The University of Ottawa Students for Life and University of Ottawa Medical Students for Life organized a great debate last night between Stephanie Gray (CCBR)and Jovan Morales (Atheist Community of the University of Ottawa) at the University.
The topic was "Should physicians provide, or refer for, abortion?"
The debate may have never happened because the organizers spent four months looking for someone to debate Stephanie. Ten people were asked, including Joyce Arthur and Dr. Henry Morgentaler. All declined except Jovan (kudos to Jovan for his attempt to be a worthy debating partner to Stephanie.)
There was some rather annoying noise of the rude and heckling variety, but we were able to pretty much block it out. For the most part, the debate was fantastic.
I'm hoping we get a video loaded up to youtube for those of you not able to make it.
Stephanie was the clear winner.
Am looking forward to the video.
ReplyDeletethis debate was a total set-up. no one from the pro-choice community in ottawa was asked to participate in the debate. while it was nice that jovan accepted the non-invitation, he did not have the background or experience to argue from the perspective of the pro-choice movement and ended up making some pretty oppressive and ineffectivley thought-out arguments. stephanie spends her entire career articulating these issues, of course she "won". but the pro-life side certainly didn't gain any credibility for such a poorly run event.
ReplyDelete"poorly run event"? Actually it was a very well run event. The fact that "pro-choicers" refused to debate Stephanie isn't really the fault of the organizers, is it now?
ReplyDeleteWhat was poorly run, was the behaviour of some people, who chose to scream, to disrupt, and to swear at Stephanie, and generally show a complete lack of respect for both the debaters, who were brave enough to attempt to have a civilized debate on abortion and conscience rights of doctors.
That is what I would call: "poorly run behaviour".
Check out Andrea Mrozek's take on the debate and see what I mean.
http://www.prowomanprolife.org/2011/11/13/a-selection-of-debate-photos/
http://www.prowomanprolife.org/2011/11/12/a-very-quick-debate-report/
Kaitlyn, you said that "no one from the pro-choice community in ottawa was asked to participate in the debate".
ReplyDeleteThis is incorrect.
There were 16 people asked to debate Stephanie as I noted here:
http://run-with-life.blogspot.com/2011/11/debate-should-physicians-provide-or_5097.html
Every single one of them declined or ignored the invitation.
There were at least three "pro-choicers" asked from Ottawa. There were at least four others asked, who were from elsewhere in Ontario.
There were at least six medical doctors who declined or ignored the invitation.
There were at least two University professors who declined or ignored the invitation.
If "pro-choicers" wish to have any credibility whatsoever in their avid support of their promotion of abortion philosophy, they should at the very least have the courage of their convictions to get up in a public forum and defend their viewpoints.
If a doctor or University professor can teach/advocate/perform abortions, surely they can stand up and tell us why.
Clearly none of them could do this. I think that tells us all we need to know about the pro-abortion viewpoint. It has no defence because it is indefensible.