Equipped for Life Podcast
The discussion podcast of Equal Rights Institute, a national organization that trains pro-life advocates think clearly, reason honestly, and argue persuasively. If you’re looking for clear pro-life thinking, cutting-edge apologetics, and a fresh approach to abortion dialogue, you’ve come to the right place.
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#104: Are Women Being Denied Care? (w/ Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
01/30/2026
#104: Are Women Being Denied Care? (w/ Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder wrap up their series of recent discussions by addressing denial-of-care stories. In this episode, Monica and Josh define what a denial-of-care story is, explain why abortion bans are often blamed for causing pregnancy-related deaths, identify the actual problems behind the most sensationalized stories, empathize with tragic outcomes and legitimate pro-choice concerns, and propose courses of action that pro-life people can take to help prevent similar tragic stories from happening in the future. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life’s entire blog category of debunking content: Yeni Alvarez - ERI Blog Post on Adriana Smith’s case: Equipped for Life Podcast #96: Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:09 Defining "denial of care" stories 00:05:49 Theory posited by many media outlets 00:07:26 How to go about testing this theory 00:12:32 Adriana Smith 00:22:28 Josseli Barnica 00:25:51 Categorizing the cases 00:37:10 What is the most charitable interpretation of pro-choice reactions to these stories? 00:39:01 Malpractice and the in-between cases 00:41:43 Idaho case 00:44:28 Nevaeh Crain 00:49:54 What can pro-lifers do about this? Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#103: Do You Need Religion to be Pro-Life? (w/ Monica Snyder)
12/29/2025
#103: Do You Need Religion to be Pro-Life? (w/ Monica Snyder)
Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder return to discuss the question: “Do You Need Religion to be Pro-Life?” The conversation touches on practical and philosophical points, including discussion about objective and subjective morality and its relationship with deism, as well as Monica’s experiences responding to both pro-life and pro-choice people who raise a scrutinizing eyebrow when they realize that they are talking with a pro-life atheist. Links: Secular Pro-Life: Secular Pro-Life: A couple of examples of pro-choice religious-ish-ness: Human Life Review: Debate between Shelly Kagan and William Lane Craig (specifically the “Beliefs & practices” tab) (Denmark Right to Life) Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:46 How both sides react to pro-life atheists 00:03:29 How do you respond to the pro-choice people? 00:13:15 Responding to pro-lifers 00:20:10 Examining demographic trends, statistics, and labels 00:27:27 Widening the tent to welcome atheists and other alt pro-lifers 00:35:50 How do you respond to the nihilist as an atheist? 00:42:52 Will the Pro-Life Movement survive increasing secularity? 00:47:57 Do you need religion to be pro-choice? 00:52:57 Can pro-life Christians evangelize without being off-putting? 01:04:18 Wrap-up Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#102: Forensics and Abortion (w/ Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
12/04/2025
#102: Forensics and Abortion (w/ Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
After much anticipation, Josh Brahm FINALLY gets to interview Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life about her background and expertise in Forensics. Monica explains how her work in forensics and DNA analysis affects her view on the abortion issue, particularly when it comes to questions about the justice system and why we shouldn’t prosecute women who have had abortions. Content warning: Includes discussion of forensic rape kits as well as methods of testing whether a baby was aborted instead of miscarried. Links: National Right to Life: ERI Statement: Chapters: 00:00:00 Introducing Monica’s forensics credentials and background 00:03:25 Describing the Innocence Project 00:06:25 Monica describes her forensics work 00:09:30 Real forensics vs. TV forensics 00:15:50 Why rape cases are difficult to prosecute 00:21:40 Where forensics touches the abortion debate in a post-Dobbs world 00:24:45 Distinguishing abortion pills and miscarriage? 00:34:16 Concerns with attaching criminal penalties to women who have had abortions 00:41:55 What rights do convicted people have? 00:48:35 What would a dystopian prosecution of all women who had abortions look like? 00:49:50 What is a more realistic interpretation of pro-lifers who want to attach criminal penalties to abortion look like? 00:51:10 Plea deals and public defenders 00:54:40 ‘Steel-manning’ the pro-lifers who want to attach criminal penalties to abortion 00:58:10 Trauma associated with miscarriage 00:59:45 Relevant questions from real cases 01:02:20 WARNING: Morbid description 01:03:45 Conclusions from Monica 01:06:30 Josh’s eyewitness testimony story 01:11:16 Monica’s eyewitness testimony story 01:13:55 Applying this to a recent case 01:17:25 Wrapping up Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#101: It’s About the Babies, Not Your Sex Life (w/ Monica Snyder)
11/20/2025
#101: It’s About the Babies, Not Your Sex Life (w/ Monica Snyder)
Content warning: This whole episode is about sex. It’s probably not the episode to listen to around your kids. Secular Pro-Life’s Monica Snyder returns to the Equipped for Life Podcast for another series of episodes, beginning with the topic, “It’s About Babies, Not Your Sex Life.” Stemming from real-life conversations, Monica and Josh identify many of the various factors that contribute to pro-choice perceptions or labeling of pro-life people as being “anti-sex” and then respond accordingly to each factor. The Dynamic Duo also provides some fun commentary on the symbiotic relationship between Secular Pro-Life and Equal Rights Institute, and how the pro-life movement as a whole can benefit from similar relationships. Finally, towards the end, Josh and Monica talk about how snark might be a good last-resort effort in a dialogue situation. Secular Pro-Life: Josh Brahm: Episode 47: Episode 49: Episode 100: Memes to End Abortion (formerly “Dank Pro-Life Memes”): Pro-choice groups we mentioned who are worth following: Chapters: 00:00 Introducing the argument we’re responding to 06:05 Steel-manning the pro-choice argument 12:36 What do pro-life and pro-choice people mean when they use the term “anti-sex”? 20:12 Why pro-life organizations should stop bringing LGBT politics into their events 22:18 Subdivisions within conservatism 25:11 More reasons why some pro-choice people think pro-lifers are “anti-sex” 30:02 Responding to the steelman arguments 41:58 Conversation starter idea 44:40 Counter-examples 47:25 Counter-examples to the counter-examples 49:54 On the rape exception 53:26 Both sides sometimes use the word "sex" in simplistic, unclear ways 58:30 We need to ask more questions 1:02:20 We need to have conversations in-person more often 1:04:32 Helpful pro-choice people to follow Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#100: Celebrating 100 Episodes! (with the Whole Staff!)
