When Is A Baby A Baby?(pro life movement narrative)(Brief Article)(Column)

They had warned me about him. They said he was a "troublemaker" and, if I allowed him to ask a question, I would be answering at my own risk.

I am a professional speaker. I travel all over the USA, speaking on women's health issues. That day, I was in the auditorium of a huge Catholic high school, and the subject was Post-Abortion Syndrome, the devastating disease that affects millions of families nationwide.

My 30-minute speech was finished, and the question and answer phase had begun. There he was. The troublemaker. Looking like a 16-year-old version of Dennis the Menace and waving his arm in the air. It didn't help matters that he was in the front row.

I looked toward the three school administrators and saw three faces conveying sympathy, but offering no help.

I answered (in depth) every other student's question, until there was only one hand still raised. There were five long minutes left until the bell. "OK," I thought, "He's only a 16-year-old kid. I've been challenged by middle-aged intellectuals and emerged triumphant. Here goes" I looked at him, and in my most non-threatening Earth Mother tone, said, "OK - - your turn."

He stood up. Bad sign. None of the others had stood to ask their questions. He faced the group and asked, "Can everybody hear me?" Turning to me, he drew himself up to his full height of about five feet four inches, and finally got to ask his question. He said, "I know it's a baby from conception on - - but when does society say it's a baby?"

He sat down and I saw, for the first time, not an adversary to be overcome, but a young boy honestly looking for the answer to a Big Question. Time stopped. I had no clue what to tell him. Silently, in the depths of my soul, I spoke to God - - more accurately, Ishouted to God: "You got me into this, now You get me out. You answer this question."