-- Episode Resources --

• I Lived on Parker Avenue (free documentary): https://www.ilivedonparkerave.com/

• LIFEMARK (feature film): https://lifemarkmovie.com/

• 29th Annual Fall Banquet: https://www.ichooselife.org/resources/events/upcoming-events/29th-annual-fall-banquet

• Right to Life of Northeast Indiana: https://www.ichooselife.org/

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen sits down with David Scotton, the adoptee and attorney whose life inspired the documentary I Lived on Parker Avenue and the film LIFEMARK.

David shares how his birth mother left an abortion clinic and made an adoption plan for him. Years later, he traveled from Louisiana to Indiana to meet his birth parents and thank them in person. Their meeting was captured on film. Today, David helps other families through adoption as an attorney.

Together, Abigail and David discuss:

• The full adoption triad: How adoption affects adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents, including its joys, grief, and difficult decisions.

• Identity, reunion, and boundaries: Why David wanted to meet his birth parents, how he honors the parents who raised him, and why every adoption story is different.

• Reclaiming the beauty of adoption: How films, school conversations, and words such as “placing a child for adoption” can replace stigma with a fuller understanding.

Join us for an honest conversation about the people behind adoption stories and the lasting impact of one mother's decision.

David will speak at Right to Life of Northeast Indiana's 29th Annual Fall Banquet on October 12, 2026. Details and tickets: https://www.ichooselife.org/resources/events/upcoming-events/29th-annual-fall-banquet

Learn more about our organization: https://www.ichooselife.org/

-- Chapters --

00:00 Introducing David Scotton

02:04 David's adoption story

05:17 Sharing his story through film

07:07 Why adoption is often overlooked

10:11 The adoption triad

13:00 Reunion and family boundaries

17:22 Adoption and identity

19:14 Privacy and closed adoption

20:56 Becoming an adoption attorney

26:01 Humanizing the abortion conversation

30:11 Questions from students

32:05 Prenatal bonding and disrupted adoptions

35:17 The difficult parts of being adopted

37:16 Adoption in movies and media

39:48 Better language for adoption

45:13 Where to watch David's films

47:32 Fall banquet and closing

-- Episode Resources --

• Our Website: https://www.ichooselife.org/
• Our Stances: https://www.ichooselife.org/our-stances
• Our Topics: https://www.ichooselife.org/topics
• Medical Aid in Dying Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktjIffDban8
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen is joined by fellow staff member Jordyn Garcia for Part 3 of the “Discerning Questions” series. Together, they apply the framework to euthanasia, distinguishing it from physician-assisted suicide—often called medical aid in dying—and examining both voluntary and involuntary euthanasia.

Abigail and Jordyn explore how decisions at the end of life reveal deeper beliefs about human dignity, personal autonomy, suffering, dependence, and the value of people whose health or abilities are declining.

Together, Abigail and Jordyn discuss:

• God’s Authority and Human Control: Asking whether euthanasia seizes authority over life and death that belongs to God alone—and whether comfort, autonomy, or the avoidance of suffering can become an idol.
• Suffering, Grief, and Care: Examining the desire to bypass suffering and grief, the importance of accompanying people through the end of life, and how caring for vulnerable family members forms compassion and selflessness.
• The Purpose of Medicine: Considering whether euthanasia is ever medically necessary and why care should seek to relieve suffering without intentionally ending the life of the person who is suffering.

-- Discerning Questions Addressed in This Episode --

Sheet: Discerning Questions for Guided Principles

• Are we seizing power that is God’s alone, or are we acting within the sphere of influence He gave us?
• Has something become an idol, meaning we think we are dependent on it for our well-being and/or happiness?
• Whose life, if anyone’s, am I justified in ending?
• Is the human body property? If so, who is the owner?
• Is what I’m considering permanent and/or irreversible for the people affected?
• Is there a financial component to the situation? Who gains financially, and who provides the financing?
• Is this procedure medically necessary?
• Are we pursuing a certain solution simply because it is the traditionally accepted way of dealing with a particular problem? What is the original reason for the tradition?

Join us for a thoughtful conversation about euthanasia, end-of-life care, human dignity, and what it means to accompany vulnerable people through suffering rather than treating the person as the problem.

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.org

-- Episode Resources --

• Our Website: https://www.ichooselife.org/
• Our Stances: https://www.ichooselife.org/our-stances
• Our Topics: https://www.ichooselife.org/topics

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen is joined by fellow staff member Jordyn Garcia to walk through our "Discerning Questions" framework as applied to end-of-life issues, specifically medical aid in dying (physician-assisted suicide). Designed as an educational tool, this framework helps listeners navigate complex ethical topics, evaluate societal trends, and root their understanding in human dignity and God's sovereign design.