11/06/2025
#100: Celebrating 100 Episodes! (with the Whole Staff!)
We brought the entire staff on for our 100th episode! The team planned the outline without Josh, and the result was a fun, retrospective celebration of the podcast. Related Links: Ellen's first blog post: Ellen's most recent blog post: Joshua's episode on the podcast: Rebecca’s talking head video: Our first podcast with Rebecca co-hosting: Josh’s article the atheist responded to: Ellen’s favorite episode: Rebecca’s favorite episode: Joshua’s favorite episode : Emily's favorite episodes: Josh's favorite episodes: Tim Hull's favorite episode: Chapters: 00:00 Introducing the whole staff! 02:39 Would you rather fight 10 duck-sized bears or five bear-sized ducks? 15:33 How Josh got started with podcasting 17:57 Reacting to one Josh’s first podcasting videos 23:30 The evolution of Josh’s facial hair 28:56 Why did Josh start the Equipped for Life Podcast? 31:37 The “Course Bonus Content” Era 35:16 The “Josh/Rachel” Era 42:14 The “Josh/Emily” Era 48:17 The “Is Monica a Co-Host?” Era 50:43 Josh likes technology 56:09 The “Podcast Relaunch” Era (feat. Monica’s Still Here) 1:00:08 Podcasting with Josh for the first time 1:06:57 Everyone’s favorite episodes (and a few stories) Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger, Rebecca Carlson Guests: Joshua Head, Ellen Campbell Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#99: Practical Tips for 40 Days for Life Volunteers
10/10/2025
#99: Practical Tips for 40 Days for Life Volunteers
It’s October, and 40 Days for Life campaigns are in full swing! Josh, Emily, and Rebecca share and react to short video tips sent in from pro-life activists from around the country on how to effectively participate in your local 40 Days for Life campaign. (SPOILER ALERT: it’s not as hard as you think!) Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 07:40 Tip #1: Herb Geraghty 13:43 Tip #2: Rebecca Carlson 19:45 Tip #3: Kristi Burkhart 24:52 Tip #4: Michael New 28:07 Tip #5: Emily Geiger 32:26 Tip #6: Jim Burke 38:04 Tip #7: Rebekah Dyer 41:24 Tip #8: Josh Brahm 45:33 Tip #9: Jay Watts 50:45 Tip #10: Salem 40 Days for Life 57:46 Tip #11: Tyson Langhofer 1:02:37 Tip #12: Anonymous 1:09:47 Tip #13: Alan Shlemon 1:13:09 Tip #14: Blake Moser Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger, Rebecca Carlson Guests: Herb Geraghty, Kristi Burkhart, Michael New, Jim Burke, Rebekah Dyer, Jay Watts, Salem 40 Days for Life, Tyson Langhofer, Alan Shlemon, Blake Moser Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publishers: Ellen Campbell, Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger
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#98: Listener Mail: Lightning Round! Part 2 (w/ Monica Snyder)
09/25/2025
#98: Listener Mail: Lightning Round! Part 2 (w/ Monica Snyder)
LIGHTNING!!! (in slow motion). In this podcast, Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life sort through listener mail from SPL’s mailbag and give quick responses to several questions and requests. Part 2 of 2 addresses eight main topics, to include the biological case for the unborn, how to combat viral misinformation, the concept of abortion as healthcare, why women advocate for abortion, the medical necessity of third trimester abortions, what to do if the pro-choice person jumps topics, if brain activity should define personhood, and counseling resources for nonreligious, post-abortive women. ERI Blog: ERI Podcast: ERI Quick Response: Josh referenced the Biology module of the Equipped for Life Course. You can learn more about the course at: SPL: SPL: The Guardian: Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:22 “HOW do people still argue that the fetus isn’t alive?” 18:55 “Care, Abortion Care, Health Care” 20:20 How can women not only accept the brutality of abortion, but fight for it? 21:56 What makes third-trimester abortion medically necessary? 27:48 What if the pro-choice person keeps jumping topics? 40:35 Josh on analogies 45:26 Why not use brain activity to classify personhood? 52:02 Is there counseling for post-abortive women who are atheist or agnostic? 1:04:44 What about the 10-Year-Old Rape Victim? Host: Josh Brahm Audio/Video Editors: Rachael Urquidez & Joshua Head Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#97: Listener Mail: Lightning Round! Part 1 (w/ Monica Snyder)
09/18/2025
#97: Listener Mail: Lightning Round! Part 1 (w/ Monica Snyder)
