ProLifeCon 2022: Twitcast Sans Transcript

Today it begins, our twelfth annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers from near and far, if only virtually due to the ongoing pandemic and the District's response (as was the case last year), during the annual March For Life, for this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC.

Of course, things are going to be different this year. Not different like last year, when it was livestreamed virtually, but really REALLY different. Not only was it already released online at one in the morning by the time you read this, but they were gracious enough to allow yours truly to Google all the information on all the guests, rather than waiting around for them to produce a press release of all the guests which they had already confirmed in advance, well before one in the morning.

SPEAKERS

Ryan & Bethany Bomberger, The Radiance Foundation
Alison Centofante, Director of External Relations, Live Action
Lyndsey Fifield, Social Media Manager, The Heritage Foundation
Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach, (R-MN)
Marjorie Jackson, author, speaker, artist
Katherine Johnson, Research Fellow, Legal and Policy Studies, FRC
Kyle Mann, Editor-in-Chief, The Babylon Bee
Congresswoman Mary Miller, (R-IL)
Michael New, Visiting Assistant Professor, Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America
Tony Perkins, President, FRC
Devin Sena, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Human Defense Initiative
Mary Szoch, Director, Center for Human Dignity, FRC

(Of course, this list is subject to changes about which they already knew when I called them yesterday. Real crackerjack operation, eh?)

So, rather than watch this year's event here, you can watch it at the ProLifeCon website. And even though there is no twitter feed this year, it will still be a "twit cast" after all, don't you think?

Or don't you?

On Being “Pastoral”

The gospel account of Christ as the "good shepherd" is proclaimed in the Traditional Roman Mass on the Second Sunday After Easter, which occurs today this year. Most Catholics of the Roman Rite who celebrate the "ordinary form" of the Mass will hear it next Sunday (depending on which cycle of the lectionary they're using this year, I'll be ding-donged if I know), where it occurs on the Fourth Sunday of (or Third Sunday After) Easter. Don't ask me why.

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:11-18)

We use the term “pastor” for our parish priest. The term itself is derived from the Latin word for "shepherd." Most Catholics use the term "pastoral" to describe the priest's degree of accommodation. To give an example: “Father Billy Bob takes a pastoral approach with couples wanting to marry, which is why they can live together before exchanging vows, and let their conscience (unguided, we are led to believe) determine whether to use birth control.”

But does that reflect what the word means?

The French writer François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire, himself no friend of Mother Church, nonetheless attached some significance to an objective idea of Truth: “If you would converse with me, you must first define your terms.” Radical progressives do not understand this, and so use words to mean whatever they want.

For example, if there being only two genders does not satisfy one's requirements (that would be "male" and "female"), then one is compelled to appease the socially enlightened, by dismissing the limitations of biology and adding more "genders" to the list, which is confusing in a society where not everybody is sufficiently acclimated to progressive lines of thought. If we are to explain ourselves to one another, short of drawing a picture for someone, words are all we have, and their meaning must stand on its own. If we understand the word "pastor" by its original, objective meaning, to be "pastoral" is to act in the manner of a shepherd. What does a good shepherd do that a bad one does not?

Let's see that quotation again, the part given emphasis above.

“The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.”

So then, a good shepherd risks his life to save his sheep from harm, while a bad shepherd leaves them to fend for themselves in the face of harm.

What kind of harm do we mean? Obviously, spiritual harm. An engaged couple is not being done any favors, if Father Billy Bob winks at their living arrangement. Marriage is what we call a "sacrament of the living," which means it must be entered into while in a state of grace, or we defile it. If all Father wants is to be a nice guy, he will be like the mercenary and leave Dick and Jane to their own devices. But if his goal is to keep them from spiritual harm, he will beg to differ.

To be honest, some priests can be real jerks about this. Many of them know this, and are afraid to be perceived that way. Why do they have to be? A 2014 article in Homiletic and Pastoral Review discusses how to help couples who cohabitate before marriage. While the author has good intentions, he doesn't go far enough, and actually falls short of a genuine remedy, which makes it harder for the parish priest not to come off as a jerk.

In a city like Washington, where many couples are from other parts of the country, without the support of family within reach, one party or the other would be hard pressed to break a lease on a rented apartment, losing thousands of dollars, just to satisfy what could be dismissed as a procedural requirement. This is one of the casualties of our uprootedness, where we lack any sense of a familial home, and a parish is less a spiritual home than it is the setting for a personality cult (a problem made worse by the wave of closings and mergers of otherwise viable parishes to replenish the bishop's legal slush fund, to say nothing of "Mass facing the people" -- but that's another story). If we were who we pretended to be, none of the more vulnerable among us would be left to the wolves. Can one party or the other in an impending marriage rent a room for a few lousy months from an "empty nester," a couple whose children are gone, but who are known by the pastor to be of good character, and can even serve as mentors?

It is at times like this, where all the yakkity-yak about "ministering" to people is put to the test, and is one of many reasons why we fail.

Our conclusion, then, is that to be "pastoral" has less to do with appeasement and keeping the peace, and more to do with protecting others from danger, to the point of giving one's life. And yet, it also means that no man charged with knowing his sheep can really stand alone.

After all, even a good shepherd needs a well-bred pair of Border Collies to help keep the flock together, don't you think?

Or don't you?

ProLifeCon 2021: Twitcast and Transcript

Today it begins, our eleventh annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers from near and far, who all had the good sense once again, to come in out of the cold during the annual March For Life (such as it is this year), for this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC.

Unfortunately, the embed code for the video of this year's event was not available, so we are providing you with last year's here. You can watch this year's event (both live and later pre-recorded) at the ProLifeCon website. You can also follow the #prolifecon hashtag on Twitter, or following yours truly at twitter.com/manwithblackhat.

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Our annual #prolifecon "twitcast" is about to begin.
9:49 AM

The #prolifecon begins ... if virtually!
10:02 AM

This week marks the 48th anniversary of the March For Life. #prolifecon
10:02 AM

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Jeanne Mancini is President of the March For Life. She talks about the "virtual" plan for the "March" starting at noon. #prolifecon
10:03 AM

There will be a small group of select pro-life leaders marching to the Supreme Court to leave a bouquet of roses at its steps. #prolifecon
10:04 AM

"Unity is the topic of the day." But everyone should be united in the right to life, and building a culture of life. #prolifecon
10:05 AM

"We all bring something different to the table." #prolifecon
10:06 AM

"We should all do something all year long, keep marching symbolically, responding to the call that God has for us." #prolifecon
10:07 AM

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Stephanie Gray is the author of "Love Unleashes Life." #prolifecon
10:09 AM

"Often there is resistance to the pro-life perspective" because of the emotional draw of pain in the circumstances at the time, and the need for showing them compassion and aid. #prolifecon
10:10 AM

"Show that we love [the mother], not just the unborn child." #prolifecon
10:10 AM

"The more someone shares, the more they can feel safe." #prolifecon
10:11 AM

"So many involved in the pro-choice movement, are involved from a viewpoint of pain, of suffering." #prolifecon
10:13 AM