Together, Abigail and Jordyn discuss:

• God’s Design vs. Self-Determination: Examining whether choosing the timing of one's death seizes power that belongs to God alone and how the modern drive for total autonomy function as an idol.
• The Value & Worth of Every Life: Rejecting utilitarian mindsets that measure human value by productivity or health, and reaffirming that human dignity remains intact through all seasons of life.
• Crisis, Coercion, & Societal Pressure: How decisions surrounding physician-assisted suicide are made during heavy suffering or mental health crises, and the subtle pressure it creates for vulnerable or dependent individuals.
• The Purpose of Medicine & Compassion: Clarifying why medical aid in dying is never medically necessary, how it violates the core duties of healthcare, and why true care involves supporting individuals through suffering rather than ending their lives.

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-- Discerning Questions Addressed in This Episode --

Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q...

• Are we seizing power that is God's alone, or are we acting within the sphere of influence he gave us?
• Has something become an idol, meaning we think we are dependent on it for our wellbeing and/or happiness?
• Whose life, if anyone's, am I justified in ending?
• Who decides each person's worth?
• Is medical aid in dying what I'm considering permanent and/or irreversible for the people affected?
• Is this decision being made in the midst of a crisis?
• If we could save the person, would we, and did we try?
• Is this procedure medically necessary?

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.org

-- Episode Resources --

Our Website: https://www.ichooselife.org/

Our Stances: https://www.ichooselife.org/our-stances

Our Topics: https://www.ichooselife.org/topics

Abortion Pill Rescue Network: https://www.abortionpillreversal.com/

Safe Haven Baby Boxes: https://www.shbb.org/

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen is joined by fellow staff member Jordyn Garcia to launch a new series walking through our "Discerning Questions" framework. Designed as an educational tool, this framework helps listeners navigate complex topics, root their understanding in human dignity, and clarify the pro-life stance on abortion.

Together, Abigail and Jordyn discuss:

• God’s Design vs. Abortion: How natural reproductive biology reflects human dignity and contrasts with intentional termination.
• Rights & Dependence: Addressing bodily autonomy, the limits of personal liberty, and why dependent pre-born children have a fundamental right to care.
• Crisis & Sacrifice: Examining the emotional and physical toll abortion takes on mothers and how communities can better support women facing unexpected pregnancies.
• Medical Necessity: Clarifying the distinction between direct abortion and emergency medical procedures aimed at saving both mother and child.

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-- Discerning Questions Addressed in This Episode --

• Are we working with and inside of God’s design for human life and dignity?
• Are we asserting ourselves over and against human life and dignity? Are we displaying God’s created order?
• Whose life, if anyone's, am I justified in ending?
• What’s the limit to the expression of my liberty in regard to infringing on others' protected rights?
• Who, if anyone, is sacrificing? Is that sacrifice voluntary? Is that sacrifice necessary?
• Is the abortion I’m considering permanent and/or irreversible for the people affected?
• Is this decision being made in the midst of a crisis?
• Is this procedure medically necessary?

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.org

-- Episode Resources --

• Website: Right to Life of Northeast Indiana: https://www.ichooselife.org/
• Our Stances: https://www.ichooselife.org/our-stances
• Our Topics: https://www.ichooselife.org/topics
• Catholic Charities Fort Wayne: https://www.ccfwsb.org/
• WISHH (Women Intentionally Seeking His Healing): https://www.wishhministry.com/

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen sits down with Fort Wayne local Genevieve "Nevi" Stroud for a powerful conversation on faith, trauma, and choosing life. Nevi shares her personal testimony of experiencing a sexual assault by an ex-boyfriend during her junior year of college and navigating the realization that she had conceived a child as a result.

Together, Abigail and Nevi discuss:

• Misplaced Compassion & The Rape Exception: Addressing common arguments for abortion exceptions in cases of sexual assault and why choosing life offers true, long-term healing over the false promise of a quick erasure.
• Navigating Trauma and the Legal System: The overwhelming hurdle of reporting an assault, facing social isolation, applying for protective orders, and handling a lack of legal prosecution due to a lack of physical evidence.
• The Power of Family & Faith Support: How the unyielding love of Nevi’s parents, her Catholic faith, and a compassionate OB care team provided the firm foundation she needed to say "yes" to her pregnancy.
• Maternal-Fetal Bonding: Overcoming shame, recognizing the intrinsic dignity and goodness of every child regardless of their conception circumstances, and stepping into the beauty of motherhood.
• Restoration and Fresh Starts: How God brought beauty from ashes through her daughter, her eventual marriage to her husband Ian, his immediate acceptance and adoption of her daughter, and the full legal protection of their family.