LIGHTNING!!! (in slow motion). In this podcast, Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder from sort through listener mail from SPL’s mailbag and give quick responses to several questions and requests. Part 1 of 2 (this episode) covers seven main topics, namely, whether the “pro-life movement” should actually be called the “anti-abortion movement”, the availability of abortion pills, discrimination against children with disabilities, how to welcome secular members into a pro-life space, if we should boycott pro-choice media, trying to understand how a pro-choice person thinks, and whether pro-choice activists reject pro-choice moderates. Cut Article (advises women on abortion pills to say they are having a miscarriage): Dallas Morning News: Choosing Thomas -- Inside a family's decision to let their son live, if only for a brief time: ERI Podcast: When They Bite the Bullet Pro-Choice people complaining about abortion and ableism: SPL Blog: Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life Vocabulary SPL Blog: No, Abortion Pills Aren’t Safer Than Tylenol Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Academy: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:22 Should we change our name to the “anti-abortion movement”? 05:46 The availability of abortion pills for use in self-managed abortions 17:53 Children with disabilities: discrimination in the womb and after birth 34:02 How do we make non-religious people feel welcome? 47:47 Should pro-lifers boycott pro-choice cultural content/celebrities? 58:20 Do pro-choice people actually believe their talking points that have repeatedly been refuted? 1:03:15 Do abortion rights activists reject moderate pro-choice people? Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editor: Rachael Urquidez Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#96: Survey Review: How Pro-Life & Pro-Choice People Define Abortion (w/ Monica Snyder)
09/04/2025
#96: Survey Review: How Pro-Life & Pro-Choice People Define Abortion (w/ Monica Snyder)
We recorded another episode with Secular Pro-Life’s Monica Snyder, our favorite practically co-host, to discuss Secular Pro-Life’s recent survey on the differences between how both sides of the issue define abortion. A critical part of clear communication is making sure you and your dialogue partner are using the key words in the same way. Pro-life and pro-choice people often mean VERY different things when they use the word "abortion," but they don't know that, and miscommunication ensues. This episode will help you avoid that miscommunication. The ERI team offers several practical dialogue tips stemming from what we can learn from this survey. Related Links: SPL blog post: The journal article that originally gave Monica Snyder the idea for this project: EFL Podcast: Charles Camosy: Chapters: 00:00: Introducing the survey 04:48: Figure 1: Which scenarios are abortions? 25:14: Figures 4 & 5: Pro-choice and pro-life perspectives 27:55: Figure 6: Is it an abortion if it doesn't cause death? 31:34: Figure 7: Is a miscarriage an abortion? 33:07: Is a C-section an abortion? 41:52: Figure 8: Are there ethical abortions? 56:39: Should we define abortion? ERI Links: Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger, Rebecca Carlson Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head, Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#95: No, Abortion Pills Aren’t Harming the Environment
08/22/2025
#95: No, Abortion Pills Aren’t Harming the Environment
Yes, abortion pills are harmful to women and unborn children. We're pro-life. But when you take an honest look at the evidence, there is no evidence that abortion pills are poisoning our wastewater. This episode includes a visual slideshow, and can be viewed at our YouTube channel here: Content warning: If you have experienced pregnancy loss, this may not be the episode for you. There’s an inherent graphic nature to the kinds of claims we’re offering factual and philosophical arguments against. While we kept the conversation as tame as possible, we know this is a very difficult subject for people who have lost one or more children, so please take care and pay attention to your body if you choose to listen to this episode. Secular Pro-Life’s Monica Snyder joins Josh, Emily, and Rebecca to discuss the relatively recent argument from certain pro-life organizations that abortion pills and/or embryonic remains are poisoning our wastewater. We consider and respond to the strongest arguments for this claim and address the real harm this can have on people who have experienced miscarriage. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life: Are abortion pills harming the environment? Secular Pro-Life’s proposed miscarriage remains protocol: FDA letter calculating risk of mifepristone: The fish study: Chapters: 0:00: Welcome Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life 1:08: Introducing today's topic: abortion pills, the environment, and our wastewater 3:57: The strongest arguments that abortion pills are harmful to the environment 23:50: Responding to embryonic/fetal remains going into our wastewater 35:18: Responding to Mifepristone going into our wastewater 43:12: The FDA/EPA's letter 49:11: How does this conversation affect people who have experienced miscarriage? Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger, Rebecca Carlson Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editors: Josh Brahm, Joshua Head Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#94: Can You Be a Professional Musician AND Pro-Life?
07/24/2025
#94: Can You Be a Professional Musician AND Pro-Life?