Persuasion through the posing of questions, less of changing minds than of changing direction. #prolifecon
10:13 AM

"We need to be able to listen to people with hearts that are filled with love." #prolifecon
10:15 AM

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Suzanne Geist is a Nebraska State Senator who fought against a dismemberment bill in the state legislature. #prolifecon
10:17 AM

"What we were talking about in the bill was the second trimester, 12 to 24 weeks." #prolifecon
10:18 AM

Because the bill did not outlaw abortion entirely in Nebraska, the attorney general of the state was persuaded that the bill would not be unconstitutional. #prolifecon
10:19 AM

Ms Geist receives the Samuel Adams State Legislator of the Year Award. #prolifecon
10:19 AM

frc.org/prolifemaps #prolifecon
10:20 AM

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Robert Davi and Nick Loeb, actor and producer-director, respectively, for the movie "Roe v Wade: The Untold Story." #prolifecon
10:21 AM

youtu.be/izCgBtGF-hc #prolifecon
10:23 AM

Davi plays Justice Brennan in the movie, the one who came up with the "right to privacy" aspect of the Court's decision. #prolifecon
10:24 AM

"The courage that [Loeb] had to put this film together" to show "how the sausage was made." #prolifecon
10:26 AM

Among the actors who asked to play roles in the film were Jon Voight. #prolifecon
10:26 AM

This movie "is not your Marvel Comic," which makes it unique, along with a look inside proceedings of the Supreme Court. #prolifecon
10:28 AM

The takeaway from this film? "Hopefully people will recognize that life begins at conception." #prolifecon
10:30 AM

For more information on its April 2 release: roevwademovie.com #prolifecon
10:31 AM

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Claire Culwell is an author and an abortion survivor, who talks about forgiving her birth mother. #prolifecon
10:32 AM

"I was adopted by a wonderful Christian couple." #prolifecon
10:32 AM

"I wanted to point people to the direction of redemption that Christ offers to them, but I had to do the same for myself." #prolifecon
10:33 AM

There is also a need for mothers and fathers of the aborted to forgive themselves. #prolifecon
10:34 AM

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Kyle Mann is editor in chief of The Babylon Bee, a satirical site, who discusses the issues of censorship in social media. #prolifecon
10:38 AM

"Government is using Big Tech as a cudgel" to censor content that they don't like. #prolifecon
10:39 AM

babylonbee.com #prolifecon
10:40 AM

"We are being fact-checked because our jokes are false." #prolifecon
10:40 AM

"The culture warriors that control Big Tech obviously do not like the pro-life movement. When they can censor the President of the United States, who can't they censor?" #prolifecon
10:42 AM

The message to those who are discouraged, is it worth it to continue on social media if they are silenced? Be contrarian and continue to share it anyway. #prolifecon
10:43 AM

"They want to isolate us, but we are not alone." #prolifecon
10:44 AM

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The discussion of censorship continues with John-Henry Westen, co-founder and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews. #prolifecon
10:46 AM

lifesitenews.com #prolifecon
10:47 AM

"We are currently de-platformed on YouTube and Twitter. Most of our articles on Facebook are marked as false information. Google is censoring us as well." #prolifecon
10:48 AM

Moving our platforms to Telegram (Telegraph?) and Gab. #prolifecon
10:50 AM

LifeSiteNews.com "Please hit the 'Subscribe' button." #prolifecon
10:53 AM

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Ryan and Bethany Bomberger are founders of The Radiance Foundation. #prolifecon
10:54 AM

http://theradiancefoundation.org #prolifecon
10:54 AM

Every life has purpose. Ryan himself is the product of rape. #prolifecon
10:55 AM

"If a woman who survived an abortion is pro-choice, this is so ironic. If only she learned the truth as a child." #prolifecon
10:57 AM

"Our own children were 'born for such a time as this.'" #prolifecon
10:57 AM

"Life Has Purpose." #prolifecon
10:57 AM

"Abort Roe." #prolifecon
10:58 AM

"Adoption Releases Purpose." #prolifecon
10:58 AM

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Tony Perkins, President of #FRC, sits down with Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). #prolifecon
11:00 AM

"We anticipated this [pro-choice agenda] with the election of Joe Biden as President." #prolifecon
11:01 AM

"We must preserve the filibuster" [in the Senate] so that Biden can't have his way with everything. #prolifecon
11:03 AM

There have been efforts to eliminate the Hyde Amendment before, during the Clinton and Obama administrations. "Miraculously" it has been preserved. "Henry Hyde was the greatest leader imaginable" for the value of life. #prolifecon
11:05 AM

Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was even against pre-natal care for poor women, according to Congressman Smith. #prolifecon
11:08 AM

Senator Daines wants us to put pressure on our own senators, in an effort to prevent a pro-choice super-majority. "41 is the magic number." #prolifecon
11:11 AM

"We know that the Biden administration is going to reverse the Mexico City policy" which means that Planned Parenthood could get "a blank check." #prolifecon
11:12 AM

"We need this help [of #FRC] on The Hill more than ever." #prolifecon
11:14 AM

Montana may soon have a "Baby Born Alive" bill signed by its governor. #prolifecon
11:15 AM

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Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is the first woman and first mom to represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District. #prolifecon
11:17 AM

"I had my first son at eighteen years old." #prolifecon
11:17 AM

Boebert discusses the devastation of loss of a child through miscarriage. #prolifecon
11:20 AM

"I teach my [four boys] about the consequences of their actions" in showing them what abortion involves. "I want to invite men into this conversation." #prolifecon
11:23 AM

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Josh Craddock is an affiliate scholar for the James Wilson Institute for Natural Rights and the American Founding. #prolifecon
11:27 AM

The appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court has already shown promise. #prolifecon
11:28 AM

States should feel empowered to pass pro-life legislation at their level. #prolifecon
11:29 AM

"We are seeing lower courts uphold pro-life laws," including in cases of unborn children with Down syndrome. #prolifecon
11:29 AM

The unborn are protected under the Constitution, according to scholars who examine the 14th Amendment without preconceptions. #prolifecon
11:30 AM

Centuries of case law and common practice reinforces the idea of the unborn as persons. Such is the original meaning of the text, to protect all persons, as opposed to what happened before with slavery. #prolifecon
11:32 AM

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Emily Berning is President of Let Them Live. #prolifecon
11:34 AM

A pro-life non-profit, dedicating to the aid of women with "crisis pregnancies," those who consider abortion for financial reasons. #prolifecon
11:35 AM

"You can post on Facebook and reach people to support you financially." #prolifecon
11:37 AM

"Women don't need to have abortions to get out of poverty. One hundred percent of them are preventable." #prolifecon
11:38 AM

"We are currently supporting a ton of moms." letthemlive.org #prolifecon
11:41 AM

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"We'll see you next year at #prolifecon."
11:42 AM

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And ... we're out. On to the March (if you can find one.) #prolifecon
11:42 AM

Thanks and High Fives go out to the Family Research Council (#frc) for their support of this unique event, and their assistance in getting on board. #prolifecon
11:44 AM

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2020: “ProLifeCon” Reconsidered

Today it begins, our tenth annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers and digital activists from near and far, who all had the good sense once again to come in out of the cold, during the annual March For Life, for this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC.

