#56: The Cost of Being Pro-Life In Public—Katie Ascough

Ask Katie Ascough (pronounced azkoe) if she ever dreamed a year ago that she would be elected president of the Student Union of the 32,000 strong University College in Dublin (UCD), only to be impeached eight months later for following the law regarding advertising abortion services. Ouch, to say the least.

The third year medicinal chemistry major won the election hands down and disclosed from the start that she is pro-life, although she was not the “pro-life candidate” as the Irish press labeled her. She just wanted to make some real improvements for UCD students, like healthier cafeteria food, better living conditions, and open discourse among disparate groups.

In this interview, she shared with me what she did that induced so many of her fellow UCD students to impeach her (the first time in UCD history). The reality behind the misleading headlines is maddening and provides both a snapshot of post-Christian Ireland and an example of media manipulation. It turns out that my guest was found guilty of EWPL (existing while pro-life).

In this episode you will learn

• Why Katie Ascough represents the best of public pro-life witness: intelligent, honest, and consistent.
• What it was like to have her own team of officers turn on her, one by one.
• How the Irish media, and contemporary college settings generally, reflect a wall-to-wall animus against Catholics who are willing to serve in public office.
• A great example of how to endure pushback and persecution with grace and grit.

Resources mentioned in this episode

Target Africa by Obianuju Ekeocha

Love Unleashes Life by Stephanie Gray

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Question of the week: How much does the fear of human respect stop me from becoming more actively pro-life?

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