But he consistently applies his concern about throwaway culture to other populations. Pope Francis has saved some of his strongest language for condemning abortion. She is “with child,” not “with fetus.” It is not unusual for major news outlets, such as the BBC, to use the phrase “unborn babies” when they report on new prenatal surgical techniques. A mother-to-be has a baby bump, not a fetus bump. Family and friends organize baby showers, not fetus showers. Outside of an abortion context, an obstetrician-gynecologist doesn’t generally speak to a mother about her fetus. Other words and phrases used in the discussion about abortion seek to obscure this reality as well: “tissue,” “part of the mother,” “parasite,” “potential life.” Even the term “fetus” is dehumanizing. Language like this ignores the fact that each of us once existed as “clusters of cells that have not yet developed into viable human beings.” It seeks to hide the fact that by the time most surgical abortions take place, a prenatal child has electrical activity in the brain and a beating heart. The New York Times editorial board, for instance, recently used the phrase “clusters of cells that have not yet developed into viable human beings,” in a discussion of rights being extended to a fetus in the womb, or what I call a prenatal child. Billboards erected by abortion-rights supporters proudly say that abortion is a “family value.” Groups like Planned Parenthood now speak about “abortion care.” Oprah profiled activists who urge people to #ShoutYourAbortion. In recent years abortion-rights supporters moved from using neutral language like “autonomy” and “choice” toward using positive, stigma-defying language. This language allows critics to dismiss me and fellow pro-lifers as single-issue obsessives, which we are not. In the view of those people, and of mainstream news outlets, I am not pro-life I am anti-abortion. That’s why I use the phrase “prenatal child” where other people would say “fetus.” I want to see the laws of this country protect these people as well. I strongly support rights and protections for mothers and children, including prenatal children, and other vulnerable populations. The struggle in the abortion debate is, in many ways, a struggle over language.įor example, I am pro-life.

Im pro life