The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.
Quotes
I can’t even tell you how sad it makes me when I hear pro-lifers call abortion supporters childish names. I am continually grateful for the pro-lifers who continued to respect my dignity when I worked inside the abortion industry. They hated what I did, but they continued to love me. They never called me a ‘deathscort,’ ‘murderer,’ or ‘baby killer.’
They just called me Abby.
They got to know me. They cared about me. And now look where I am today.
Name calling is childish and it is INCREDIBLY counterproductive to our movement.
lf the person you’re talking to doesn’t believe the unborn is a valuable human being, and you jump to a Holocaust comparison, you’re gonna have a bad time.
This really got to me. I was on the fence about the whole pro-life/pro-choice debate, but seeing the words she wrote on her t-shirt got to me. I am ashamed to admit it but I never thought about a fetus like that before.
~ Redittor after reading this post about my friend Deanna and the pro-life shirt she wore to the Canadian March for Life. (Original thread here.)
As pro-lifers, we should be concerned about changing minds rather than just “putting the truth out there.” The latter can seem appealing because it gives us a feeling of intensity we think is necessary for a moral battle. However, the more modest yet radical goal of persuasive dialogue can truly be an effective tool for cultural change.