It’s the twelfth and final part of our popular “Responding to Pro-Life Lies Video” series! The video we're responding to lists 55 “pro-life lies” a woman named Kenna heard, and in this series we respond to them all.

This is the first of four episodes with Josh's brother Timothy, who is now a staff member at Justice For All.

After discussing the last six "lies," Josh, Tim and Gabi have a conversation about the need for pro-life people to get out of their "echo chamber," and the need to ultimately be known by their love. We also communicate a mutual desire for both sides to be more charitable, considering the best arguments from the opposing side as opposed to just trumpeting the worst they can find.

Here are the 8 “pro-life lies” we respond to in this episode:

1. "Birth control causes abortion."
2. "Emergency contraception is an abortifacient."
3. "Women are sacred vessels."
4. "Pro-choice women don't have children."
5. "Pro-choice women should have their children taken away."
6. "Pro-choice people don't care about babies."

Note from Josh: I reached out to Kenna to let her know we finished the series based on her video and offered her a chance to respond. She wrote, "It was great to meet people who could discuss abortion and present their point of view in a civil manner. YouTube was my main forum for political discussions and it doesn't have the greatest reputation. I'm not as active online anymore since I finished college and started working, but I really did enjoy your podcast. Congratulations on finishing your series." ~ Kenna

I told her I would always be open to discussing abortion with her further.

Stephanie Grant, Executive Director of Infant of Prague Adoption Services and Laurel Boylan, Founder of God's Waiting Children join Josh to discuss adoption.

Topics include:

• Clarifying common misconceptions about adoption.
• The difference between open and closed adoption.
• The differences between the process of domestic and international adoption.
• Available grants for adopting parents.
• Addressing the common resentment between families that have adopted domestically and those that have adopted internationally.
• An update on the situation with Russian president Vladimir Putin banning American families from adopting children from Russia.
• How adopting children from the foster care system works.
• Does a pregnant teen need to choose adoption before contacting an adoption agency?

This is the recording of a sermon Josh preached on January 20, 2013 at Free Grace Church in Clovis.

Josh addresses two common reasons why Christians don't take a stand to make a difference on the issue of abortion: the concern of offending people, and the argument that pro-life advocates should be focused solely on Christian evangelism. Josh argues pragmatically that pro-life work has actually given him more opportunities for evangelism and than makes a principled argument that Christians should be doing both evangelism AND speaking up for the unborn.

Josh closes with some easy things that Christians can do to dip their toe in the waters of pro-life advocacy, and then takes a few questions that were texted in anonymously from the congregation.

Q&A Session:

1. "I have a friend that believe that abortion is actually evil, but he doesn't care. He blatantly admits that he is selfish and apathetic but he chooses not to do anything about that. How do you think I could help him to care and deal with his apathy?"
2. "Could you recommend one foundational pro-life and pro-choice text for a better understanding of both sides of the abortion issue?"
3. "I know a young girl who recently had an abortion. What can I do or say to help her that she had other choices?"
4. "What do you say to people who say that the embryo evolved because it has gills and a tail?"

Pro-choice people often accuse pro-life Christians of being hypocrites, charging that we don't really believe what we say we believe, evidenced by the fact that some Christians have abortions, among other things.  Hypocrisy is a rhetorically powerful charge, effectively silencing many Christians from saying anything about the issue of abortion.

It's our view that some pro-choice accusations of pro-life hypocrisy are unfair, but that some of their charges are fair. In this episode, we discuss both categories.

We’re super excited about this episode, because we think it’s the best roundtable discussion we’ve recorded in a long time. Megan Almon from Life Training Institute joins us to discuss the recent Planned Parenthood ad that distances itself from the labels “pro-life” and “pro-choice.” While pro-life bloggers discussed the ad when it came out, I felt like we had some unique perspectives to contribute. Discussion topics include the main problems with the argument in the ad, the weaknesses of labels in general, the importance of not stereotyping people and the question of whether moral neutrality is possible on abortion. Josh closes the show with questions for both sides of the abortion debate to consider.