During the event, this video clip provides a live feed of the proceedings. With its conclusion, and before the end of the day, you are invited to view the full pre-recording (which is not accessible on all browsers; no to Safari, yes to Chrome). You can learn more at the FRC website, follow the magic hashtag on Twitter, #prolifecon, or follow yours truly at twitter.com/manwithblackhat.

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The list of speakers announced one week prior to the event (not necessarily in order of appearance) is as follows:

Alex Azar, US Department of Health and Human Services
Chris Baggett, Vice President of Donor Development, The Human Coalition
Ryan & Bethany Bomberger, Co-Founders, Chief Creative Officer and Executive Director, The Radiance Foundation
Claire Culwell, Abortion Survivor
Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life
Chuck Konzelman, Director, Unplanned Movie
Jennie Lichter, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council, The White House
Melissa Ohden, Abortion Survivor
Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
Patricia Rucker, State Senator, West Virginia Senate
Connor Semelsberger, Legislative Assistant, Family Research Council
Roger Severino, Director, Office for Civil Rights at the US Department of Health and Human Services
Bernadette Tasy, California State Captain, Students for Life Action
Petra Wallenmeyer, Content Director, Human Defense Initiative

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This year is different.

I have been proud to present this event online, both in the blogosphere and the twitterverse (yes, apparently those are both real words), over the past decade. But life is what happens when you make other plans, and there are things to do to prepare for my Celia’s return from the Philippines. (My throng of adoring fans — you both know who you are — may recall that I was over there during the Christmas season, but more on that later.) And so, inasmuch as I don’t have a Patreon account to support this endeavor, it came down to a choice.

Which brings me to why this year is different.

Recently, my friend Rebecca Bratten Weiss sent me this article from Newsweek about a speech given by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). Speaking at Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority event last June, the senator revealed that there are senior Republican senators who disliked his proposal to include language in a spending bill to defund Planned Parenthood. That’s because, Paul said, they cared more about getting Democrats’ votes for a spending bill than saving unborn lives.

“I’ll give you an example," Paul continued. "Last year, I tried to attach to a spending bill a prohibition to have any money spent by Planned Parenthood. You know what happened? [GOP leadership] sat me down and one of the senior Republican senators said, 'We cannot have the vote today.' I said 'why?' He said 'we might win.’”

Remember the general during the Vietnam War who was quoted saying: “We had to destroy the village in order to save it”? If you do, the above has a familiar ring. If you don't, I'll break it down for you.

They have to keep abortion legal to keep promising to end it.

And so, I suppose it was a relief to discover, that after publicly challenging a discussion panel at last year's ProLifeCon, for dominating their lineup with politicians and others devoted only to ending abortion, with virtually no regard to affordable health care for the mother, or any other options to help her and/or the child once born, there were some changes for this year's lineup. As of the time prior to the event, there were no members of the United States Senate or House of Representatives scheduled! The only elected official scheduled was a state legislator from West Virginia.

And not only that, but the The Radiance Foundation, a kick-@$$ pro-life and pro-adoption endeavor, made its triumphant return, along with another organization, one dedicated to helping mothers with health care, food, baby clothes, and so on, known as the Human Defense Initiative.

Did I have anything to do with this? Maybe, maybe not. Last year, Ryan and Bethany Bomberger, the couple at the heart of The Radiance Foundation, had a sick child to care for at the last minute. But the three Congressmen whining about losing their majority in the House weren’t there. And there was (as I remember) a new endeavor present. The Human Coalition aims to reach women considering abortion, and to offer an alternative complete with genuinely life-giving health care, in the form of what the speaker calls a "virtual clinic."

"We can love her well, and we can compassionately walk alongside her."

The pro-life movement in the United States stands at a crossroads, even with the assistance of one touted as the most pro-life President in history, a Congress in deadlock over this and other issues (at least one of them rather obvious of late), and suspicions among observers -- the so-called "New Pro Life Movement" as a case in point -- that activists for the unborn care only about the child in the womb, with little regard to the mother, or what happens next. The host of this event (not to rub it in, but …) did themselves no favors last year, when the event was dominated by those who would prove their detractors correct. Almost if not entirely absent, were the advocates for the mothers, and the health-care workers for mothers out in the field, with what we used to call "crisis pregnancies."

That is what makes this year’s ProLifeCon a marked improvement, makes me wish I could have been there, and why I’m determined to be there next year.

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Meanwhile, a writer for The Federalist, under the non de plume of Bill Kilgore, wrote that the pro-life movement, for all its pretense toward imminent victory, reveals something else on closer examination.

A friend who worked for a pro-life organization very much in the “the movement” confirms this. He became frustrated that people there ignore the evidence in front of them, and instead show excitement about the size of the marches, acting “as if our country is turning a corner and is getting closer and closer to life.” They react more strongly to those who challenge their approved legal tactics or rhetoric than they do actual political defeats, as if questioning the success of the movement is some sort of heresy.

They have to keep abortion legal to keep promising to end it.

And so ...

Nothing is over until it's over, not only when the mother's womb is the safest place for any child waiting to come into the world, but when these United States, indeed the world itself, is ready to uphold the most elementary right of all, the right to simply exist. We are not there yet, and we are not going to be anytime soon.

That is why a Tip of the Black Hat goes to the Family Research Council, for their continued efforts in support of the pro-life movement and digital activists, and why yours truly intends to be at the ProLifeCon next year.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a load of laundry to do.
 

On Being “Pastoral”

The gospel account of Christ as the "good shepherd" is proclaimed in the Traditional Roman Mass on the Second Sunday After Easter, which occurs today this year. Most Catholics of the Roman Rite who celebrate the "ordinary form" of the Mass will hear it next Sunday, where it occurs on the Fourth Sunday of (or Third Sunday After) Easter. Don't ask me why.

At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:11-18)

We use the term “pastor” for our parish priest. The term itself is derived from the Latin word for "shepherd." Most Catholics use the term "pastoral" to describe the priest's degree of accommodation. To give an example: “Father Billy Bob takes a pastoral approach with couples wanting to marry, which is why they can live together before exchanging vows, and let their conscience (unguided, we are led to believe) determine whether to use birth control.”

But does that reflect what the word means?

The French writer François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire, himself no friend of Mother Church, nonetheless attached some significance to an objective idea of Truth: “If you would converse with me, you must first define your terms.” Radical progressives do not understand this, and so use words to mean whatever they want.

For example, if there being only two genders does not satisfy one's requirements (that would be "male" and "female"), then one is compelled to appease the socially enlightened, by dismissing the limitations of biology and adding more "genders" to the list, which is confusing in a society where not everybody is sufficiently acclimated to progressive lines of thought. If we are to explain ourselves to one another, short of drawing a picture for someone, words are all we have, and their meaning must stand on its own. If we understand the word "pastor" by its original, objective meaning, to be "pastoral" is to act in the manner of a shepherd. What does a good shepherd do that a bad one does not?

