In search of Truth

It is probably one of the most sophisticated tactics of the abortion lobby to push the topic of abortion out of public debate, so that the topic, if it comes up at all, is only mentioned marginally, or, in the case of sudden political decisions, is presented as if it is a given that abortion, at least since the introduction of the deadline solu- tion (in Austria since January 1, 1975), is a woman's right.

The fact that, despite all media and political efforts, this displacement does not succeed is due to the fact that pro-lifers do not let themselves be silenced. Against every mainstream agenda, for decades, they have had the courage to name abortion for what it really is: the killing of a child with dis- astrous consequences for the mother, the child's father, the surviving siblings, and ultimately for us all.

In other words: Pro-lifers remind us that we are people of conscience. The conscience, as the German word says, is a knowledge. Other languages see it the same way: conscience in English and French or conscientia in Latin also denote the knowledge structure of the conscience. For a person knows, provided he has not let his conscience be corrupted by selfish interests, propa- ganda, repression, or other mechanisms, that it is always a crime to willfully take the life of an innocent person. Should a state nevertheless enact laws that allow abortion to be practiced, this means in plain text that this state is no longer a constitutional state in the full sense.

Shawn D. Carney and Steve Karlen, the authors of the guide What to say when, published in German in autumn 2023, have been at the forefront of the pro-life movement for decades. Not without reason is their book dedicated to "those who fight in the trenches for this great cause."
Carney is a co-founder, manager, and president of 40 Days for Life; known internationally as a speaker far beyond America, he is responsible for several award-winning pro-life documentaries, and his commitment to life has been featured in hundreds of media. He is married and the father of eight children. His colleague Karlen is the campaign director of 40 Days for Life, has contrib- uted significantly to the spread of the initiative in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, is a sought-after speaker, author, editor of the 40 Days for Life Magazine, and co-host of a corresponding podcast.

Their guide, to say it right away, is an excellent vademecum for all those who want to face the discussion about abortion.

Who doesn't know this? You are in an argument about the topic and suddenly the other side brings up the killer argument of rape: Surely you would agree that at least in the case of rape, abortion is the appropriate choice? Or: The discussion partner claims as a self-evident modern mantra that contraception reduces the number of abortions and should therefore be promoted nationwide.

Carney and Karlen are not blinded by modern catchphrases, slogans, and manipulations. In a refreshingly precise and calm manner of argumentation, they step by step refute the distortions, lies, and insinuations of the abortion industry that have been propagated for decades. To stay with the example of contraception: Not only do the authors show that there is no evidence that "contraception and access to contra- ceptives actually lower the abortion rate," they also conclusively prove that many methods of contraception act as abortifacients and that the contracep- tion mentality does not lower but rather increases the abortion rate.
The truly constructive aspect of Carney's and Karlen's approach is that they restore due respect to reason and common sense. Every pro-lifer knows that in abortion discussions, the absurd or the emotional often torpedo the debate, so that common sense falls by the wayside. The authors of this guide counter this wildness of thought in a beneficial way. But at the same time, they ban the endemic disease of reason, which Benedict XVI diagnosed as the dictatorship of relativism. Carney and Karlen are enlighteners in the best sense. Their rational arguments are, if one sheds the distortions, prejudices, and selfish narrow-mindedness, illuminating in the truest sense of the word.

"One must want what is good in order to be able to think truly," Romano Guar- dini once put it. Carney and Karlen want what is good, hence their thinking is clear, accurate, true. And the truth they present is more than a cool, intellectual construct. It is, how could it be other- wise, love. Therefore, the authors preface their remarks with Ratzinger's motto: "Love without truth is blind; truth without love is empty." For in the end, the abortion event is "a crisis of love." And that means at the same time: Ultimately, it is not about politics, but about conversion. About the conversion of hearts that are hardened for whatever reasons and do not (yet) receive the radiance of truth. In the words of Mon- signor Reilly, the doyen of the international pro-life movement: "The best we can hope for ourselves is: to be God's tool in this process of conversion." In the conversion process of Abby Johnson, who was once the head of an abortion clinic and today is one of the most prominent pro-lifers in the United States (her story is told in the film Unplanned), Shawn D. Carney was one of these tools of God. "Abby's story," says the guide, "always reminds us of what abortion workers and supporters are really looking for: they are looking for love and they are looking for Jesus Christ."

One last thing, which this guide encourages, should not be underestimated. It gives courage to enter the debate confidently and offensively. The denunciatory labels with which abortion advocates want to categorically put pro-lifers in a corner are well known: intolerant, fanatical, backward, anti-feminist, to name just a few. However, the guide makes clear that exactly the opposite is true. The one who militantly defends abortion is the actual intolerant one. And he is also the backward one, who ignores scientific knowledge, such as embryology, against better knowledge. The pro-lifer, on the other hand, is not the narrow-minded one, but the open-minded one, who is truly up to date. He therefore does not need to be intimidated when his conversation partner acts tri- umphantly, as if he had modern know-how on his side. Nothing could be further from the truth. The abortion ideologue is the fool, the pro-lifer is the wise one.

Therefore, the pro-lifer should also be on guard not to let himself be maneu- vered into the well-known trap of abor- tion advocates. This refers to the method of distracting from the actual topic, of blurring the gruesome reality of the dismembered little baby, and instead producing bizarre thought experiments. Here too, Carney and Karlen are intelligent, incorruptible guides. "Do not let them draw you into their fantasy world. Instead of engaging with their transparent hypotheses, stay with the central fact at hand: Abortion kills an innocent child."

Gabriele Kuby translated the guide. Gerhard Cardinal Müller contributed the foreword.

You can order your German or Spanish copy by sending us an email to:
info@40daysforlifeinternational.com with name and surname, number of copies and full postal address (mobile phone is
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