The Pro-Life Viewpoint and Conversion

Scott Klusendorf:

Philosopher Hadley Arkes details his recent conversion to Christianity (specifically, Roman Catholic) in this piece. The fact that Arkes was Jewish is interesting enough, but what caught my eye was how the pro-life argument influenced his thinking about Christianity. Speaking of his conversion, he writes: 

It came through my involvement over many years in the pro-life movement. I've been moving in this direction for a long while, perhaps more than 20 years. The process is often the reverse of what is told in the media. The media suggest that we're pro-life because we're religious, when in fact, many of us are won over by the force of the moral argument and the evidence of embryology. Then we're drawn to the Church that defends that argument.

This fits with my own experience. When non-Christians encounter a Christian theist who graciously and persuasively makes a case for life, they're not repelled; they're drawn to look deeper. They reason that if Christianity has something intelligent to say on a key moral issue of our day, perhaps its other claims deserve a second look.

I say more about that second look here. For what I say to pastors, go here.