Let's see that quotation again, the part given emphasis above.

“The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.”

So then, a good shepherd risks his life to save his sheep from harm, while a bad shepherd leaves them to fend for themselves in the face of harm.

What kind of harm do we mean? Obviously, spiritual harm. An engaged couple is not being done any favors, if Father Billy Bob winks at their living arrangement. Marriage is what we call a "sacrament of the living," which means it must be entered into while in a state of grace, or we defile it. If all Father wants is to be a nice guy, he will be like the mercenary and leave Dick and Jane to their own devices. But if his goal is to keep them from spiritual harm, he will beg to differ.

To be honest, some priests can be real jerks about this. Many of them know this, and are afraid to be perceived that way. Why do they have to be? A 2014 article in Homiletic and Pastoral Review discusses how to help couples who cohabitate before marriage. While the author has good intentions, he doesn't go far enough, and actually falls short of a genuine remedy, which makes it harder for the parish priest not to come off as a jerk.

In a city like Washington, where many couples do not have the support of family within their locality, one party or the other would be hard pressed to break a lease on a rented apartment, just to satisfy what could be dismissed as a procedural requirement. This is one of the casualties of our uprootedness, where we lack any sense of a familial home, and a parish is less a spiritual home than it is the setting for a personality cult (a problem made worse by the wave of closings and mergers of otherwise viable parishes to replenish the bishop's legal slush fund, to say nothing of "Mass facing the people" -- but that's another story). If we were who we pretended to be, none of the more vulnerable among us would be left to the wolves. Can one party or the other in an impending marriage rent a room for a few lousy months from an "empty nester," a couple whose children are gone, but who are known by the pastor to be of good character, and can even serve as mentors?

It is at times like this, where all the yakkity-yak about "ministering" to people is put to the test, and is one of many reasons why we fail.

Our conclusion, then, is that to be "pastoral" has less to do with appeasement and keeping the peace, and more to do with protecting others from danger, to the point of giving one's life. And yet, it also means that no man charged with knowing his sheep can really stand alone.

After all, even a good shepherd needs a well-bred pair of Border Collies to help keep the flock together, don't you think?

Or don't you?
 

2019 “ProLifeCon” Twitcast and Transcript

Today it begins, our ninth annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers from near and far, who all had the good sense once again, to come in out of the cold during the annual March For Life, for this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC.

During the event, this video clip provides a live feed of the proceedings. With its conclusion, and before the end of the day, you are invited to view the full pre-recording (which is not accessible on all browsers; no to Safari, yes to Chrome). You can learn more at the FRC website, follow the magic hashtag on Twitter: #prolifecon, or follow yours truly at: twitter.com/manwithblackhat.

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And ... it's on! Sarah Perry, Director of Partnerships, FRC, kicks off the annual event. #prolifecon
8:33am

Patrina Mosely, Director, Life, Culture & Women's Advocacy, FRC. #prolifecon
8:35am

"This will be forty-five years of marching for life." #prolifecon
8:35am

A new publication, "Planned Parenthood Is Not Pro-Woman." #prolifecon
8:37am

Christopher Baggett, National Director of Communications, Human Coalition #prolifecon
8:37am

"An innovative idea has the power to change lives." Like the smartphone. #prolifecon
8:38am

What if the internet could help people search for information more easily? "Backrub" was invented in 1996. Later renamed "Google." #prolifecon
8:40am

2004-07, the most commonly researched topics and queries related to abortion (especially abortion clinics). #prolifecon
8:42am

2007, an idea is conceived, what if we could reach women online ...? #prolifecon
8:42am

2009-10, Human Coalition launched a test for reaching women online to offer alternatives to abortion. #prolifecon
8:43am

2012, The Contact Center: "What if we answered the calls ...?" #prolifecon
8:45am

"If we could answer the calls with professional call center staff who had the benefit of testing to refine their approach and scripting ..." #prolifecon
8:46am

2014, Centralized national care system of owned and operated clinics in abortion-dense cities. #prolifecon
8:47am

2018, What about telemedicine? Top search on Google about abortion, the "abortion pill." Women were looking for an immediate solution. #prolifecon
8:49am

2018, Virtual Telemedicine Clinic. What if we could expand our reach and increase speed to service? #prolifecon
8:50am

"We can, we will, and we must." #prolifecon
8:52am

Obianuju Ekeocha, Founder, Culture of Life Africa #prolifecon
8:52am

cultureoflifeafrica.com #prolifecon
8:53am

Researching proliferation of illegal abortion services in Africa. In preparing a documentary, many women came forward with their stories. #prolifecon
8:55am

A clip from the documentary "Strings Attached" is shown. #prolifecon
8:56am

Women in Africa are being "ideologically colonized" with abortion. #prolifecon
8:57am

"No one tells African women about the side effects of contraception." #prolifecon
8:58am

stringsattachedfilm.com #prolifecon
8:58am

"So, today, we get to go to Hollywood." #prolifecon
8:59am

Panel Discussion: Cary Solomon, Writer, Director & Producer, "Unplanned." Ashley Bratcher, Lead Actress, "Unplanned." #prolifecon
9:00am

"Most divisive issue in history." No middle ground. #prolifecon
9:05am

"We have had atheists praying. I don't know how that works." #prolifecon
9:07am

Ms Bratcher shares her story of telling her mother about the movie she would be in, about the transformation of former abortion clinic operator Abby Johnson. #prolifecon
9:09am

The movie "Unplanned" releases in March. #prolifecon
9:11am

unplannedmovie.com #prolifecon
9:12am

Congressman Ralph Norman (R-SC) #prolifecon
9:12am

"I got into politics because I thought it was a way to give back ... in a good way." #prolifecon
9:13am

"The United States is only one of seven nations worldwide that offers abortion on demand, along with China and North Korea." #prolifecon
9:16am

"96 percent of women who come to Planned Parenthood are told that abortion is the only solution." #prolifecon
9:18am

General summary of legislative action in Congress, and how "your activism makes so much difference." #prolifecon
9:19am

Patrina Mosley of FRC is at the steps of the Supreme Court, reporting live. #prolifecon
9:27am

Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD) #prolifecon
9:29am

"Everyone realizes now, the power of digital media." #prolifecon
9:30am

"DNA tells us that every human being is unique. When a human sperm unites with a human egg, it becomes a human person, with human DNA. We didn't have the technology to know that 30 years ago, we do now." #prolifecon
9:32am

"Science tells us of the reality of a human life from one cell to natural death." #prolifecon
9:34am

"Life is not a political construct, but a scientific reality." #prolifecon
9:47am

Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life of America #prolifecon
9:48am

Ms Hawkins' presentation begins with the fable of the tortoise and the hare. #prolifecon
9:50am

Public support among millennials for life-affirming clinics significantly outweighs sending taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood. #prolifecon
9:54am

"A conscience regulation" for employers and health care plans who and which object to abortions as a matter of principle. #prolifecon
10:21am

