Apologist Trent Horn offers ways to talk about abortion and life

When Trent Horn sees a state like North Dakota that has only one facility that provides abortions, “it’s incredibly hopeful,” he said. “It provides an example that the fight for life is winnable.”

Horn, of San Diego, Calif., was the keynote speaker at the Dakota Hope Clinic annual fundraising banquet held Sept. 16 in the State Fair Center in Minot. He serves as a staff apologist for “Catholic Answers,” teaching people to graciously engage those who disagree with them. His first work in apologetics was with pro-life efforts on college campuses, and he addressed that topic in Minot. He is the author of nine books, including “Persuasive Pro-Life: How to Talk About Our Culture’s Toughest Issue” and holds master’s degrees in theology, philosophy and bioethics. 

At Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, the only abortion facility in North Dakota, abortions cost from $650 for women who are four to 11 weeks pregnant to $1,100 for those who are 16 weeks pregnant, according to their website.

Dakota Hope Clinic, a pregnancy help center located at 315 Main St S., Suite 205, in Minot, offers services and referrals that they hope will help women facing an unplanned pregnancy make the decision to give birth to their babies rather than to abort them. “All women need support no matter their circumstances,” said Nadia Smetana, director of Dakota Hope Clinic. She said Dakota Hope offers free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, evidence-based information about the options available to pregnant women, life-affirming education and long term support.

Addressing the crowd of around 900 people in attendance at the banquet, Smetana said that more than half of the clients Dakota Hope Clinic serves are at risk for choosing abortion. However, after receiving services offered by the clinic, at least 90 percent choose to give birth to their babies.

“The just, humane and truly Christian answer to problem pregnancy is for all of us to care for the mother, father and child alike,” she said.

When it comes to talking about the topic of abortion, Trent Horn said, there are two extremes. “Some people want to proclaim the truth loudly and, if people are offended, that’s their problem.” And others “are so concerned about offending someone, they don’t say anything at all.”

An effective way to approach the topic, Horn said, is to use the Socratic Method. The online dictionary, Merriam-Webster.com, defines the Socratic Method as “the method of inquiry and instruction employed by Socrates . . . and consisting of a series of questionings the object of which is to elicit a clear and consistent expression of something supposed to be implicitly known by all rational beings.”

“Our job is to ask these piercing questions,” Horn said.

He gave examples of discussions he has had during debates on college campuses. If someone, for example, said that a woman should be able to abort her third child because she is living in extreme poverty with her two current children and could not afford having another child, the apologist could counter by applying the situation to a two-year-old child. “If she just killed the two-year-old, it would be cheaper and faster than getting an abortion” and then the woman would have more money to take care of her new baby. “Should she be allowed to kill the two-year-old?” the apologist should ask, Horn said. 

A typical conversation that follows that scenario is “No, she can’t do that.” “Why can’t she?” “That’s totally different.” “How is it different?”

Then the person may say the unborn is just a fetus, not a living human being. “We can show that the unborn are alive, human organisms from the time of conception,” Horn said, because they can pass the NET test. Then can develop with the proper nutrition, environment and time (NET).

Horn shared this conversation he had with a college student. Horn asked, “What does abortion do to a fetus?” “It makes it go away.” “To where?” “It dies.” “So, it must be alive if it dies?”

Even if women understand that their children are living human beings upon conception, they could still make irrational decisions to abort their children because of the pressures they are under, Horn said. “We have to give them truth, plus give them people who can help them see a way out.” The staff members at Dakota Hope Clinic offer both, he said.

Over 40 local businesses and individuals helped with underwriting the banquet and the upcoming Festival of Trees on Nov. 23 to make both the events even more profitable.

Dakota Hope Clinic relies on the support of individuals and organizations. Less than 1% of their income comes from government sources. Donations can be made online to the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at www.dakotahope.org or mailed to Dakota Hope at PO Box 1321, Minot, ND 58702.