The University of Toronto seems to be a fairly typical North American campus, where the pro-life position is rarely encountered in either classrooms or coffee shops. This year, however, two student groups – Compass Catholic Fellowship and University of Toronto Students for Life – have been working hard to change this situation, by inviting prominent speakers to defend the pro-life point of view.

Last November, Compass Catholic Fellowship invited the renowned bioethicist, Dr. Janet Smith, to deliver a lecture entitled, “God and Sex: Is the Catholic View Right or Wrong?” which focused on contraception and its consequences in human life. In contrast to the widely accepted view that contraception reduces “unwanted” pregnancies and improves marriages, Smith showed that the practice of contraception not only contributes to incidents of divorce and lowers the number of marriages, but also leads to abortion as a form of birth control.

The aggregate effect of this contraceptive mentality was made clear in a number of striking statistics: a quarter of all pregnancies end in abortion; one-third of American babies are born out of wedlock; and half of all marriages end in divorce. Taken together, this means that only 28 per cent of babies will be born into a family that will stay together. Since sociological observations confirm what the culture has always known – that a stable family provides the best chance for a child to lead a happy life – Smith raised the question: what will be the long-term effects of this cultural shift?

Rebecca Kiessling offered similar insights in her lecture, “Did I Deserve the Death Penalty?” but in a much different way. Kiessling, who was conceived in rape, is a living argument against exceptions for abortion in cases of rape or incest. She offered her life as an example of how even the most terrible trials can be overcome through the strength of love, rather than the cold comfort of abortion. She reaffirmed many of the points raised by Smith, but confirmed these statistical facts with a personal anecdotal view. Now a family lawyer and mother of four (with one on the way), Kiessling showed that children conceived in rape do not deserve to die simply because their fathers were criminals – she made the striking point that God, not a rapist, was her Creator.

While Smith and Kiessling drew large crowds and addressed broad issues, Angelina Steenstra, co-founder of Second Chance Ministry, addressed only a handful of students in February in St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel. Like Kiessling, she gave a personal testimony, but spoke more freely and directly about the role of religion in her life. Her lecture, “Stronger than Death,” described the events that led to her having an abortion at the age of 15, the pain, denial and self-destruction that ensued from it and her journey towards recovery and towards God. Her husband, Walter, prayed in silence for the duration of her speech.

Steenstra spoke with humility and conviction, talking openly and honestly about her 17 years of denial, and “the liberation after liberation” that came from dealing directly with the consequences of her abortion. This kind of liberation is proposed by the Silent No More awareness campaign, which Second Chance Ministry began five years ago and which is featured prominently at the annual March for Life in Ottawa.

“Stronger than Death” was a moving and powerful witness to the hidden pain of abortion and the power of forgiveness, both human and divine. Like the other two speakers invited to the U of T, Steenstra developed her theme with intelligence and eloquence. It was clear she made a very deep impression on the students who heard her speak.

While the effect these speakers have had on the abortion debate at U of T is difficult to measure, the witness given by these women is invaluable. They are examples of a different kind of feminism, not commonly encountered on campus. It is a feminism that refuses the easy compromises with the culture and, in the words of Pope John Paul II, “rejects the temptation of imitating models of ‘male domination.’” It is an affirming vision of women, which all feminists should accept. And, as campus groups continue to invite such distinguished speakers, more and more students will have the opportunity to encounter this kind of pro-life feminism and to truly enjoy the intellectual diversity that should always be at the heart of the true university experience.