Dr Ingrid Skop, MD #prolifecon
10:25am

Opens with video appearance about the myths surrounding abortion. #prolifecon
10:25am

frc.org/myths #prolifecon
10:26am

"We have more legislation to protect lab rats from feeling pain, than we do for children we are terminating." #prolifecon
10:30am

"We offer free counseling for women who are considering abortions, also their partners." #prolifecon
10:32am

For more information: frc.org/myths #prolifecon
10:34am

Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) #prolifecon
10:34am

(Two hours with no break.) #prolifecon #WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot
10:35am

"Planned Parenthood published my phone number, and I got the most vile calls, and I had to disconnect the phone for two weeks." #prolifecon
10:40am

Proposing the "Save Our Children Act" to prohibit abortions by dismemberment. #prolifecon
10:40am

Joining us from Skype, Ann McElhinney, Writer & Producer, "Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer." #prolifecon
10:44am

A jury interviewed was shocked by what was actually legal in a "good" abortion. #prolifecon
10:46am

The movie is not as graphic as the book, in describing the details of the procedures in the documentary. #prolifecon
10:47am

"We have been the number one DVD being sold on Amazon." #prolifecon
10:47am

DVD and VOD available on Amazon this coming Tuesday the 22nd. #prolifecon
10:48am

"It's a horrible thing that has happened in Ireland [voting to legalize abortion], but people didn't understand what they were voting for." #prolifecon
10:49am

facebook.com/gosnellmovie #prolifecon
10:50am

The two most successful and largest viewings, in Berkeley and Manhattan, were booked for every viewing, but these large theaters cancelled the showings anyway. #prolifecon
10:51am

"Send a message to Hollywood, that people want to see [this movie]." #prolifecon
10:55am

gosnellmovie.com #prolifecon
10:56am

Claire Chretien, Journalist, Life Site News #prolifecon
10:56am

lifesitenews.com #prolifecon
10:57am

"We've been covering the abortion issue for over twenty years." #prolifecon
10:58am

LSN's website was threatened with being taken down by its provider, the origin of which was Adam Flanders, a gay activist and known registered sex offender. #prolifecon
11:01am

"We must not be afraid to call things by their proper name." #prolifecon
11:02am

For more information: lifesitenews.com #prolifecon
11:03am

"Using Social Media to Advance a Culture of Life" Panel: John Reid, Digital Media Director, FRC; Lyndsey Fifield, Social Media Manager, The Heritage Foundation; Andrew Moore, Digital and Creative Director, SBA List. #prolifecon
11:06am

"The majority of Americans are pro-life. Why are we only yelling at the most rabid pro-choice people?" #prolifecon
11:11am

"If you've got a phone, you can share this." #prolifecon
11:14am

"Share not only one's own content, but each other's." #prolifecon
11:21am

It was here that this writer had just about enough of "the usual suspects" and staged an intervention during the Q&A, including an alternative to "stupid pet tricks." See and hear it for yourself on the video playback of the event, starting at 2:50:14.

Patrina Mosley makes another screen appearance from the National Mall. #prolifecon
11:27am

"This has been a full morning. Speak out for people who cannot speak for themselves." #prolifecon
11:27am

And ... we're out! #prolifecon
11:28am

+    +    +

Stay tuned for the post-mortem commentary, "ProLifeCon Reconsidered" coming soon.
 

2018 “ProLifeCon” Twitcast and Transcript

Today it begins, our ninth annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers from near and far, who all had the good sense once again, to come in out of the cold during the annual March For Life, for this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC.

During the event, this video clip provided a live feed of the proceedings. With its conclusion, you are invited to view the full pre-recording (which is not accessible on all browsers; no to Safari, yes to Chrome). You can learn more at the FRC website, follow the magic hashtag on Twitter: #prolifecon, or follow yours truly at: twitter.com/manwithblackhat.

+    +    +

The list of speakers announced two days prior to the event (not necessarily in order of appearance) are as follows:

Rep Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Senator Steve Daines (R-MT)
Ryan Bomberger, Founder, The Radiance Foundation
David Daleiden, Founder, Center for Medical Progress
Lyndsey Fifield, Social Media Manager, The Heritage Foundation
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Anna Hoduski, Campaign Speaker & Runner, Project If Life
Leah Jacobson, Founder, The Guiding Star Project
Abby Johnson, CEO and Founder, And Then There Were None
Brynne Krispin, Social Media Manager, Family Research Council
Andrew Moore, Digital and Creative Director, SBA List
Sarah Perry, Coalition Coordinator, FRC Action
Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)
Lila Rose, President, Live Action
David Scotton, Producer, I Lived on Parker Avenue
Missy Stone, Spokesperson, Students for Life of America

+    +    +

Okay, boys and girls. The annual Twitcast for the 2018 #ProLifeCon will begin shortly, courtesy of @FRCdc, for the ninth year in a row. Stay tuned ...
8:19am

Our annual Twitcast is a proud participant in the #MarchForLife2018, but for the presence of mind to remain indoors and not freeze to death. #ProLifeCon
8:23am

"Thirty seconds, everyone." #ProLifeCon
8:29am

And so it begins. #ProLifeCon
8:30am

Sarah Perry introduces the event. #ProLifeCon
8:30am

Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) #ProLifeCon
8:32am

Talking about her kids. Who can blame her? #ProLifeCon
8:34am

"Kids beating the odds remind us that every life is a precious gift." #ProLifeCon
8:34am

The House is considering legislation to protect babies born alive after a failed abortion. #ProLifeCon
8:35am

"How do we get past us versus them?" #ProLifeCon
8:36am

"The shortest distance between two people is their stories.” #ProLifeCon
8:36am

Answering questions about impending legislation. #ProLifeCon
8:39am

Rep Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) #ProLifeCon
8:40am

Actions are being taken against abortion clinics and third-party sellers acting outside the law. #ProLifeCon
8:42am

The Department of Justice and the FBI have confirmed 15 criminal referrals. #ProLifeCon
8:44am

Planned Parenthood is now under federal investigation by the FBI and Attorneys General of a number of States. #ProLifeCon
8:45am

The Abortion Survivors Act is for both mothers and babies who survive a failed abortion and holds medical providers accountable, with criminal penalties for the latter who do not comply. #ProLifeCon
8:47am

NOTA BENE: This annual Twitcast is now available with 280 characters for each message. Twice the letters, twice the action! #ProLifeCon
8:48am

Ryan Bomberger, Founder, The Radiance Foundation (a "man with black hat" favorite). #ProLifeCon
8:50am

"Factophobia" is the fear of facts. #ProLifeCon
8:52am

"Truth ain't hate. Let love illuminate." #ProLifeCon
8:52am

"Factivist." #ProLifeCon
8:53am

There are forces in the United Nations attempting to make abortion a "human right." #ProLifeCon
8:55am

"Birth control is ... the weeding out of the unfit ..." - Margaret Sanger #ProLifeCon
8:58am

Mainstream media misleads the public on the extent of Planned Parenthood's percentage of abortion services when compared to other services they claim to provide (but are doing less with every year). #ProLifeCon
9:02am