Trent Horn forwarded us a great question, so Josh brought ERI Club Coach/Video Editor Joshua Head onto the show, as Joshua is also a professional musician. Joshua went above and beyond, creating a list of tips for musicians in college as well as post-college. This is a pretty niche topic, and admittedly, it sometimes turned into two musicians nerding out with each other. But it was a great question, and we wanted to be able to point people somewhere to get tips on this. Enjoy the conversation. Trent and Laura Horn’s announcement and a prayer seeking the intercession of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz for Laura’s healing: Chapters: 00:00 Quick note about Trent and Laura Horn 01:58 Introducing Joshua and his pro-life experiences at St. Olaf and Johns Hopkins University 9:04 Listener question on how to be a pro-life activist without tanking your music career. 16:15 Advice for musicians in college 38:58 Advice for musicians out of college Related Links: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Academy: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Joshua Head Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell & Josh Brahm
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#93 How to Have Better Conversations About IVF
07/10/2025
#93 How to Have Better Conversations About IVF
ERI's Affiliate Groups have been busy working with their coaches on practical dialogue tips for talking about IVF, now that it's in the news more often. First, Emily and Rebecca present to Josh for the first time what our groups have been working on. Afterward, they had a more personal discussion comparing and contrasting their intuitions about IVF. It turned into a really cool discussion between two open-minded Protestants and one open-minded Catholic having an ego-free discussion about where their views seem to differ. Related Links: ERI Blog: Get Ready. IVF Confusion is Coming: ERI Affiliate Group Program: ERI Statement: Should Women Be Prosecuted for Illegal Abortions? Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Chapters: 00:00 Intro 03:04 Explaining ERI Affiliate Groups 05:40 The epic IVF brainstorm session 15:27 Our concerns about IVF as it's usually practiced 31:03 Discussion 1:01:50 Practical tips for talking about IVF Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger, Rebecca Carlson Audio/Video Editors: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#92 Genuine or Performed? Acting Skills in Honest Dialogue
06/26/2025
#92 Genuine or Performed? Acting Skills in Honest Dialogue
The Equipped for Life Podcast is back! After a long hiatus due to the production of Equipped for Life Academy, we’ve begun recording new episodes. We also have some old episodes in the archives we’ll be publishing as well. We loved this episode as our first episode back though. After introducing Rebecca Carlson and welcoming her to be a second co-host on the podcast, Josh and Emily discuss their common backgrounds in music and musical theater, and how that affects our dialogue. This leads to a listener mail question on how Emily is able to come across as spontaneous as she does even when saying memorized responses. This leads to a FASCINATING discussion on, in the situation that we’re talking to a pro-choice person, whether it’s inherently deceptive to add fake thinking pauses, among other things, that actors commonly do when performing. ERI Blog: The Best Way to Expose Logical Fallacies: Don’t Call Them by Name: ERI Instagram: If Glinda and Elphaba were pro-life advocates: ERI Podcast Clip: Can a musical background improve your dialogues? Dallas Morning News: Choosing Thomas -- Inside a family's decision to let their son live, if only for a brief time: The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Academy: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Chapters: 00:00: Re-introducing podcast and Rebecca 20:34: Commonalities in music and/or musical theater 30:49: Listener mail question Hosts: Josh Brahm, Emily Geiger, Rebecca Carlson Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#91: Intellectual Honesty, Transparency, and Observations about the Pro-Life Movement (with Apologist Dr. Randal Rauser)
06/22/2023
#91: Intellectual Honesty, Transparency, and Observations about the Pro-Life Movement (with Apologist Dr. Randal Rauser)
Josh's favorite Christian apologist, Dr. Randal Rauser, joins the show. Randal describes himself as "progressively Evangelical and generously Orthodox." Josh asks him about open-mindedness, his observations about the pro-life movement, when it's appropriate to call leaders out publicly, and the difference between an "agitation apologetics model" and an "agreement apologetics model." While Josh doesn't agree with everything Rauser believes, that's not the point, and this isn't a debate episode. Josh found this to be a good opportunity to listen to the views of a very careful thinker in spite of the fact that they don't agree on everything within the abortion debate. Related Links: Randal Rauser's website: Randal's YouTube channel: Randal interviews Josh about the state of the abortion debate: Randal debates Trent Horn on abortion: Randal's book, "Jesus Loves Canaanites" ERI Blog: "Abortion Images: A Case for Disagreement without Division" Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Chapters: 00:00: Introduction and thoughts on intellectual honesty 07:33: On trying to convince people to be open-minded 11:20: Defining what it means to be a “Progressive Evangelical” 15:05: What would he say to more conservative Christians who are concerned about Progressive Evangelicals? 17:30: How would Randall describe his views on abortion? 23:20: What are his observations about the pro-life movement from outside of it? 27:26: What advice would he give to pro-life leaders? 29:45: A discussion on when it’s appropriate to call other leaders out in public for poor behavior 40:35: What practical things can people do if they want to transition from agitative apologetics to more of an agreement apologetics model? 42:52: Final thoughts on deception and transparency Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Dr. Randal Rauser Audio/Video Editors: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#90: The Psychology of Persuasion (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
