Why Having Babies Is Controversial in 2021

Quick to Listen

Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2021

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Last year, the US birthrate experienced its largest single-year drop in nearly 50 years. For years, America’s 2.1 fertility rate made it an outlier to other developed countries. But for the last decade, the number had begun trending downwards, plummeting to last year’s figure of 1.6 children per woman. These numbers entered the news the same week the New York Times published an essay by columnist Elizabeth Bruenig, “I Became a Mother at 25, and I’m Not Sorry I Didn’t Wait.” Many warmly received and shared the piece, which explores the author’s experience of learning she was pregnant and the many factors that have caused millennial women to delay children including economic concerns, higher education, race, and geography. But for others, it struck a nerve. One NYT commenter wrote, “There are few things more irresponsible than bringing a child into the world in 2021. I know it's difficult to reject the incredible social and cultural pressure that encourages us to reproduce. The easiest thing to do will always be to have children. But a good rule of thumb is that the easiest option-- the one our current paradigm encourages-- generally causes the most damage and suffering.” On Twitter, Jill Filipovic wrote, “I would really love to read more essays and op/eds from women (and men, too) who regret having children as early as they did, regret having as many as they did, or regret having children at all. There's not much about motherhood that remains publicly unexplored, but that does.” Rebecca McLaughlin is the author of Confronting Christianity, named Christianity Today's 2020 Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year, and it's follow-up edition for youth, 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity. Her latest book is The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims. She joined global media manager Morgan Lee and executive editor Ted Olsen to discuss the challenges of talking about babies and motherhood in 2021 in the culture at large but also inside the church. What is Quick to Listen? Read more Rate Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts Follow the podcast on Twitter Follow our hosts on Twitter: Morgan Lee and Ted Olsen Follow our guest on Twitter: Rebecca McLaughlin Music by Sweeps Quick to Listen is produced by Morgan Lee and Matt Linder The transcript is edited by Yvonne Su and Bunmi Ishola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.1	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion. Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikhail del Rosario at apologeticsky.com.
0:28.6	Last year, the U.S. birth rate experienced its largest single year drop in nearly 50 years. For years, America's 2.1 fertility rate needed an outlier, especially in compared to other developed countries.
0:36.6	For the last decade, that number had begun trending downwards,
0:40.3	plummeting to last year's figure of 1.6 children per woman.
0:44.5	These numbers enter the news the same week.
0:46.5	The New York Times published an essay by columnist Elizabeth Branagh.
0:50.5	I became a mother at 25, and I'm not sorry I didn't wait.
0:56.1	Many warmly received and shared the piece, which explores the author's experience of learning she was pregnant,
1:01.0	and the many factors that have caused millennial women to delay children, including economic concerns, higher education, race, and geography.
1:09.7	But for others, it struck a nerve. One commenter wrote on the
1:14.4	New York Times website, there are a few things more irresponsible than bringing a child into the world in
1:19.8	2021. I know it's difficult to reject the incredible social and cultural pressure that encourages
1:25.4	us to reproduce. The easiest thing will always be to have
1:29.2	children. But a good rule of thumb is that the easiest option, the one our current paradigm encourages,
1:35.9	generally causes the most damage and suffering. On Twitter, writer Jill Piliakovich wrote,
1:43.3	I would really love to read more essays and op-eds from women and men too who regret having children as early as they did,
1:50.1	regret having as many as they did, or regret having children at all.
1:53.7	There's not much about motherhood that remains publicly unexplored, but that does.
1:59.2	As many of you know, last week on Quick to Listen, we looked at motherhood and parenting
2:03.1	overall from a policy perspective.
2:06.1	This week on the show, we wanted to have this conversation at a more personal and
	...

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