The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture
Pro-life Christians, take heart: the pro-life message can compete in the marketplace of ideas-provided Christians properly understand and articulate that message. Too many Christians do not understand the essential truths of the pro-life position, making it difficult for them to articulate a biblical worldview on issues like abortion, cloning, and embryo research.
The Case for Life provides intellectual grounding for the pro-life convictions that most evangelicals hold. Author Scott Klusendorf first simplifies the debate: the sanctity of life is not a morally complex issue. It's not about choice, privacy, or scientific progress. To the contrary, the debate turns on one key question: What is the unborn? From there readers learn how to engage the great bio-tech debate of the twenty-first century, how to answer objections persuasively, and what the role of the pro-life pastor should be.
Top Highlights
“I was willing to buy her argument for freedom and self-determination, but only if she could demonstrate that the unborn are not human beings.” (source)
“First, we’re arguing about truth. Is moral truth real and knowable, or is it just a preference like choosing chocolate ice cream over vanilla? Second, we’re arguing over human value. Are you and I valuable for what we are intrinsically or only valuable for what we can do functionally?” (source)
“ ‘Most people who say they oppose abortion do just enough to salve the conscience but not enough to stop the killing.’” (source)
“If you think a particular argument for elective abortion begs the question regarding the status of the unborn, here’s how to clarify things: Ask if this particular justification for abortion also works as a justification for killing toddlers. If not, the argument assumes that the unborn are not fully human. I call this tactic ‘Trot out the Toddler,’ and it’s illustrated in the dialogue below. The purpose is not to argue for the humanity of the unborn (you’ll do that later) but to frame the debate around one question: What is the unborn?” (source)
“For too long the pro-life movement has been shouting conclusions rather than establishing facts.5 Staying focused on the status of the unborn brings moral clarity to the abortion debate. It allows you to engage friends and critics in conversation so that you do not talk past each other.” (source)
Product Details
- Title : The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture
- Author: Klusendorf, Scott
- Publisher: Crossway
- Publication Date: 2009
- ISBN: 9781433522604
Scott Klusendorf (MA, Biola University) is the president of Life Training Institute, where he trains pro-life advocates to persuasively defend their views. A passionate and engaging platform speaker, Scott's pro-life presentations have been featured by Focus on the Family, Truths That Transform, and American Family Radio.