06/08/2023
#90: The Psychology of Persuasion (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
Josh Brahm and Monica Snyder have an open conversation about biology, philosophy, and how they interact with persuasion in the abortion debate. Monica has a STEM background so she and Josh compare notes on how STEM professionals and philosophers feel about each other, and why many of them are arrogant. They also discuss: - How arrogance, confidence, and impostor syndrome often interact with each other; - The pros and cons of using big words; - Whether biology vs. philosophy are more likely to change minds on abortion; - “Should we prioritize our arguments more based on whether they are influential, emotionally compelling, logically sound, or other factors?” - Steps anyone can take to become more rational. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life: SPL posts about changing from PC to PL: SPL's “No. embryos aren't parasites” video: ERI's article "Abortion Images: A Case for Disagreement without Division" Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#89: Undercover at an abortion clinic while 28-weeks pregnant (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
05/03/2023
#89: Undercover at an abortion clinic while 28-weeks pregnant (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder)
Monica Snyder shares a very emotional story about going undercover in a late-term abortion facility in Washington DC while being 28-weeks pregnant. She talks about what was harder than she expected and the perspective she gained about the employees at the clinic. She also helps Josh understand some things he had never heard about some post-abortive women, and responds to the most frequently asked questions and challenges from both sides of the abortion debate regarding this video. Editor’s note: As you may remember from a previous editor’s note, we had technical problems on this recording day that went undiagnosed until later because I didn’t think we needed to wear the headphones this time. I did the best I could to fix it, but it’s way below my standards. Thank you for your patience. Related Links: Watch the video Live Action released from this day: Learn more about Justice for the Five here: Watch Josh's emotional interview with Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising's Terrisa Bukovinac and Lauren Handy: Read Monica Snyder's piece for the Washington Times about this story: Read a similar piece Monica wrote for the Secular Pro-Life blog: Read this Secular Pro-Life Interview: How Gabriela became a sidewalk counselor outside the clinic where she had her abortion: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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ERI Update - Spring 2023
04/06/2023
ERI Update - Spring 2023
Josh Brahm gives an update on what we've been working on at ERI, including recent speaking trips in Europe, progress on Equipped for Life Academy, and hiring our new administrator. Chapters: 00:00 Why Josh is in Paris 03:16 Cool story from England conference 06:08 Emily update from Denmark 09:13 Equipped for Life Academy update & a question for you 13:57 Replacing Jen 20:11 Equipped for Life Academy update continued Related Links: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Performers: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#88: What Should the Pro-Life Movement Do Now? (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder) - Part 2
03/30/2023
#88: What Should the Pro-Life Movement Do Now? (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder) - Part 2
Recorded in late 2022, Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life joined Josh to film a few episodes on what the pro-life movement should be doing right now. It took us a while to get back to regular podcast editing due to a TON of travel, but everything they said is still relevant. The discussion includes: - What do we mean when we use the term “pro-life movement” in this particular discussion? - Lots of ideas for things that pro-life people can do to fight abortion. - 4 “unforced errors” Josh is warning pro-lifers to avoid. - Choosing our terms carefully depending on the context. Learn more about Secular Pro-Life (and follow them on social media) here: Note: Monica referenced Amazon Smile, which was recently discontinued, because we filmed this late last year. Related links: Check out Secular Pro-Life’s collaborative website: Check out Secular Pro-Life’s “The Abortion Debate Index”: ERI deep dive podcast on the Dobbs oral arguments: ERI Statement: Should Women Be Prosecuted for Illegal Abortions? ERI Podcast: Defining the Word “Abortion” Will Change Your Dialogues (with Dank Pro-Life Memes) Secular Peo-Life Blog: ACOG has spoken: 13 phrases we no longer are supposed to use regarding abortion: ERI Blog: Why Pro-Life People Should Watch “After Tiller”: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Host: Josh Brahm Guest: Monica Snyder Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Ellen Campbell
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#87: What Should the Pro-Life Movement Do Now? (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder) - Part 1
03/16/2023
#87: What Should the Pro-Life Movement Do Now? (with Secular Pro-Life's Monica Snyder) - Part 1
Recorded in late 2022, Monica Snyder from Secular Pro-Life joined Josh to film a few episodes on what the pro-life movement should be doing right now. It took us a while to get back to regular podcast editing due to a TON of travel, but everything they said is still relevant. The discussion includes: - The five state amendments the pro-life movement lost in the midterms, and why we lost them. - Does the CA amendment actually mean that infanticide is being legalized? - Where is the American public on abortion? What do we know? - The difference between how Josh and Monica reacted to the Dobbs decision. Learn more about Secular Pro-Life (and follow them on social media) here: https://secularprolife.org Editor's note: There's a little electrical hum noise in one of the microphones that we didn't catch that day because we haven't had that issue before and decided to record without headphones. Oops! Won't make that mistake again. We've minimized it as much as possible, but there's no way to totally take it out. Sorry about that. Related Links: Emily Albrecht on MSNBC: http://bit.ly/3ZDUTrR Podcast: Behind-the-Scenes: Emily Discusses Abortion With NARAL President on MSNBC: http://bit.ly/3zGu5wm Podcast: What New Research Tells Us About Persuasion: http://bit.ly/33GsFkl
