(Part 1 of 2 on the Imagine No Religion 7 Conference)
When I invited world-renown atheist writer and scientist Richard Dawkins to visit me at the Pro-Life Humanists display table, I’ll admit I didn’t really expect he’d show up! But a conversation with Richard Dawkins about abortion was just one of the many highlights of this conference!
The Imagine No Religion conference, held June 2-4 2017 in Toronto, Ontario, began for me like most atheist conferences. One after another people stopped by the table to read the display pannels and to inquire about the secular case against abortion. Some stopped just a few moments to grab some literature or giggle over the pro-life condoms. Others stayed upwards of an hour to engage in civil and thoughtful dialogue, with several admitting they would have to give my position some more consideration.
Location of our display table varies from event to event, but I couldn’t have asked for better at this one! Immediately across the hall from the first conference room doors, there was no way anyone could enter or leave the hall without walking past the table all weekend long. At meal-time, buffet-style food trays were set up down the middle of the hall, which further ensured I could greet nearly every conference attendee individually as they waited in line for the food ahead.
Prime location of PLH booth at Imagine No Religion!
Among those who frequently passed by the table, often stopping to banter or to point someone in the direction of our “thwart don’t abort” condoms, was renown physicist and writer Lawrence Krauss. Lawrence and I have built a friendly rapport over the course of our repeat encounters at several conferences. He’s still in favour of abortion (for now?) but he’s a huge fan of our condoms. He told me his new pickup line is “Hey baby, wanna thwart?” lol!
Lawrence Krauss visits PLH table
And ever the comedian, Lawrence even gave a nod to our condom slogan when he autographed my copy of A Universe From Nothing:
If you can’t read it, it says “To not make something from nothing, thwart it!” At least he’s admitting that a fetus is something? 🙂
“To not make something from nothing, thwart it!” – Lawrence Krauss
Not everyone liked our condoms, however. Although I never discovered who the displeased individual was, someone took it upon themselves to tear the labels off a dozen or so of the condoms. It was surprising and disappointing to encounter the mild vandalism upon returning to the table, especially since most people were gracious and open to dialogue at this event. I wish the individual had taken the time to make their thoughts known. Perhaps they only like condoms when they’re given out by people who support “thwart” AND “abort”?
“Thwart don’t abort” condom labels vandalised
But on a brighter note, I (finally!) got to make a face-to-face connection with Seth Andrews, host of The Thinking Atheist podcast. We’d previously discussed over email his interest in tackling abortion on his show sometime, but now that we’ve met in-person we’ve moved closer to making that happen. He said he’s interested in having me join him on the show when he deals with abortion, and he’s anticipating perhaps making it happen within the next few months… So stay tuned folks!
Seth Andrews, The Thinking Atheist with Kristine Kruszelnicki, The Pro-Life Atheist 🙂
And now what about my conversation with Richard Dawkins? It’s a story that deserves its own entry! Check back tomorrow!
Thanks. What is the best argument for abortion rights that any of them had, and how did you reply to it?
Great question! Probably the most common argument is the one about rape. There was a couple that deals with abused youth and they recently dealt with a 12 year old victim of incest/rape who’d gotten pregnant.
I made the case for supporting her in every way we can. My first question was to ensure that she was safe. That’s the first priority. Abortion can often just return the victim back to the perpetrator with the evidence of his crime wiped clean and no growing stomach to give him away.
Second I argued for asking the victim what she really wants to do. All too often people assume a rape victim wants an abortion and she may go along with the people who are helping her without realy taking the time to explore what she would want. David Reardon’s book “Victims and Victors” suggests that a surprising number of rape victims may actually not want an abortion.
Non-violence dictates that we support this child in every way we can, without justifying a second act of violence being committed against her child. If she is healthy enough mentally and physically to carry a child without jeopardizing her own health and life, then its our duty as society to support both of them through this crisis. We can help her heal without causing the death of an equally innocent party.
The virgin birth is one of the most common misunderstood stories of the bible. To the logical thinker it is clear that if you were impregnated whist under Roman military occupation from someone who was not your husband or fiance you were most likely the victim of rape, and quite likely of rape by the occupying force. Rape is still used in armed conflicts as a deliberate weapon of hate and oppression to cause the victim to commit suicide for being defiled or to be killed by its own people, at least the child that in primitive minds is understood to represent the fathers ethnicity, thus is not only a bastard but an enemy bastard.
Having that in mind, the decision of Mary and Joseph to raise this child as their own was only explainable by having had a vision to justify this action. To pretend that ancient society was so naive to be duped into the existence of conception by magic is only showing the naivety of those who think so, or the arrogance of the “brights” who ridicule those “primitive goat herders” who are themselves more primitive than those they want to criticise.
Once you understand the historic context of the story it becomes clear what the expression that in Jesus the word of God becoming flesh really means. In following his will “to love thy neighbour like thyselves” they turned an act of oppression and hate into a beacon of love and hope. It is testament to the power of this commandment, on which hang all the laws and the prophets, and shows us that the way to beat hate and evil is by selfless love.
Supporting the victim of rape to carry her child to term is the only way we can achieve healing for those victims, as the awareness of having killed the only entirely innocent person of this act of rape will make the mother suffer and force her to be victimised all her life. If society wants to serve a death penalty is should demand the death of the rapist as the guilty party as it was st out in the OT. To suggest killing the child is as logically incoherent as one can get – but then pro choicer’s tend to be “brights” by their own belief
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We definitely do need to support victims of rape a lot better than we currently do!