Why Common Ground?
At a march in Washington, a pro-life activist comes face to face with a pro-choice activist.
Pro-Life: You’re a murderer.
Pro-Choice: You hate women.
Their discussion is short and to the point. Or, pointless.
Isn’t there a better way?
There’s a lot of abortion “discussion” among activists -- combative rants where the participants talk at each other. Do they listen? Only enough to construct their next volley.
What about the rest of us? Are you fed up with shouting people down? Do you want dialogue instead? Are you saddened by the approach that belittles people and attempts to strong-arm them into accepting your ideas? Would you prefer to listen and understand in order to win the privilege to be heard?
Common Ground Without Compromise breathes new life into the abortion discussion. Drawing on hundreds of hours of conversation with students on college campuses, Stephen Wagner provides twenty-five questions we can use to find agreement first, along with the civility and goodwill to discuss disagreements. This foundation of common ground provides a safe atmosphere for people on all sides of the issue to clarify their views, listen to alternate perspectives, and even change their minds. Written to both sides of the debate, this book helps pro-life and pro-choice advocates develop their views of abortion and advocate for their positions within a context of friendly dialogue.
Common Ground Without Compromise gives average people permission to join the discussion again, without checking either their love for people or their desire for truth at the door.
A great book to read as an introduction to the abortion issue or to give to a friend to start a conversation.
Inside the Book
See the Book's Features
Read the Introduction
Read an Excerpt (Question 7)
Read an Excerpt (Question 18)
Endnotes (with hyperlinks)
Index
Reviews, Articles, Interviews
JivinJehoshaphat
A-Team Blog, Part 1
A-Team Blog, Part 2
Abort73.com
Point of View with Kerby Anderson (Radio Interview. Run time: approximately 60 minutes)
Praise from Professionals
Both sides of the abortion debate claim to be defending the dignity of persons. Unfortunately, while quarrelling with each other they sometimes neglect to consider the dignity of the person with whom they are disagreeing. Steve Wagner’s book is an antidote to this. He offers to his readers a template on how one may go about discussing the abortion issue with firm conviction while at the same time exhibiting charity. This is a fine piece of work.
- Francis J. Beckwith,
Associate Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies, Baylor University
Steve Wagner has made a great contribution to breaking the logjam in the discussion of abortion. These discussions often end up as posturing or shouting matches because there is no common place to begin. Steve has identified places of common ground from which to proceed--this has the chance to actually make some headway in these difficult and emotional discussions. I commend this book for those who want to engage the discussion seriously.
- Scott B. Rae, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology,
Biola University
Steve Wagner has mastered the art of pro-life communication and I can’t think of anyone better suited to winsomely engage hostile critics. He’s a tough-minded thinker with a gracious attitude, one who charms rather than repels. I commend Steve to you without reservation. Indeed, to the extent you trust my pro-life work trust his. And please, don’t just read this book. Consume it. Lives will be saved because you did.
- Scott Klusendorf, President,
Life Training Institute
This motivational book proves to be a necessary tool that combines the use of stories and interaction to create effective ways to enter into reasonable, sound and peaceful discussions on the topic of abortion.
- Melanie Welsch Pritchard,
Life Educational Corporation
Praise from College Students and Recent Graduates
In a realm where cleverness and strategy are prioritized over understanding and dialogue, Common Ground Without Compromise represents a rare and invaluably sincere perspective. In its attempt to bring us all, pro-choice and pro-life, back to our common humanity, this book will do more than challenge your views - it will challenge your idea of how we should go about working for a better world. There were definitely moments when reading this that I had some buttons pushed and wanted more explained from ‘my side.’ Then I realized that this was the purpose - to start conversations with each other, not to say how they should end. Wagner's approach represents one of the most hopeful things I have encountered in my experiences with this great social dilemma of our time.
- Lynette Shaw, Pro-Choice
I found Common Ground Without Compromise very insightful. I see a lot of promise for the future of this debate, as well as many other contentious issues, if people are willing to mindfully utilize this method. I feel as though Steve has a firm grasp upon the ways in which discussions turn sour based on typical, perhaps natural, human approaches to communication. To be honest, I still don’t quite agree with Steve’s account of one issue, truth, but I found an unbelievable amount of other common ground for us to stand on.
- Jonathan Schmalz, Pro-Choice
Great organization, easy read, and a solid stepping stone for dialogue about abortion.
- Will Esler, Pro-Life
A step towards the center is a step towards a solution. In a debate known for its differences, Steve highlights areas of agreement between the sides that often posture themselves as complete opposites.
- Róbert Heimir Helgason, Pro-Choice
Common Ground Without Compromise comes as a timely response to the shared frustration that pro-life and pro-choice advocates have nothing in common. Steve tears down the “sides” and “party lines” we are all tired of, and reveals the solid foundation of beliefs and motivations we all share. This book will equip pro-life and pro-choice advocates alike to have meaningful conversation with each other and, hopefully, to cooperate and care for all affected by abortion.
- Jennifer Hardy, Pro-Life
Events
Common Ground Across North America: July 13-20, 2008
Stories of Common Ground
Click here to read real stories of people just like you building common ground. (coming soon)
Click here to share your story. Let us know in your email if you’d prefer for your story NOT to be posted on this page.
How to Use the Book to Start a Conversation
Common Ground Without Compromise was written to help people create dialogue about abortion. The book teaches readers to do this, but it also acts as an interaction tool. You can give the book away to start a conversation or you can use some of the book’s questions to start a conversation. This document gives you some specific ideas about how you might do this. Although it is written specifically for college pro-life and pro-choice clubs, you’ll see that some of the activities are easily adaptable for younger students and adults.
Go Deeper: Resources for Making the Most of the Book
- Raise the Level of the Dialogue: Chapter 12 of Common Ground makes the point that abortion dialogue is usually very shallow and unproductive. One reason? Most people haven’t really thought through opposing positions, let alone their own positions. Use these guides to do your part to improve the dialogue by being well-informed and careful in your thinking. Each document includes a list of articles and books, as well as a three-step study plan, to help advocates on both sides think through what they believe and why.
- How PRO-CHOICE Advocates Can Raise the Level of the Dialogue
- How PRO-LIFE Advocates Can Raise the Level of the Dialogue
- Talking Points on D&E (this resource correlates to Question 14 in Common Ground.)
- “Is Abortion Legal Through All Nine Months and for Any Reason?”: (This resource correlates to Question 11 in Common Ground.)
- Endnotes: All of the endnotes from Common Ground Without Compromise in one document (with hyperlinks when possible) to aid you in studying the material for yourself. Includes updates since the January 2008 edition.
- Index
- Take Your Pulse: This worksheet gives you room to reflect on each of the 25 questions in Common Ground Without Compromise.
- Reflection Questions (with room to write): There are over 100 reflection questions in Common Ground Without Compromise. This document gives you all of the questions with room to reflect.
Meet the Author
Stephen Wagner has spent hundreds of hours in dialogue with college students about abortion and human rights on over 30 major university campuses in Canada and across the United States. In addition to making the pro-life case to those who disagree, Stephen specializes in training students to engage their campuses in large-scale discussion on abortion. Frustrated by shallow stereotypes and disrespectful activism in the seemingly endless abortion debate, Stephen passionately works to build common ground and make a reasonable and clear case for the pro-life position. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California and is currently studying philosophy at Talbot School of Theology.
(Photos: Courtesy Justice For All)
- To see more information about booking Stephen Wagner to speak, see his speaker’s page. Also includes links to Stephen’s articles, newsletters, and blogs.
- Send email about the book to the author, Stephen Wagner.
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