Sunday Afternoon Reads: The Case for Kids

The Bulletin

Christianity Today

News, News Commentary, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.4 • 586 Ratings

🗓️ 21 December 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As a mom of six, author Leslie Leyland Fields was shocked when she first heard the term “breeder” to describe mothers of large families. In this edition of Sunday Afternoon Reads, Leslie reads her piece “The Case for Kids,” which was published nearly twenty years ago as a cover story for Christianity Today, offered today with all new statistics for contemporary listeners. As the birth rate in the US has declined to a record low, Leslie’s words are more prescient than ever. READ THE WRITTEN VERSION: -The Case for Kids - Leslie Leyland Fields GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: -Join the conversation at our Substack. -Find us on YouTube. -Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Leslie Leyland Fields is a writer, speaker and professional editor who lives on Kodiak Island, Alaska in the winter and Harvester Island in the summer, where she works in commercial salmon fishing with her family. She co-hosts “Off the Shelf” on KMXT Public Radio and is the author of Parenting Is Your Highest Calling, Surprise Child, and other books. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today’s editor-at-large and columnist) and Mike Cosper (senior contributor). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Clarissa Mall, producer and moderator of the bulletin.
0:09.4	Welcome to today's Sunday afternoon read.
0:12.7	Over the last 20 years, the child-free movement has dismantled its stigma and entered the mainstream
0:18.3	as a viable alternative for those who don't wish to be parents.
0:22.3	Celebrities from Seth Rogen to Jennifer Aniston and Miley Cyrus have promoted the advantages of
0:28.0	living child-free, and social media influencers have capitalized on trends of declining marriage
0:33.7	and birth rates to encourage those who see kids as a ball and chain to be avoided.
0:39.1	Here at the Bulletin, we've addressed both the child-free movement and its foil, the pronatalist
0:44.0	movement, in conversations about ethics and politics. Today, we offer another unique perspective
0:50.3	on this topic that provokes so much emotion and deserves our consideration as Christians.
0:56.1	In this episode of Sunday afternoon reads, author Leslie Lelandfield's mother of six,
1:01.7	reads her piece The Case for Kids, which was published nearly 20 years ago as a cover story
1:07.1	for Christianity Today magazine, offered to you with updated statistics and data that bring her timeless words into the present moment.
1:15.8	We hope you'll email us at podcasts at Christianitytay.com to tell us what you think.
1:21.2	Now, settle in and listen to Leslie read her piece, The Case for Kids.
1:38.7	This paid message is from Pew Research Center.
1:45.5	The U.S. Census doesn't track religion, but Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study does. Since 2007,
1:50.9	it's provided a comprehensive look at the ever-changing role of faith in America. With responses from more than 35,000 Americans, the Religious Landscape Study provides authoritative data on religious
1:57.0	beliefs, practices, and identities across all 50 states. To explore how faith shapes
2:02.4	your community, visit pewresearch.org slash RLS.
2:06.2	I first heard the word in my college classroom a few years ago. I was an assistant professor
2:14.3	of English at a state university, and, not incidentally, the mother of
	...

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