Our favorite (nearly graduated) student from Notre Dame Law John Gerardi is back to help the pro-life community understand why so many faithful Catholics that go to mass every week still voted for President Obama in the 2012 election. Gerardi explains the history of the Catholic church's relationship with the Democratic party and the increasingly uncomfortable position many bishops are in since the Democratic party is so openly pro-abortion rights and anti-religious liberty.

Note from Josh: Life Report has never been an anti-Catholic show, and that hasn't changed. Frankly, a lot of Protestants didn't even vote. But there's no way to have a frank dialogue about this issue without recognizing that the Catholic church in America has had a long relationship with the Democratic party and that relationship is clearly having an impact on elections that effect the rights of unborn babies. We welcomed the chance to have a Catholic expert on the subject explain what he has learned for the benefit of our audience.

Our favorite (nearly graduated) student from Notre Dame Law John Gerardi is back to give us an update on the current status of the different lawsuits against the HHS mandate. We talk about the kinds of entities that are suing and on what grounds, whether it's looking favorable or not and which religious groups have been exempted and why.

Listener Questions:

1. Michael from Tulsa, OK: Will Scientologists get an exemption for all medical treatments that go against their religion now that Priests for Life got an exemption?

Published on the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton decisions that made abortion legal in all 50 states through all nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason, out interview with pro-life hero Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life was focused on the current state of the pro-life movement.

Questions:

1. What can pro-lifers do to more effectively change peoples minds?
   
2. Why did 43% of church-going  Catholics vote for President Obama in the last election?
3. What have been the pro-life movement’s greatest victory (or victories) so far?
4. What has been the pro-life movement’s greatest failing or weakness?
5. How can we overcome the obstacle of apathy?
6. How should pro-lifers interact with those who are pro-abortion-choice?
7. What single thing should pro-lifers be doing that most are NOT doing right now?
8. What single thing do pro-life people sometimes spend TOO much time doing, when they could be doing something else that’s more effective?
9. Graphic pictures: should we use them, and if so, how, when, and where?
10. Assisted suicide & euthanasia: what should pro-lifers be doing about this, and why?

Questions from Listeners:

1. Patrick in Grand Rapids, MI: "Given the election results, what do we most need to double down on: politics, public education/demonstration, educating the 'people in the pews,' support Pregnancy Resource Centers, something else?"
   
2. JP Prichard from Hanford, CA: "What do you see as being the best ways to promote unity among pro-life organizations and sects?"

Josh and Jonathan Keller finish their interview with Kristi Burkhart, Executive Director of the Fresno Pregnancy Care Center, focusing on the unique relationship our two organizations have and practical advice for people who want to help a girl who has an unplanned pregnancy.

Topics include:

• Why our right to life organization has been able to maintain such a good partnership with the local pregnancy resource center. (Sadly, a rare situation.)
• Common misconceptions that pro-life people have of girls that are pregnant and abortion-vulnerable.
• How can our listeners practically help their friend that suddenly becomes pregnant?
• What are common mistakes that well-meaning pro-life people make when talking to a pregnant teen?
• Should sidewalk counselors offer to adopt the babies of mothers considering abortion?
• Is it true that it's impossible for college students to have kids and stay in school?

We just filmed an interview with pro-life hero Fr. Frank Pavone from Priests for Life for our January 22nd episode. After we were finished, Fr. Pavone agreed to answer one more question geared toward pastors and priests as they prepare for Sanctity of Life Sunday. (January 20th.) Specifically I asked besides the obvious messages on imago dei and the sanctity of human life, what is the most important message for pastors to preach that Sunday morning. What should the congregation walk away with? 

Please forward this video on to your pastor or priest!

Visit ProLifePreaching.com.

Tune into ProLifePodcas.net for the full interview of Father Pavone on January 22nd, 2013.