"Half a billion dollars to an unaccountable organization." #ProLifeCon
9:03am

Margaret Sanger was a pioneer in the field of eugenics, and she is still praised today. Crickets from the media. #ProLifeCon
9:04am

Abortion has a huge and disproportionate impact on the Black community. #ProLifeCon
9:04am

"As "factivists," we can circumvent mainstream media." #ProLifeCon
9:06am

Billboard: "Abortion is systemic racism." #ProLifeCon
9:07am

Patrina Mosley of FRC is out on the Mall. No one else is ... yet. #ProLifeCon
9:09am

Abby Johnson, CEO and Founder, And Then There Were None #ProLifeCon
9:10am

"Some bios say I have five children, I actually have seven." #ProLifeCon
9:11am

"We have helped 419 people leave the abortion industry." #ProLifeCon
9:11am

"Choose life, so that you and your children may live." - Book of Proverbs #ProLifeCon
9:12am

"The pro-choice movement doesn't have to masquerade as pro-lifers to sabotage the movement, we have enough of our own to do that." #ProLifeCon
9:14am

"People (and the pro-choice movement) are watching you." #ProLifeCon
9:15am

Blaming the mother for poor choices and lack of self-restraint (or calling them "baby killers") is counter-productive. #ProLifeCon
9:16am

"I prayed every day that I might be able to speak to some of these women, that there were some of us who genuinely cared about them." #ProLifeCon
9:18am

After three years of writing letters to these women, finally got a response. #ProLifeCon
9:19am

"She was seeing what you were writing, and was looking for a sign of hope." #ProLifeCon
9:21am

"We are pro-life, but we must also be pro-love. People are watching. Choose well." #ProLifeCon
9:22am

David Daleiden, Founder, Center for Medical Progress #ProLifeCon
9:23am

(Dude, is this thing on?) #ProLifeCon
9:24am

Planned Parenthood has violated federal law with the documented harvesting of vital organs of the unborn for sale and profit. #ProLifeCon
9:26am

Two partnering companies with PP in Orange County, CA, have pleaded guilty. #ProLifeCon
9:28am

Half the undercover video footage have yet to come to light due to a court-imposed gag order. The truth will come out. #ProLifeCon
9:30am

centerformedicalprogress.org #ProLifeCon
9:33am

cmp.org #ProLifeCon
9:35am

Anna Hoduski, Campaign Speaker & Runner, Project If Life #ProLifeCon
9:36am

projectif.life #ProLifeCon
9:40am

Shares experience of running across America, including the deserts of southern California. #ProLifeCon
9:41am

"Don't be discouraged about the times of the deserts in your life." #ProLifeCon
9:43am

Back to our correspondent Patrina Mosley at the Mall. There is now a crowd, at least around her, from Arizona and Tennessee. #ProLifeCon
9:46am

INTERMISSION #ProLifeCon
9:47am

And ... we're back! #ProLifeCon
9:59am

“Using Social Media to Advance a Culture of Life” Panel with three guests. #ProLifeCon
10:00am

1. Brynne Krispin, Social Media Manager, Family Research Council (Moderator)
2. Andrew Moore, Digital and Creative Director, SBA List
3. Lyndsey Fifield, Social Media Manager, The Heritage Foundation #ProLifeCon
10:01am

Use of social media platforms such as Twitter. #ProLifeCon
10:04am

With the use of Facebook, the power is back to the individual (at the @Heritage Foundation). #ProLifeCon
10:05am

Putting out an advertisement on Twitter, the conversation remains on Twitter. #ProLifeCon
10:08am

Still having problems with blocked content (because it's "sensitive"). Screenshots of the suppression are encouraged. #ProLifeCon
10:09am

"Our facts about Planned Parenthood are coming from their own annual reports." #ProLifeCon
10:11am

"The younger generation can see the details in the sonograms, and that is very powerful." #ProLifeCon
10:17am

Beyonce showed her unborn child as a sonogram on Instagram. "How cool is that?" #ProLifeCon
10:19am

Leah Jacobson, Founder, The Guiding Star Project #ProLifeCon
10:22am

theguidingstarproject.com #ProLifeCon
10:23am

"I didn't set out to do pro-life work. Young women who found themselves pregnant would approach me on campus, with questions about what they didn't know?" #ProLifeCon
10:24am

"We believe in a model of holistic women's health care." #ProLifeCon
10:25am

"Wholistic Women's Healthcare" provides complete women's health care from the time just prior to the first onset of menses. #ProLifeCon
10:27am

"We do not reduce women to their reproductive body parts. That is a narrow and self-destructive outlook." #ProLifeCon
10:29am

Available on Facebook and Twitter. #ProLifeCon
10:30am

Missy Stone, Spokesperson, Students for Life of America #ProLifeCon
10:31am

"I worked with a lot of students around the country on a personal level." #ProLifeCon
10:31am

A young lady who was pregnant asked a student leader: "Aren't pro-life people supposed to help?" #ProLifeCon
10:32am

It used to be "click and send and I'm done," but social media has become more engaging. #ProLifeCon
10:34am

"Being where they are, showing them what is happening, and getting them involved." #ProLifeCon
10:35am

More activists are using Snapchat. #ProLifeCon
10:37am

"One of our messages with young audiences is, for example, 'Planned Parenthood, go fund yourself.'" #ProLifeCon
10:38am

"We can't be afraid of the comments section. We're going to be honest about pro-life issues." #ProLifeCon
10:42am

Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) #ProLifeCon
10:43am

"If you want to know a lawmaker's true pro-life views, ask their wife what theirs is. That's very wise advice." #ProLifeCon
10:44am

"You're only as happy as your unhappiest child. You feel the pain with the child." #ProLifeCon
10:47am

"At twenty weeks, a baby feels pain." #ProLifeCon
10:47am

As a chemical engineer with Procter and Gamble, a personal donation of a box of shampoo saved a baby's life. #ProLifeCon
10:51am

From the Gospel of Luke: "When Elizabeth greeted Mary, the baby lept in her womb, and Elizabeth cried out with joy." #ProLifeCon
10:53am

He told his colleagues to just Google "20 weeks" on the floor of the US Senate. #20Weeks #ProLifeCon
10:55am

Sen Lindsey Graham (R-SC) #ProLifeCon
10:57am

Author of the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" on the floor of the Senate. #ProLifeCon
10:58am

"I don't think we're gonna get sixty [votes], but we're gonna get over fifty." #ProLifeCon
10:58am

Seven countries allow abortion on demand at 20 weeks. #ProLifeCon
10:59am

"Remember the partial-birth abortion debate?" #ProLifeCon
11:01am

"Laws against partial-birth abortion because of people like you." #ProLifeCon
11:02am

"This [bill] is the centerpiece of the pro-life movement. Our time is now." #ProLifeCon
11:04am

David Scotton, Producer, I Lived on Parker Avenue #ProLifeCon
11:04am

ILivedOnParkerAvenue.com #ProLifeCon
11:06am

The mother was told by a sidewalk protester that "your baby has ten fingers and ten toes." Scotton was that baby 24 years ago, and is now sharing the truth about "the adoption option." #ProLifeCon
11:09am

