Even now, Democrats are taking a myriad of steps to safeguard their most unholy sacrament. But the damage is done, and the Supreme Court’s ruling is a massive victory for the pro-life movement.

However, the battle is far from over.

The debate has already intensified. I’ve already written about what I think the pro-life movement should focus on next. But now, more than ever, it is important to ensure we are winning the messaging battle. This leads to another issue I have addressed before: The tendency on the part of conservatives to stay on the defense rather than going on the attack.

Yes, we should certainly be able to defend our pro-life stances. Defense is still important. But it would be a mistake of epic proportions to let the progressive left get away without having to defend their arguments. Indeed, as with most far-leftist ideas, the arguments coming from the pro-abortion crowd do not stand up to scrutiny. When questioned even a little, proponents of abortion fall apart like a house of cards.

We saw this reality on full display during Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “A Post-Roe America.” You might remember the ire that was raised when a Democratic witness accused Sen. Josh Hawley of engaging in a transphobic line of questioning when he asked whether she meant “women” when she used the phrase “people with the capacity for pregnancy.”

As humorous – and disturbing – as this exchange was, it was not the most instructive part of the hearings. One of the most critical takeaways for pro-lifers came when Republican lawmakers challenged pro-abortion witnesses on their stances.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) asked Khiara Bridges, the one concerned about transphobia, if she believed a baby that was born had value. After a pause, she said, “yes.”

Cornyn then asked the same question regarding an unborn baby. This is when the squirming began. “I believe that a person with the capacity for pregnancy has value,” Bridges said. “They have intelligence, they have agency, they have dignity—”

“No, I’m talking about the baby,” Cornyn interjected.

“And I’m talking about the person with the capacity for pregnancy,” Bridges replied.

The senator pressed, accusing Bridges of not answering his question. In response, she said: “I’m answering a more interesting question to me.”

Any rational person can see that this was nothing more than a cute dodge on Bridges’ part. The fact of the matter is that she cannot answer the question because she either has to say an unborn child has no value, thus is worthy of termination – or acknowledge that it does have value, which would make abortion unjustifiable. Neither answer is favorable to her cause, nor are they very persuasive to onlookers.

Michigan Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, another witness for the Democrats, did a similar song and dance when Cornyn asked if she supported abortion for any reason at any point during pregnancy. She responded by insisting that people have the right to make decisions about “what’s best for their life, their body, and their future.” Predictably, she also was unable to give an actual answer to the question.

This happens time and time again.

Pro-abortionists have yet to formulate arguments that can withstand scrutiny, which is why they are unable to defend them when pressed. Check out this video in which pro-life advocate Kristan Hawkins calmly and easily dismantles arguments put forth by a pro-abortion student.

If this conversation wasn’t about ending the lives of children, I might be tempted to feel bad for the poor, hapless student. But hopefully, she and others in that room began questioning their approach to the topic.

But these are examples showing us why, as defenders of life, we cannot afford to focus primarily on defending our views.

Make them explain why it is permissible to snuff out children’s lives for convenience.

Force them to defend their positions.

Watch them crumble as they fail to come up with anything other than deflection, avoidance, and name-calling.

More importantly, look at how those who may not have made up their minds react. This is how we will win on this particular battlefield of ideas. We are on the right side of this debate, and there is no reason to be afraid to put the pro-abortion crowd on the defense. So let’s put the shield down for a moment, pick up the sword, and go to work.