Last month, I had the opportunity to debate Dr. Mary Anne Franks, a pro-abortion law professor at George Washington University, on the question: Should abortion be legal?

John,

Last month, I had the opportunity to debate Dr. Mary Anne Franks, a pro-abortion law professor at George Washington University, on the question: Should abortion be legal?

A few hours after the debate, I was so happy to hear that one of the attending pro-abortion students changed her mind and is now convinced of the humanity and dignity of preborn children!

This debate was held at Georgetown University and you can watch it in full here: liveaction.org/should-abortion-be-legal-debate ([link removed] )

Dr. Franks and I engaged in a spirited discussion on whether abortion should be legal and its profound moral implications. She presented her arguments with the polished sophistication you’d expect from a law professor, but her claims ultimately rested on the same old pro-abortion talking points—ones you’ve likely heard in your own conversations as you fight for life.

I want to equip you with clear responses to three key arguments Dr. Franks raised during our debate—arguments you may encounter in your own conversations with friends and family:

1. “Abortion is self-defense.”

Dr. Franks argued that abortion is justified on the same grounds as self-defense and private property rights. She used three words to make her case: unlawful, intrusion, and reasonable. Ironically, these terms dismantle her own argument.

- Unlawful? A child in the womb is not an aggressor. The preborn baby has committed no crime, broken no law, and did not choose to be there. In fact, the womb is exactly where a child is supposed to be.
- Intrusion? A baby is not a trespasser. Pregnancy is not an “invasion”—it is the natural outcome of human reproduction, and the womb is designed to nurture and sustain life.
- Reasonable? Even in complicated pregnancies, the natural risks of pregnancy do not equate to an imminent, direct threat that justifies the deliberate killing of an innocent child. Just as we cannot preemptively run drivers off the road because they might cause us harm, we cannot justify killing a child simply because pregnancy carries risks.

2. “Bodily autonomy justifies abortion.”

Yes, we all have bodily autonomy—but that autonomy does not give us the right to harm or kill others who merely exist. This is the core flaw in the pro-abortion argument.

Dr. Franks went so far as to claim that “sometimes, innocent people will have to die” because no one has a right to life that depends on another person’s body. This is chilling. It’s the same logic that has justified history’s greatest atrocities—denying rights to the most vulnerable because of their dependency.

The truth is that every human being begins life in total dependence. Infants, the elderly, and disabled people all rely on others to survive. Does this make their lives expendable? Of course not. Parents have a natural responsibility to care for their children—born and preborn. To deny this is to deny the fundamental bonds of human civilization.

3. “Truth is subjective.”

Dr. Franks made an astonishing claim during our debate:

“There is no persistent, transcendent truth out there that is simply true all the time, at all places, no matter what the context.”

This is the heart of the pro-abortion worldview: moral relativism. But this idea collapses under its own weight. If there is no truth, then her claim isn’t true either.

Reality is not subjective. The humanity of the preborn child is not a matter of personal belief—it is an objective, biological fact. And history has shown us that whenever society denies the personhood of an entire class of human beings, it leads to unimaginable cruelty.

Just as past injustices—like slavery and the Holocaust—were “justified” by dehumanizing victims, abortion hinges on the same dangerous lie. But truth does not change based on convenience. The preborn child is a human person, entitled to the same rights as you and me.

I hope these points strengthen your pro-life advocacy, John. At Live Action, we are committed to equipping you with the tools to defend life boldly and effectively. Our Pro-Life Replies video series is a powerful resource that breaks down more of the common pro-abortion arguments with clear, compelling truth.

Check it out at prolifereplies.liveaction.org ([link removed] ) , and share it with your friends and family. The more people who hear the truth, the more hearts and minds will change—and lives will be saved.

Thank you for standing with us in this fight for life!

For Life,

Lila Rose

Founder and President

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