Join us for a deeply moving discussion on the sanctity of human life, finding strength through difficult trials, and offering authentic hope to women in crisis.

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.org

-- Episode Resources --

• Samantha Stephenson: https://www.snstephenson.com/
• Magnifica Humanitas — Pope Leo XIV: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html
• Outer Origin — Laura Johnson Dahlke: https://www.laurajohnsondahlke.com/outerorigin

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen sits down with bioethicist, author, and Brave New Us podcast host Samantha Stephenson for a fascinating conversation about artificial womb technology and what it could mean for the future of human reproduction, motherhood, and human dignity.

Artificial wombs may sound like science fiction, but the technology is rapidly moving toward real-world medical applications. While current research is primarily focused on helping extremely premature infants survive, Abigail and Samantha explore the deeper ethical questions that arise as this technology develops.

Together, Abigail and Samantha explore:

• Artificial Wombs and the Fight for Life: How artificial womb technology could help save premature infants while raising important questions about how the technology could eventually be used beyond its original purpose.
• Technology, Motherhood, and Human Dignity: Why pregnancy is more than simply a means of delivering a child, and what could be lost when pregnancy and motherhood are increasingly separated through technology, surrogacy, and other reproductive technologies.
• The Rights and Needs of Children: How IVF, surrogacy, genetic selection, and artificial wombs can raise difficult questions about whether society is prioritizing adult desires over the inherent dignity and needs of children.
• Choosing Humanity in a Technological Age: Why technology should serve the human person rather than redefine what it means to be human—and how Christians can respond to rapidly developing biotechnology with wisdom, courage, and trust in God.

Join Abigail and Samantha for a thought-provoking discussion about artificial wombs, biotechnology, motherhood, reproductive technology, and the responsibility to ensure that technological progress remains centered on the dignity of every human person.

Learn more about Right to Life of Northeast Indiana here: https://www.ichooselife.org/

Episode Resources

• Right to Life of Northeast Indiana: https://www.ichooselife.org/
• Our Stances: https://www.ichooselife.org/our-stances
• Our Topics: https://www.ichooselife.org/topics
• Ruth Institute: https://ruthinstitute.org/
• Dr. J Show (Podcast): https://ruthinstitute.org/dr-j-show/
• Ruth Institute Substack: https://jenniferrobackmorsephd.substack.com/
• Ruth Institute Pamphlet ("Children and Donor Conception"): https://ruthinstitute.org/product/children-and-donor-conception-and-assisted-reproduction/
• Shiloh IVF Ministry: http://shilohivf.com/
• The National Catholic Bioethics Center: https://www.ncbcenter.org/
• My Daddy's Name is Donor (Study): https://fluxconsole.com/files/item/441/56197/My-Daddys-Name-is-Donor-Full-Study.pdf

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen welcomes Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, founder of the Ruth Institute, to examine the ethical, legal, and human costs of surrogacy and in vitro fertilization (IVF). They discuss how artificial reproduction fragments parenthood and commodifies children through commercial contracts, contrasting adult desires with a child's natural right to their biological parents.

The conversation also covers consumer eugenics, the emotional toll on donor-conceived youth and siblings of frozen embryos, and the importance of ethical alternatives like restorative reproductive medicine. Abigail and Dr. Morse urge Christians to speak out, protect human dignity, and offer compassionate, truth-filled guidance to families navigating infertility.

Key topics covered in the conversation include:

• Defining Surrogacy & Commercialization: Examining legal differences between traditional and gestational surrogacy and how binding contracts commodify human life.
• Natural Rights vs. Adult Entitlement: Distinguishing between true natural rights and the misconception that adults are entitled to a child.
• Consumer Eugenics: Unpacking how IVF and surrogacy contracts encourage selecting, discarding, or aborting children based on health status.

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.org

Episode Resources

• Website: Right to Life of Northeast Indiana: https://www.ichooselife.org/
• Our Stances: https://www.ichooselife.org/our-stances
• Our Topics: https://www.ichooselife.org/topics
• Deeper Still Northeast Indiana: https://www.deeperstill.org/
• Celebrate Recovery: https://www.celebraterecovery.com/

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen sits down with guest Mercy for a deeply moving conversation about enduring unimaginable childhood trauma, escaping a controlling religious cult, and discovering redemption and freedom in Christ after two secret abortions.

