For several years, I was represented in Congress by a man whom I admired. He worked hard, listened to a diverse group of constituents, and, at least in my own neighborhood, did much good. He consistently advocated for the pro-life movement. But then came a scandal: He had committed adultery, and, in trying to conceal his failure, had pressured his girlfriend to get an abortion. When the press exposed his hypocrisy, he squirmed for a little while, but soon enough quietly went away.

Dishonesty abounds, and it infuriates. Prolifers across the United States could recount similar tales about putatively pro-life politicians and activists. The dishonesty among pro-choicers is even worse. Who among us has not been told, for example, that prolifers only care about children until they’re born, at which point we promptly begin to neglect them?

It’s tempting to respond to such slander by ratcheting up the volume on our side: To complain bitterly of pro-choice lies, of pro-choice liars getting away with their lies, of useful idiots who facilitate the spread of the lies. “If they shout”—so we might imagine—“then we need to shout more loudly! If they caricature us, then we need to caricature them!”

In doing so we enter into a tit-for-tat contest, our rhetoric increasingly sounding like a he said/she said dispute. People who don’t know what to think about the role of abortion in public policy remain bewildered, responding mainly to the news story that most recently tugged at their heartstrings. And given the present state of journalism in the United States, that story most likely profiled some poor young girl whose life might have been lost or ruined were it not for some dedicated abortionist.

In addition to forfeiting some moral high ground, engaging in this rivalry disposes us to cynicism. Despite the recent overruling of Roe v. Wade—which in the end merely removed an impediment to pro-life laws—the people of the United States remain as divided as ever. If they’ve moved at all this year, it appears to be away from our side, perhaps in a misguided response to fear-mongering pro-choicers, dealt such a setback by the loss of Roe. It can seem to us as if the pro-life cause is doomed always to lose, forced into unfair competition with pro-choicers who are always cunning, deceitful, and more worldly than we are—and overwhelmingly supported by the media.

But maybe instead of amplifying our rivalry with pro-choicers, we might try surprising them with some rhetorical jiu jitsu instead—that is, by responding appreciatively to their dishonesty and posturing. I know it sounds strange for me to ask us to appreciate pro-choice arguments, but there’s a deeper truth here—bear with me a moment.

Yesterday at Mass, many of us heard the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13). In that parable, Jesus tells of a dishonest business manager, about to be fired, who abuses his managerial role in order to write down the debts of those who owe money to his boss. He figures the debtors will show their gratitude by taking care of him when he’s unemployed.

Jesus praises the dishonest steward:

And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings (Luke 16:8-9).

If prolifers are to follow Jesus’ instruction, at least in the appropriate circumstances, we will be graceful in dealing with our enemies and winsome with those who are not our enemies. And we will find inspiration even when it seems that our enemies prevail. For example:

“I appreciate your devotion to your own career. You so want to preserve your upward mobility, you’re willing to pressure your girlfriend into an abortion.”

“I appreciate your devotion to your cause. You want so much to win the favor of pro-choicers, you’re even willing to slander prolifers.”

In ordinary rivalry, the desire to win can tempt us to cheat. But with Jesus’ rhetorical jiu jitsu, praising the dishonest for their eagerness even to lie in order to win, we can perhaps avoid becoming like our enemies in an endlessly escalating competition. Maybe we can not only preserve our integrity, but find “prudent” ways to use the dishonest pragmatism of our enemies against them, and even win a soul or two by exposing the truth about the rivalry itself.

Of course, Jesus doesn’t really want his followers to procure abortions or slander anyone, any more than he wants us to commit fraud in our businesses. His point is that he wants us to be similarly dedicated to the cause of “light,” using whatever we have—our money, our jobs, our relationships—for the cause of light, so that everyone will be healed and come to know the truth. Would that all of Jesus’ followers, and all prolifers, be thus wholeheartedly dedicated to our cause!