{"id":267697,"date":"2022-05-13T14:44:14","date_gmt":"2022-05-13T19:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=267697"},"modified":"2022-05-11T21:31:54","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T02:31:54","slug":"kaitlyn-persuades-abortion-change-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/kaitlyn-persuades-abortion-change-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"Once afraid to speak out, Kaitlyn now persuades abortion supporters to change their minds"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

As a pro-life advocate with Justice for All<\/a><\/span>, Kaitlyn Donihue\u2019s mission is to engage college students on campuses nationwide to spur thought-provoking conversations about abortion and to equip others at \u201cLove3 Workshops\u201d with the tools to do the same. But as a young girl, Donihue could never have imagined a career as an outspoken activist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with Live Action News, Donihuesaid, \u201cGrowing up in a Christian pro-life home, my family was always involved in the pro-life movement. We supported the local pregnancy center and participated in activities with a local pro-life group. But I was so shy and quiet that I never felt comfortable engaging anyone whose viewpoint I disagreed with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But when Donihue was 14 years old, a heartfelt conversation with a youth group leader served as a turning point. While he labeled himself pro-life, he offered Donihue a myriad of exceptions where he thought abortion was acceptable. Frustrated, Donihue tried to ask pointed questions, but the conversation wasn\u2019t productive.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked for at least an hour that day and our discussion just went around in circles,\u201d Donihue said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know how to help him see the flaws in his own arguments.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Pro-life leader\u2019s younger brother inspired him to defend the most vulnerable<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A life-changing event<\/b><\/p>\n

While attending Ellerslie Mission Society, a small Bible school in Colorado, Donihue was introduced to Justice For All when the organization hosted training on how to start an effective dialogue about abortion. The irony wasn\u2019t lost on Donihue, who wished she\u2019d has these skills years before when engaging with her high school youth pastor. Later, she attended an outreach with JFA.<\/span><\/p>\n

Donihue said, \u201cI was so impressed with the way the staff interacted with the college students who stopped by their booth. They were kind but shared the truth about abortion persuasively.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating, Donihue interned with JFA \u2013 to the surprise of family and friends who knew she had had grappled with talking to people she didn\u2019t know well. Initially, Donihue found going to campuses and speaking out about a controversial topic was very challenging. She struggled with fear and uncertainty.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs an introvert, outreach was overwhelming for me at first,\u201d Donihue said. \u201cBut the more conversations I had, the more I learned to enjoy it. Now, it\u2019s my greatest delight to help others learn how to have important conversations with those who disagree with them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Thought-provoking dialogue is key to changing minds about abortion<\/b><\/p>\n

At the core of JFA\u2019s success is its passion for changing hearts and minds about abortion through respectful and thought-provoking conversations. The key is to better understand the mindset of those who advocate for choice to improve the outcome of these interactions. But, cautions Donihue, change doesn\u2019t often occur instantly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes success doesn\u2019t look like a changed mind or a saved life,\u201d Donihue said. \u201cThe pro-choice person may not be very open to what\u2019s being shared but it\u2019s much like putting a pebble in their shoe, giving them something to gnaw on later. Opening the door to these discussions helps them be more receptive to the pro-life stance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Donihue has had more than a few challenging interactions. She remembers one such discussion when doing outreach at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. A young man stopped by to voice his radical pro-choice view. He was adamant that abortion up until nine months should be permitted, no matter the circumstances. For him, it was black and white. Donihue asked pointed questions, but his position never wavered. Donihue was ready to move on. All it took, though, was the right approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

Donihue told Live Action News, \u201cI shifted the discussion a bit and asked him \u2018what is the unborn?\u2019 If the unborn isn\u2019t a human being, even at nine months and abortion doesn\u2019t kill a human being, then you\u2019re right, it\u2019s justified up until nine months for any reason. But if the unborn is a human being and abortion takes the child\u2019s life, it can\u2019t be acceptable for any reason.\u201d She then pulled out a JFA brochure depicting photos of the developing child in the womb.<\/span><\/p>\n

As he gazed at the photos, she told him the pages showed graphic images of aborted babies and asked him if she could show him the photos. He agreed and he stood in silence for a few moments, taking in the horror of abortion. He then turned to Donihue and said, \u201cThis should never be legal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was amazed,\u201d Donihue said. \u201cHe started out so staunchly pro-choice but through our discussion was able to think more clearly about the issue and ended up completely changing his mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With the possibility of Roe<\/em> being overturned by the Supreme Court, Donihue sees opportunities and difficulties ahead as the issue of abortion becomes more polarized. The need for fruitful dialogue will be more vital than ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Donihue said, \u201cWe encourage anyone who advocates for life to take the JFA training. It is free and offered both online via Zoom and in-person. The participants will have the chance to role-play with each other, so they feel confident in having those difficult but necessary conversations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To enroll in the free training offered by JFA, visit <\/span>www.jfaweb.org\/love3<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLike\u201d Live Action News on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for more pro-life news and commentary!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a pro-life advocate with Justice for All, Kaitlyn Donihue\u2019s mission is to engage college students on campuses nationwide to spur thought-provoking conversations about abortion and to equip others at \u201cLove3 Workshops\u201d with the tools to do the same. But as a young girl, Donihue could never have imagined a career as an outspoken activist.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":798,"featured_media":267985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[9455],"tags":[19,17279,4987,17277,17278,4601],"yoast_head":"\nOnce afraid to speak out, Kaitlyn now persuades abortion supporters to change their minds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a pro-life advocate with Justice for All, Kaitlyn Donihue\u2019s mission is to engage college students about abortion - something she never thought she'd do.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/kaitlyn-persuades-abortion-change-minds\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Once afraid to speak out, Kaitlyn now persuades abortion supporters to change their minds\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As a pro-life advocate with Justice for All, Kaitlyn Donihue\u2019s mission is to engage college students about abortion - 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