, and not less.

12:32 - Were pro-abortion-choice advocates talking about the new Plan B/weight study when it came out, or have they been hesitant to discuss it publicly?

13:26 - What's the connection between abortifacient IUD's and implantables and Obamacare?

19:17 - Knowing everything you know, how would you train pro-life advocates to talk publicly about birth control?

23:24 - What should pro-lifers talk about when discussing the public policy side of this issue? Parental involvement?

26:05 - How would you answer in 60-seconds the direct question of whether Plan B causes abortions or not?

We'll be posting bonus audio with Dr. Poupard answering more questions about birth control pills and Plan B later this week at http://ProLifePodcast.net.

Life Training Institute:

http://ProLifeTraining.com

Direct download: LifeReport186.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:13pm PDT

We've got an unaired episode that was never published on YouTube for technical reasons that we recently resolved. Josh Brahm and Liz Goddard interview Bobby Schindler, the Executive Director of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network which works to protect the lives of the medically vulnerable and disabled from the threat of euthanasia.

Join the discussion at http://ProLifePodcast.net/185.

00:29 Can you give us a brief overview of your sister Terri's story?

04:18 Did Michael wait 30-45 minutes after Terri's collapse before calling 911?

05:27 Can you define "persistent vegetative state" for us, and whether you believe Terri was in a persistent vegetative state?

06:53 Is there an objective definition of PVS?

08:11 Did Terri fit that medical criteria for PVS?

09:04 What progress did Terri show in the first two years of rehab before Michael took her off of rehab?

10:15 What happened to the trust fund that was earmarked for Terri's therapy?

12:25 Why do you think that Michael refused to divorce Terri after moving in with Jody Centonze?

13:02 What is it that the medical professionals believed whom Judge Greer refused to allow to testify?

14:37 Is there anyway Terri could have survived without the feeding tube?

15:26 Do you know anything about recent research to determine the extent of someones brain injury?

17:01 Do you have any how often people are starved to death who are not in a PVS state?

18:30 What is the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network doing now, six years later?

19:49 What do you believe is still the number one misconception about Terri?

21:36 What kind of legislation could be passed that would prevent Terri's situation happening again?

22:21 How will the new healthcare law impact people with situations similar to Terri's?

23:36 Would you be in favor of legislation that would sever spousal rights on the behalf of an incapacitated person in the event where there's a clear conflict of interest, such as when the spouse acting as guardian begins a new relationship?

24:47 What would you say to people who try to frame Terri's situation as a "right-to-die issue?"

26:02 So the clear distinction for you is that food and water is basic care and that ventilators and respirators are medical care that in some cases can be stopped?

Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network:

http://www.terrisfight.org/

Direct download: LifeReport185.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:53pm PDT

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