Lila Rose, President, Live Action @LilaGraceRose #ProLifeCon
11:12am

"Abortion advocates paint this as a positive thing. But women don't walk into an abortion clinic because they feel powerful, but because they feel powerless. This is what actually happens in an abortion clinic." #ProLifeCon
11:18am

Pro-choicers encountered on the street in Berkeley(!!!) were shown a video of an abortion procedure. They were interviewed both before and after. #ProLifeCon
11:24am

AbortionProcedures.com #ProLifeCon
11:24am

Tony Perkins of FRC: "We are closer than ever to defunding Planned Parenthood." #ProLifeCon
11:28am

@LilaGraceRose receives this year's Digital Pro-Life Pioneer Award. #ProLifeCon
11:28am

"Thank you for being a part of this." - Tony Perkins, FRC #ProLifeCon
11:29am

Sarah Perry: "Let's go March. See you soon." #ProLifeCon
11:30am

And ... we're out! #ProLifeCon
11:30am

Thanks to all who followed our annual “Twitcast,” and a special welcome to 7 new followers. Catch the complete summation at manwithblackhat.blogspot.com. #ProLifeCon
11:31am

+    +    +
 

The View From Charlottesville

Concerning the recent violence in Charlottesville, the home of Thomas Jefferson in the heart of the great Commonwealth that is Virginia, there are four lessons to be learned.

First, those in the so-called "alt-right" movement speak of defending their "European, American, and Christian heritage." Catholics, specifically traditional Catholics, must bear in mind that for most of American history, "Christian" was a euphemism for "Protestant." Until the 1960 election of John Kennedy as President, most Protestants, alt least in the South, did not consider Catholicism to be Christian. Most if not all of the neo-nazi and KKK types marching in Charlottesville despise Catholics every bit as much as they do Jews and persons of color. Those of the "alt right" would also be loathe to remember that the very flower of Western civilization, that of the rise of Christendom in Europe, was specifically Catholic is its origins.

In other words, while "American heritage" is inherently Protestant, what they proclaim as "European heritage" is inherently Catholic.

Second, the incident may have been sparked by an attempt to remove the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee, but in the end it had little to do with that, never mind that Lee himself would never have approved. The history of the War Between the States (more commonly and misleadingly known as "The Civil War"), and the tensions between North and South until that time, had to do with a lot more than slavery. If it did not, then explain why blacks fought on both sides of the war, and to this day, black men comprise part of the membership of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and proudly carry the Southern Cross in public.

PHOTO: A counter-demonstrator used a lighted spray can against a white nationalist demonstrator. (Steve Helber/Boston Globe)

Third, acts of violence were initiated by elements of both sides of the confrontation, but the mainstream media likes simple little bedtime stories of "good guys" and "bad guys," and the truth doesn't fit the narrative. And both sides, including the counter protesters, gave the purveyors of dirty laundry exactly what they wanted. Those who didn't want violence would have accomplished more by staying home.

"Both sides sprayed chemical irritants and hurled plastic bottles through the air."

And one poor woman was killed by a maniac.

Fourth, and finally, the cause of political and social conservatism, and whatever heritage it embodied, has been set back by years, thanks to a bunch of stupid jack@$$ rednecks with time on their hands, and no real idea of the ideals for which they claim to stand.

And so it goes.

2017 “ProLifeCon” Twitcast and Transcript

Today it begins, our eighth annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers from near and far, who all had the good sense once again, to come in out of the cold during the annual March For Life, for this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC.

During the event, this video clip provides a live feed of the proceedings. With its conclusion, you are invited to view the full pre-recording (which begins at 8:37). You can learn more at the FRC website, follow the magic hashtag on Twitter: #prolifecon, or follow yours truly at: twitter.com/manwithblackhat.

The list of speakers announced two days prior to the event (not necessarily in order of appearance) are as follows:

Brandon Buell, Father of Jaxon "Strong" Buell, Co-Author, Don't Blink, and Co-Trustee for The Jaxon Strong Foundation
Rebekah Buell, Pro-Life Speaker & Abortion-Reversal Mother
Arina Grossu, Director, Center for Human Dignity, Family Research Council
Kelsey Harkness, Senior News Producer, The Daily Signal
Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life America
Anna Hoduski, Campaign Speaker & Runner, Project If Life
Rep Randy Hultgren (R-IL)
Bishop Vincent Mathews, Jr, President of the International Missions Department, The Church of God in Christ
Melissa Ohden, Author, “You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir”
Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
Brandi Swindell, Founder and President, The Stanton Project
Rep Claudia Tenney (R-NY)

A transcript of the Twitter feed will appear below once the event is completed. Items may be edited slightly for correction, especially when we have to look up some of the big words.

+    +    +

"Good morning to our online viewers ..." #prolifecon
8:30 AM

Vice President Pence will be appearing at the Rally of the #MarchForLife. This is unprecedented. #prolifecon
8:31 AM

Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life America. #prolifecon
8:32 AM

Learned of her son's serious illness. "How can I make sure that [his] life is a fulfilled life?" #prolifecon
8:33 AM

"You live an extraordinary life when you live to serve others." #prolifecon
8:33 AM

"This is a crazy life we have as #ProLife activists ... we need a new generation of heroes ... you can be that hero online." #prolifecon
8:35 AM

"We are called to witness to the truth, that we don't need Planned Parenthood anymore." #prolifecon
8:38 AM

Lauren Merz, LiveAction. #prolifecon
8:43 AM

Despite playing it down, Planned Parenthood performs 30 percent of the abortions in America. "They *are* an abortion business." #prolifecon
8:45 AM

"We contacted Planned Parenthood locations in search of prenatal care here." #prolifecon
8:46 AM

"We contacted 97 locations. Only 5 offered prenatal care." #prolifecon
8:48 AM

Rebekah Buell, Pro-Life Speaker & Abortion-Reversal Mother. #prolifecon
8:49 AM

"I became pregnant at 17. I was scared and I was shocked. I lived in a Baptist home where we never talked about sex." #prolifecon
8:50 AM

"I needed to get out of an abusive relationship. And then I found out that I was pregnant again. I considered an abortion." #prolifecon
8:51 AM

"I visited a clinic close to my university (in Sacramento)." #prolifecon
8:52 AM

"I was told: 'We don't give the abortion pill on Fridays.'" #prolifecon
8:53 AM

Went to Planned Parenthood, who kept putting her off for a couple of weeks. Finally got the RU-486 pill. #prolifecon
8:55 AM

Was given an additional pill, was not told of its full effects, or that it was normally given while in labor. #prolifecon
8:56 AM

Had a change of heart, sought out a #ProLife doctor for a procedure of reversing the process. #prolifecon
8:57 AM

PP kept calling, told her that the reversal would create health risks. #prolifecon
8:58 AM

The second child was born, now one of an estimated 300 reversed procedures. #prolifecon
8:59 AM

