By Emily Chaffins -
Photographer: COURTESY
Dr. Steven A. Christie makes a point about pre-natal development during the "Speaking for the Unborn" talk hosted by FIU Catholic Panthers at St. Agatha Parish Hall, Jan.21, 2023.
MIAMI | When Steven A. Christie argues for the unborn, he does so with full knowledge of the rebuttals that will come from the pro-choice crowd.
“What really makes me qualified to speak on the issue of abortion is that I spent the first 35 years of my life as a secular, pro-choice liberal. So I know exactly what, why, and how the other side thinks about abortion,” said Christie, a doctor, lawyer, husband, father and author of “Speaking for the Unborn” who lives in South Florida.
Photographer: COURTESY
Dr. Steven A. Christie chats with students who attended his "Speaking for the Unborn" talk, hosted by FIU Catholic Panthers at St. Agatha Parish Hall, Jan.21, 2023.
Christie was speaking to a group of over 50 people, mostly Catholic university students, gathered at St. Agatha’s parish hall to hear his “Speaking for the Unborn” pro-life apologetics talk. The Jan. 21, 2023 event was hosted by the FIU Catholic Panthers ministry.
“I’m excited for this event because it gives us a stronger ... foundation to stand up for life,” said Daniel Cruz, the president of Catholic Panthers. “If people tell us we’re not scientific [or] rational, we have the evidence that shows that’s not right.”
In his talk, Christie succinctly covered a wide range of topics, including the fact that abortion harms women; scientific topics such as embryology and the scientific definitions of life and viability; essential constitutional law facts; the truth of what happens in abortion procedures; and more.
Towards the end of the presentation, he shared an elevator speech of “Why I’m Pro-Life in 30 Seconds.” Lastly, Christie held a Q&A session, with the audience engaged and asking question after question. Afterwards, he sold and signed his book, whose entire proceeds go to pro-life charities.
One of Christie’s main goals is to visit schools and universities to educate and embolden this generation and to also engage those who are pro-abortion or unsure of their position.
Christie did stress, “When I was pro-choice, was I a bad guy? No ... I was wrong ... We can think the other side is wrong. That's fair, and that's polite, and I’m wrong often... we don't have to think they're bad. That doesn't help our cause, their cause, or the cause of all humanity.”
Photographer: COURTESY
Dr. Steven A. Christie's book, "Speaking for the Unborn," was the basis of the talk he gave to university students gathered Jan. 21, 2023 at St. Agatha Church in Miami. The talk was sponsored by FIU's Catholic Panthers group.
Audience members were drawn to the event for a variety of reasons.
FIU Catholic Panthers member Paul Lahoud, from Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Parish in Miami, said he was inspired to come because of Christie’s background in medicine and law and his strong Catholic faith. His goal was to “learn these arguments for when I go to medical school so hopefully I can convert hearts, too.”
Photographer: EMILY CHAFFINS | FC
Dr. Steven A. Christie makes a point about pre-natal development during the "Speaking for the Unborn" talk hosted by FIU Catholic Panthers at St. Agatha Parish Hall, Jan.21, 2023.
FIU Catholic Panthers alumna Olivia Griffith, from St. Louis Parish, said she was drawn to the event because “I am really interested in learning more apologetics about how to defend the right to life more effectively, especially how to speak to people who don’t understand what we stand for.”
FIU Catholic Panthers member and Good Shepherd parishioner Vincenzo A. Rutigliano Diaz said that Speaking for the Unborn was “the best pro-life talk I’ve seen in the whole archdiocese – it was concise, and my favorite argument was the [Why I’m Pro-Life in 30 Seconds] argument.”
Gisela Valencia, FIU Catholic Panthers alumna and parishioner of Little Flower Churchin Coral Gables, said she was “blown away by the amount of arguments that we have for pro-life.”
In addition to the talk, the Catholic Panthers sold sandwiches, cookies, pastries, soda, and more as a fundraiser for their ministry.
Students for Life at FIU, a new chapter of the national pro-life student organization, also assisted with advertising and set-up. President Grace Chaffins and Vice-President Mia Akins greeted people at their table with a smile, sharing about their organization.
Another table at the event featured FIU Catholic Panthers Women’s Chair Maria Villa’s Catholic and pro-life artwork exhibited for sale.
“I would describe my style as a blend of Japanese anime, American cartoons and semi-realism,” said Villa, whose Instagram and YouTube accounts are called Gospel Visualized.
“Media influences people, and I believe there needs to be more Catholic influences in the artistic world. Anime and manga are very popular with people my age and younger generations, and I want to be able to teach them through using the style. I feel my art becomes more relatable that way. And so does the faith,” Villa said.
FIND OUT MORE
- To contact Steven A. Christie, book a Speaking for the Unborn event, or for more info about his book and to access free pro-life resources, visit https://speakingfortheunborn.com/.
- For more information about FIU Catholic Panthers or to contact them, visit https://fiucatholicpanthers.wixsite.com/home.
- For more information about FIU Students for Life or to contact them, visit their Instagram @studentsforlifefiu and their website, https://studentsforlifefiu.mailchimpsites.com/.
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