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Announcement: Podcast Production Changes
03/15/2023
Announcement: Podcast Production Changes
Josh explains how some upgrades to our podcast equipment will save us time editing the episodes later and how that will affect our listeners. (This will make even more sense if you watch it on YouTube: There's a short 2-minute summary, and then a longer "nerdier" version for those who are interested. We have some great podcasts coming out soon, but our production schedule has been thrown off by suddenly needing to find and train a new Administrator. New episode comes out tomorrow though! Thank you for your patience! Chapters: 00:00: The short "TLDR" version 02:36: The nerdier version about the equipment 07:17: Thank you for making this possible Related Links: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass:
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#86: ERI LIVE: Q&A with Josh at Fusion City Church
01/12/2023
#86: ERI LIVE: Q&A with Josh at Fusion City Church
Josh Brahm was invited to answer questions about abortion late last year at Fusion City Church in Kannapolis, NC. Pastor Brian Duncan had preached on abortion the week prior and asked Josh to help field the questions that came from the congregation afterward. *Sorry for the bad audio during the intro. I forgot to grab the better audio before I formatted the SD card. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 03:19 Pastor introduces Josh 04:05 Josh summarizes the origin of his pro-life work 05:25 Pastor Brian on self-defense and the right to life 07:40 What if the mother's life is at risk? 11:34 But isn't every pregnancy potentially life-threatening? 17:19 What about cases of rape or incest? 20:24 How would you respond to the argument that the unborn aren't biologically human until they become a fetus? 23:33 "If someone should have the choice to use drugs or have multiple sexual partners, should they also not have the choice to have an abortion?" 26:38 How would you respond to a pro-choice Christian who says this: "My personal issue with the entire Roe v. Wade overturn was not so much the abortion aspect but the loss of bodily autonomy for me and my sisters and daughters. If the movement wasn't so rooted in the dirty word of abortion, I think many people would have an easier time thinking of Pro-Choice as having a choice over one's body which everyone has and almost everyone exercises to some degree. People choose to eat a vegan diet or a carnivore diet, both with very different reactions in the body. People choose to drink energy drinks despite the consequences of heart damage. People choose to be vaccinated or not, both with varying outcomes. People choose to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. People choose to give their boy child a circumcision or not, way before the child is 'self-aware', both offering varying outcomes. Saying "my body, my choice" is not pro-murder. It is pro-autonomy, and I have no issues with that whatsoever." 31:43 What are some areas where pro-life people sometimes don't follow their logic to their natural conclusion? 34:01 Final thoughts Related Links: Host: Pastor Brian Duncan Guest: Josh Brahm Audio/Video Editor: Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland
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#85: Behind-The-Scenes: Emily on MSNBC (with Tim Hull)
11/02/2022
#85: Behind-The-Scenes: Emily on MSNBC (with Tim Hull)
We've received hundreds of messages and comments about Emily's appearance on MSNBC last week! By popular demand, Josh and Emily are joined by Tim Hull to discuss the behind-the-scenes story of how Emily ended up discussing abortion with the President of NARAL on national television live from NBC studios in New York City! In this episode, Emily will share the story of her trip to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, including insights into what she chose to say (and not say!) on air and how she was treated by MSNBC. Josh, Emily, and Tim will also watch the MSNBC segment together, reacting to the pro-choice arguments made and providing additional talking points pro-lifers can use to respond. If you'd like to watch MSNBC's published version of the segment, you can do so at the link below! Related Links: Diane Greene Foster & Katrina Kimport for Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Who Seeks Abortions at or After 20 Weeks? Katrina Kimport for Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Is third-trimester abortion exceptional? Two pathways to abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy in the United States: Secular Pro-Life: Responding to 7 pro-choice claims about embryonic hearts: Secular Pro-Life: Later Abortion landing page: Secular Pro-Life: Embryonic Hearts: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Alrbecht Guest: Tim Hull Audio/Video Editor: Tim Hull & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland
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#66: AHA: The Anti-Abortionists Who Fight Other Pro-Lifers (with Jonathon Van Maren - Part 1)
09/30/2022
#66: AHA: The Anti-Abortionists Who Fight Other Pro-Lifers (with Jonathon Van Maren - Part 1)
Jonathon Van Maren joins the podcast to discuss what is going on with a hostile anti-abortion group called Abolish Human Abortion (AHA). This is the first of a two-part series. In this episode, Jonathon discusses AHA's origin, their slander of the pro-life movement, how they are not Wilberforce-style abolitionists, and how they're attempting to rewrite their history now.