Brandi Swindle, Founder and President, The Stanton Project. #prolifecon
9:00 AM

"Could we possibly replace Planned Parenthood?" #prolifecon
9:01 AM

Congress is seriously considering defunding Planned Parenthood. #prolifecon
9:02 AM

Cosmopolitan ("Cosmo") did a feature piece on the The Stanton Project. It was a wonderful piece. #prolifecon
9:03 AM

"We have bought property on each side of one Planned Parenthood location in Idaho. A church is being built on the other plot." #prolifecon
9:05 AM

"Planned Parenthood is suing us, in part for parking our mobile clinic in front of our own property, next door to them." #prolifecon
9:07 AM

The "March for Women" on the 21st tried to kick them out. They marched anyway. #prolifecon
9:08 AM

thestantonproject.org #prolifecon
9:11 AM

Congressman Randy Hultgren, Republican from Illinois. #prolifecon
9:15 AM

"Where I get so encouraged by the #MarchForLife, it's with the number of young people ..." #prolifecon
9:17 AM

Discussed a bill to ensure more transparency in how taxpayer funding will be used for health care services. #prolifecon
9:19 AM

President Trump will announce his next nominee for the Supreme Court at the upcoming National Prayer Breakfast. #prolifecon
9:24 AM

"We can have an impact [on doing the right thing] in the next four to six months, in the next four years." #prolifecon
9:27 AM

"I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois. Henry Hyde was my congressman. He was my hero." #prolifecon
9:31 AM

"We are now going now to the National Mall for a live report from Brent." #prolifecon
9:33 AM

Brandon Buell, Father of Jaxon "Strong" Buell, Co-Author, Don't Blink, and Co-Trustee for The Jaxon Strong Foundation. #prolifecon
9:34 AM

A short video clip of young Jaxon. #prolifecon
9:37 AM

"I come to you today as a father, because a *man* who stands up for these values is so rare." #prolifecon
9:39 AM

"Every day I strive to be a better husband, and a better father." #prolifecon
9:39 AM

There was so little information available on Jaxon's condition, many parents didn't make the decision to bring a child to term. #prolifecon
9:43 AM

facebook.com/WeAreJaxonStrong/ … #prolifecon
9:44 AM

jaxonstrong.com #prolifecon
9:44 AM

"We are called a hate group." ("Men will hate you because of me." - Jesus Christ) #prolifecon
9:52 AM

"I wanna talk for a second about my wife." #prolifecon
9:52 AM

Jaxon and Mom are introduced to the stage. #prolifecon
9:54 AM

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD." #prolifecon
9:55 AM

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Republican from New York. #prolifecon
10:06 AM

The congresswoman is speaking by video stream from a bus en route to the #MarchforLife2017. "We're 20 minutes out." #prolifecon
10:08 AM

Melissa Ohden, Author, "You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir." #prolifecon
10:09 AM

Melissa is a survivor of a failed saline abortion. #prolifecon
10:10 AM

"We've got 109,000 views now (at #prolifecon)."
10:11 AM

Founder of the Abortion Survivors Network. #prolifecon
10:12 AM

"I would encourage you to continue to move beyond your comfort zone." #prolifecon
10:14 AM

CMP videos, defunding Planned Parenthood efforts and hearings, survivors testifying. #prolifecon
10:16 AM

"Post about where you are, add photos and video, as it's happening, tag others." #prolifecon
10:18 AM

"Videos and music make a strong impact and are shared frequently." #prolifecon
10:19 AM

"I often say the personal is political, the political is personal." #prolifecon
10:20 AM

"Live streaming of hearings and events such as FRC's lecture series popular with lots of initial viewers and shares." #prolifecon
10:21 AM

"Be relevant. Pick up what is happening or reflect upon a historical significance." #prolifecon
10:22 AM

"Be willing to go mainstream, look for opportunities. If you see a pro-life story, share it, comment on it, share information." #prolifecon
10:24 AM

"You Carried Me" is a book by Melissa Ohden. #prolifecon
10:25 AM

Kelsey Harkness, Senior News Producer, The Daily Signal. #prolifecon
10:28 AM

First, a video is shown featuring Kelsey talking about the March. #prolifecon
10:29 AM

"Organizers of the Women's March formed a very progressive platform" excluding some women's voices, including #prolife women. #prolifecon
10:32 AM

"We needed to get ahead of the narrative, so we had two days to produce that video." #prolifecon
10:34 AM

"The #prolife movement is far more diverse than I ever imagined growing up in Connecticut." #prolifecon
10:35 AM

Saw this clip. The reporter definitely got schooled! trib.al/y1bqz8s #prolifecon
10:37 AM

"Many people don't understand how far along in a pregnancy a woman can have an abortion." #prolifecon
10:47 AM

Congressman Jim Banks, Republican from Indiana. #prolifecon
10:48 AM

Thanks to @FRC as an important resource for freshman members of Congress. @prolifecon
10:49 AM

Governor Pence was the most #ProLife governors in Indiana history. #prolifecon
10:50 AM

Bishop Vincent Mathews, Jr, President of the International Missions Department, The Church of God in Christ. #prolifecon
10:52 AM

"There is a demonic spirit of deception about what the Bible teaches." #prolifecon
10:55 AM

"You’re going to have a lot of people coming on Friday.” #prolifecon
10:56 AM

"If you don't want these children, we will take them into our homes." #prolifecon
10:57 AM

"We [use mobile apps to] engage others in intercessory prayer. You can't hate someone you're praying for." #prolifecon
11:00 AM

familylifecampaign.org #prolifecon
11:01 AM

The notion of a "black church" and a "white church" is "oxymoronic." #prolifecon
11:03 AM

"It's up to the Church of Jesus Christ, not the government, to show the world what the real issues are." #prolifecon
11:06 AM

Catherine Szeltner, Host of EWTN ProLife Weekly. #prolifecon
11:08 AM

Communication is two way, not only in how a message is presented, but in how people can respond, as in a one-on-one encounter. #prolifecon
11:14 AM

"Be prepared to answer the question, why are you #ProLife?" #prolifecon
11:15 AM

Thomas Jacobson, Global Life Campaign, presents a summary of an "Abortion Worldwide Report." #prolifecon
11:19 AM

Anna Holduski, Campaign Speaker & Runner, Project If Life #prolifecon
11:27 AM

projectif.life #prolifecon
11:29 AM

"Thank you for joining and sharing your talents." #prolifecon
11:31 AM

.... and we're out! #prolifecon
11:31 AM

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This year's edition, as with those in the past, will be updated with additional content over the next 24 hours. While the general sentiment of this year's March is the most optimistic in many years, with the unqualified support of both President Trump and Vice President Pence, this year's ProLifeCon had a lower turnout than usual, which was most unfortunate. Not only that, but at least four of the speakers were not on the original schedule, which made it difficult to provide correct information for the Twitter feed in real time. And so, corrections to the original transcript have been made, and this writer's concerns were addressed to the management of the Family Research Council, which was most receptive. It is hoped that an updated list will be provided to participants prior to the event.