Mercy opens up about her painful journey, offering a transparent look into the psychological impacts of abuse, spiritual manipulation, and post-abortive trauma. Together, Abigail and Mercy explore:

• The Reality of Spiritual Warfare: How unseen battles often attempt to block stories of healing and truth from being shared.
• Trauma, Isolation, and Coercion: Mercy's experience growing up in a pastor's home filled with severe abuse, which led to two coerced abortions at a young age under intense family pressure.
• Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms: How unresolved childhood trauma and cultic control led to decades of Munchausen syndrome (faking illnesses) as an unconscious cry for care and self-protection.
• The Path to Recovery: The pivotal role played by post-abortive healing ministries like Deeper Still and recovery programs like Celebrate Recovery in helping Mercy process her grief and surrender her shame.
• Finding Genuine Faith: Overcoming legalistic, distorted views of God to embrace the true grace, freedom, and unconditional love found in Jesus Christ.

Join us for an inspiring discussion on how step-by-step surrender can dismantle decades of lies, break the power of secret shame, and turn even the deepest ashes into lasting beauty.

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.org

Episode Resources

• Website: Right to Life of Northeast Indiana: https://www.ichooselife.org/
• Our Stances: https://www.ichooselife.org/our-stances
• Our Topics: https://www.ichooselife.org/topics
• Catholic Church IVF Position: https://www.ncregister.com/cna/what-is-the-catholic-church-s-position-on-ivf

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen sits down with former intern Nick for a unique and personal conversation surrounding in vitro fertilization (IVF). Conceived as a triplet through IVF alongside his twin brother and sister, Nick shares his firsthand experience growing up knowing his origin story while navigating his personal Catholic faith and the Church's official stance on reproductive technologies.

Abigail and Nick dive into the nuanced tension between recognizing the inherent dignity of every human life and standing against the commodification and ethical concerns inherent in the IVF process.

Nick offers deep insights into:

• The reality of growing up as an IVF-conceived triplet and how his parents approached discussing the topic with him from an early age.
• Navigating Catholic Church teachings on IVF as an individual conceived through the process, and why human worth is independent of the means of conception.
• The ethical dilemmas surrounding IVF, including high mortality rates for frozen embryos and pressure on parents regarding "selective reduction."
• Distinguishing between condemning an unethical system and recognizing the good, loving intentions of parents struggling with infertility.
• The importance of engaging in hot-button pro-life conversations with both uncompromising truth and genuine Christian charity.
• How society often narrowly defines parenthood and fruitfulness, ignoring the broader vocations of spiritual fatherhood and motherhood.

Join us for an engaging, transparent, and faith-filled discussion that offers a rare personal lens on one of the pro-life movement's most complex topics.

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.orgprocess and

Episode Resources

• Covenant Eyes: https://www.covenanteyes.com/
• The Lighthouse: https://www.lhfw.org/
• Proven Men Ministries: https://www.provenmen.org/
• Faithful & True: https://www.faithfulandtrue.com/

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In this episode of The Pro-Life Perspective, host Abigail Lorenzen sits down with Pastor Brandon Bower, a local pastor and licensed addictions counselor specializing in biblical recovery, to tackle two critical issues that often remain unspoken within the church: pornography and substance addiction.

Drawing from his own transforming journey through personal brokenness and recovery, Pastor Bower shares his history with vulnerability and humility, showing how God repurposes past struggles to build an impactful recovery ministry. Abigail and Pastor Bower look closely at how modern technology has accelerated access to explicit material while simultaneously exploring the deep, hidden intersections between pornography, substance abuse, and other life-altering chemical dependencies. They dive deep into the cultural trends of the modern era, revealing why traditional addiction treatments often fail if they overlook underlying sexual brokenness and discussing the undeniable connection between broken relationships, addiction, and abortion decisions.

Pastor Bower challenges the "don't ask, don't tell" culture surrounding these topics within Christian ministries and offers practical advice on how churches and individuals can step up. He offers deep insights into:

• The roots of addiction and why standard behavior modification isn't enough for long-term healing.
• How modern technology has accelerated access to explicit material and amplified dependencies.
• The hidden intersections between pornography use, substance abuse, and other chemical addictions.
• Why traditional addiction recovery programs frequently fail if they ignore underlying sexual brokenness.
• The direct connection between broken relationships, active addictions, and abortion decisions.
• Differentiating between purely abstaining from a behavior and doing the deep work required to deal directly with the heart and replace dependencies with a love for Christ.

Join us for this eye-opening and compassionate conversation about fighting the lies of shame, understanding the biblical roots of recovery, and helping individuals step out of the darkness of isolation and into true wholeness.

Learn more about our organization here: www.ichooselife.org