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#84: Abortion Dialogue on Campus: Outreach Stories and Trends - Part 2
09/28/2022
#84: Abortion Dialogue on Campus: Outreach Stories and Trends - Part 2
Josh and Emily share interesting stories from their last two semesters of campus outreach, and some of the trends they're noticing among pro-choice college students. This is part two of the series, and includes the story of protesters apologizing to us, why we might change the way we promote Emily's speeches, the creative ways the pro-choice students at St. Olaf are now countering our outreaches there, an innovative pro-life response to a Jainist, and an improved response to people who bite the squirrel bullet! Then they discuss trends and recommendations for future pro-life outreaches. Josh and Emily share interesting stories from their last two semesters of campus outreach, and some of the trends they're noticing among pro-choice college students. This is part two of the series, and includes the story of protesters apologizing to us, why we might change the way we promote Emily's speeches, the creative ways the pro-choice students at St. Olaf are now countering our outreaches there, an innovative pro-life response to a Jainist, and an improved response to people who bite the squirrel bullet! Then they discuss trends and recommendations for future pro-life outreaches. Related Links: Abortion Dialogue on Campus: Outreach Stories and Trends - Part 1: How One Student Group Radically Changed Their Campus Culture: The Equal Rights Argument: How Josh Should Have Dealt with a Hostile Audience in Canada: Firebombings and Vandalism: Planned Parenthood Must Condemn Jane’s Revenge: How Should Conservatives Respond to the Disturbing Trend of Campus Censorship? Six Ways I’ve Seen Pro-Choice People Try to Censor Pro-Lifers: Abortion and Medical Necessity: Improving the Pro-Life Approach: ERI LIVE - What Should I Say in a Post-Roe America? Defining the Word "Abortion" Will Change Your Dialogues (with Dank Pro-Life Memes): A Simple Change That Instantly Communicates a Nuanced Approach to the Abortion Debate: Why I Changed My Pro-life Elevator Pitch: Abortion Images: A Case for Disagreement without Division: Godwin's Law Wikipedia: Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Audio/Video Editors: Joshua Head & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland
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#83: Abortion Dialogue on Campus: Outreach Stories and Trends - Part 1
09/08/2022
#83: Abortion Dialogue on Campus: Outreach Stories and Trends - Part 1
Josh and Emily share interesting stories from their last two semesters of campus outreach, and some of the trends they're noticing with respect to abortion dialogue among pro-choice college students. This is part one of a two-part series, and includes the story of a young woman who chewed Josh out in Wisconsin, how Emily varies her "elevator pitch" based on who she's talking to, the way Josh thinks about swearing at outreach, and more! Related Links: Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Audio/Video Editor: Joshua Head & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland
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#82: Responding to 8 Types of Difficult Pro-Lifers (with Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake - Part 2)
08/11/2022
#82: Responding to 8 Types of Difficult Pro-Lifers (with Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake - Part 2)
It's the question we're asked more often than any other, and we want to answer it carefully. The question is, "What should I do about the pro-life activist near me who is being difficult? Should I approach them differently than I do my dialogues with pro-choice people?" Josh and Emily invited ERI Lead Editor Andrew Kaake and Secular Pro-Life's Executive Director Monica Snyder on the show for a two-part discussion on the way they think about responding to online comments, eight common types of difficult pro-life people, and how you can respond to them. Click here to listen to part 1: Note: Sorry for the occasional distortion with Josh and Emily's mics. They've had a good six-year run, but we're replacing them before the next time we record (the mics, not Josh and Emily). We also had technical issues with Monica and Andrew's video streams due to technical issues. All of their audio is here, but the video is missing. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life ERI Bodily Rights Materials Landing Page Speech: Monica Snyder on Deconstructing Three Pro-Choice Myths Speech: Monica Snyder speaks at the Dobbs #EmpowerWomenPromoteLife rally Equal Rights Institute Website: Equal Rights Institute Blog: Equipped for Life Course: Sidewalk Counseling Masterclass: Chapters: 00:00: Introduction 01:24: Type 5: The Ones Who Are Hurting the Movement 11:17: Type 6: The Ones Who Don't Understand the Argument... 25:53: Type 7: ...Or the People Making the Argument... 33:36: Type 8: ...Or the People Getting the Abortions 47:27: How can pro-life advocates encourage members in these categories to think or act differently? 1:09:19: Are we being hypocritical for pointing out difficult types of pro-lifers? Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Guests: Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake Audio/Video Editor: Chapter One Films & Josh Brahm Publisher: Josh Brahm
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#81: The Pregnant 10 Year-Old: Thinking Well About This Tragic Story (with Robin Atkins)
07/26/2022
#81: The Pregnant 10 Year-Old: Thinking Well About This Tragic Story (with Robin Atkins)
Everyone has been talking about the tragic case of a 10-year-old who was raped, became pregnant, and driven across state lines to get an abortion. Even President Biden referenced her story in public. Multiple ERI followers have asked us how pro-life people can answer questions about this story without sounding like a moral monster. Josh and Emily invited licensed mental health counselor Robin Atkins to discuss the story with us. Our conversation included the rules regarding public discussion of patient information, particularly in CHINS cases, and the damage done if the rules are violated as well as how pro-life people should talk about this story. Robin is a licensed mental health counselor, specializing in reproductive issues. She also has a philosophy degree. She spent four years doing home-based therapy with the Department of Children's Services. She's a pro-life advocate with an atypical perspective on some of the issues surrounding abortion. Related Links: The source that Robin read from about laws governing confidentiality in CHINS cases: . Reprotection: She Found His Grace Abortion Recovery (Serena Dyksen) Book: She Found His Grace: A True Story Of Hope, Love, And Forgiveness After Abortion: Here are the medical studies we referenced regarding young pregnancies: Too much too young? Teenage pregnancy is not a public health problem: What's so bad about teenage pregnancy? Why I Changed My Pro-life Elevator Pitch: “Abortion is Healthcare”: A Misogynistic Non-Argument: ERI resources on responding to the question of rape: Previous episodes with Robin Atkins: A Different Perspective: Adoption vs. Foster Care vs. Abortion: Mental Health and Informed Consent in Abortion: A Mental Health Counselor on Psychology in Debate: Bonus Discussion about Whether Sidewalk Counselors Should EVER Bring Up Adoption: Chapters 00:00 Introducing Robin and this story 06:23 CHINS cases and why the fact checkers got this story so wrong 35:14 Can abortion treat the trauma of rape? 53:31 Examining an apparent contradiction in what Robin said about how Ohio treats these crimes 57:36 Is it actually more physically dangerous when a young person is pregnant? 1:19:02 How should abortion laws treat a situation where a doctor claims that their patient has a life-threatening pregnancy? 1:27:26 How should pro-life people talk about cases like this? Disclosure: The book above is an Amazon affiliate link. This means that, at zero cost to you, ERI will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
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REPLAY: What Should I Say in a Post-Roe America?
