If you are a pro-life man, you might have experienced something similar to what I’ve heard a few times over the years: “As a man, you have no right to tell a woman what to do with her body. You can never be pregnant, so you don’t have the right to weigh in on this issue.” Ironically, some of these same people now assert that men can get pregnant. So…you’re saying…I do get to weigh in now?
As with all arguments attempting to defend the indefensible (the legal killing of innocent, preborn children in what should be the safest place for them in the world: their mother’s womb), these statements are distortions of the truth. Let’s take a closer look at each of these common pro-abortion arguments.
“As a man, you have no right to tell a woman what to do with her body.”
On one hand, that’s true which is why it has been such an effective argument . . . more on that below. But it’s also true that if I love this woman and she is doing something that is harming herself, I have an obligation to speak up, support her and help her avoid this damage. It’s not the moral, caring, loving or humane thing to simply say, “Her body, her choice,” and move on.
It’s also true that in the context of abortion, we’re not solely talking about “her body.” There is another body… even if it is tiny. Biologically, we know that at the moment of conception this is a new human being with DNA unique to him/her, distinct from that of his/her mother and father. It’s no longer one body but two. Yes, for nine months one body relies on the other body for nourishment and life (both an amazing miracle and a biological process which we call pregnancy). This does nothing to change the fact that the mother and child (at whatever stage: zygote, embryo, fetus, newborn, toddler, teenager or adult) are distinct persons.
“As a man, you can never be pregnant, so you don’t have the right to weigh in on this issue.”
Again, the first part of this argument is true, but the second part doesn’t logically follow. This is a fallacious argument because it assumes the only kind of knowledge is experiential. However, philosophy informs us of propositional knowledge, which is possessing true belief based on adequate grounds. And, of course, pro-life arguments are based on a mountain of scientific, medical, empirical, statistical, historical and logical facts. For a deeper dive into both the practical and philosophical arguments about why men should (be able to) speak about abortion, please see the QR codes.
The need to address this issue is backed up by the ongoing data analysis of Vitae’s most recent Emotional Research study: A Few Good Men: Increasing the Masculine Presence. Unfortunately, many men in the “movable middle” of the abortion issue have taken to heart these types of arguments from the mainstream media, the abortion industry and abortion activists. When facing an unexpected pregnancy, these men feel like abortion is primarily a woman’s decision, and it is not their “right” to decide. They believe the decision should be up to the woman because it is her body, she is the one carrying the baby and she must go through the difficulties of pregnancy. They see abortion as a decision where they have no say, or minimal say at most, and certainly not the final say. Sadly, these men have been taken in by the fallacies and twisted truths of the abortion industrial complex.
But this study also offers hope which Vitae will tap into as we help men regain a voice for life. Men acknowledge that “it takes two” to make a baby, and they are often ready to step up and take on the responsibility of fatherhood, and they agree the ideal situation is that the man and woman would have a conversation together. Mom and dad making this decision together is the abortion industry’s worst nightmare. It’s why many Planned Parenthood facilities do not let the man even come into the exam room. Instead, he is forced to wait outside. We at Vitae like contributing to the abortion industry’s worst nightmares because it means that we are one step closer to making abortion unthinkable.
I will share more details like this and other findings from our recent research study, A Few Good Men: Increasing the Masculine Presence in the next edition of The Vitae Voice, so stay tuned! In the meantime, be assured that Vitae will continue to use this newest research to build effective messaging strategies and help men regain a voice for life. Everyone has a right to life… and a right to speak for life!
By Dr. Jeff Pauls
Director of Research