07/05/2022
REPLAY: What Should I Say in a Post-Roe America?
The days after Roe v. Wade’s overturning have been riddled with confusion, panic, anger, protests, and misinformation. There has never been a more important time for pro-life advocates to provide clarity, explain what overturning Roe v. Wade really means, and describe how we want to see our society move forward. Josh, Emily, and Andrew went live on YouTube and Facebook to help you think clearly and respond effectively to the most contentious issue of the moment. After summarizing what the Dobbs decision did, the staff pull the curtain back on what their experience was like on the day that Dobbs came out, and their emotional reactions to the situation since. Then they discuss the question of whether pro-lifers should be even trying to get into dialogues right now, given the heated emotions right now. Finally they respond to these commpm pro-choice arguments right now: - Back-alley abortions - Pro-lifers don't care about babies after they're born - Handmaid's Tale - "This is a step back 50 years for women's rights" - "People will still get abortions anyway!" - "You’re going to force women to die from tubal pregnancies. Are doctors really not allowed to do live-saving procedures?" - The maternal mortality rate in Mississippi - "Justice Thomas' concurrence proves that they're coming after same-sex marriage and birth control next!" - "You can't force people to donate organs. Women have less bodily autonomy than corpses now." - "You want to throw women into jail." - "Women will be prosecuted for miscarriages." Finally the staff discuss the three steps for the pro-life movement now before taking questions from the audience.
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#80: Responding to 8 Types of Difficult Pro-Lifers (with Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake - Part 1)
06/07/2022
#80: Responding to 8 Types of Difficult Pro-Lifers (with Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake - Part 1)
It's the question we're asked more often than any other, and we want to answer it carefully. The question is, "What should I do about the pro-life activist near me who is being difficult? Should I approach them differently than I do my dialogues with pro-choice people?" Josh and Emily invited ERI Lead Editor Andrew Kaake and Secular Pro-Life's Executive Director Monica Snyder on the show for a two-part discussion on the way they think about responding to online comments, eight common types of difficult pro-life people, and how you can respond to them. Note: Sorry for the occasional distortion with Josh and Emily's mics. They've had a good six-year run, but we're replacing them before the next time we record (the mics, not Josh and Emily). We also had technical issues with Monica's video stream due to technical issues. All of her audio is there, but the video is missing sometimes. Related Links: Secular Pro-Life: Monica Snyder for Secular Pro-Life: “Nine months of inconvenience.” First episode of our two-part podcast with Jonathon Van Maren on AHA: 00:00 Introducing the guests and topic 02:49 Opening comments 09:28 ERI/SPL's policies on responding to comments 18:58 8 Types of Difficult Pro-Life People... 19:39 Type 1: The Ones With Only One (Unpersuasive) Argument... 26:08 Type 2: The Ones Who Need to Stop Saying This, Now! 38:20 Type 3: The Ones Who Are Very Out of Touch with Reality 47:20 Type 4: The Ones Who Really Frustrate Monica Co-Hosts: Josh Brahm & Emily Albrecht Guests: Monica Snyder & Andrew Kaake Audio/Video Editor: Chapter One Films & Josh Brahm Publisher: Jen Westmoreland
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#79: The Latest Research on Fetal Pain (with John Bockmann and Bridget Thill, MD, MS)
05/19/2022
#79: The Latest Research on Fetal Pain (with John Bockmann and Bridget Thill, MD, MS)
In this podcast, two authors discuss recent research regarding fetal pain: John Bockmann, co-author of "Reconsidering Fetal Pain" (2020) and Dr. Bridget Thill, MD, MS, author of "Fetal Pain in the First Trimester" (2021). Bridget and John graciously typed out of this episode that includes a ton of links to sources of the factual statements they made in this episode. Here's a link to the five slides Bridget Thill discussed, including working links to the sources in the footnotes: (Opens PDF) Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Background on fetal pain and "Reconsidering Fetal Pain" 10:47 Keys to this unlikely, productive collaboration 13:39 Fetal pain: Advances in understanding 16:30 Current science and treatment of fetal pain 19:47 Cortex needed for pain? 22:40 Are fetal responses to pain just reflexes? 27:10 How did we get fetal pain so wrong? 29:52 A lack of compassion or a lack of understanding? 33:30 Recognition of fetal pain 38:19 Correlation with behavior, not overreliance on hypotheses 41:02 Pain assessments are calibrated to patient response, not brain imaging 42:10 Correlation with clinical behavior 42:56 Specialized pain assessment tools for different stages of development 45:23 Fetal Pain 101 45:45 Slide 1: An Evolving Understanding of Pain 46:33 Slide 2: Development of Fetal Pain Pathways 47:36 Slide 3: Responses to Pain in Fetus & Extremely Preterm Infant <24 weeks 49:00 Slide 4: The Fetal Pain Paradox 49:37 Slide 5: Levels of Consciousness 50:50 Future fetal pain research 52:37 How to receive updates regarding fetal pain 53:22 Pro-choice response to "Reconsidering Fetal Pain" 55:34 How to talk–and not talk–about fetal pain 59:36 Summary on fetal pain
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