Kiera Butler, a National Correspondent for Mother Jones, and Rob Schenck, a former leader in the Christian nationalist movement, dive into the intriguing pronatalist movement. They explore how billionaires like Elon Musk and conservative values intersect in a push for higher birth rates to purportedly save civilization. The conversation covers embryo optimization, the ethics of who should reproduce, and Schenck’s transformative journey from advocating for abortion rights to grappling with the moral implications of his past actions in the political arena.
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insights INSIGHT
Tech and Trad Alliance on Births
Silicon Valley tech leaders like Elon Musk promote having more babies for economic growth and civilization's future.
They ally with religious conservatives to encourage reproduction emphasizing intelligence and ambition.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Collinses: Tech Pronatalists
Simone Collins wears a Handmaid's Tale outfit and is pregnant with her fifth child, committed to having more until physically impossible.
The Collins couple are vocal pronatalists from tech and finance backgrounds, blending tradition with innovation.
insights INSIGHT
Global Demographic Collapse Risks
Low birth rates in countries like South Korea and Hungary threaten future economies and demographics globally.
The aging population will leave many vulnerable without new generations to support them.
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Costly Grace is a memoir by Rob Schenck, detailing his journey from being an anti-abortion crusader to a more moderate perspective. The book explores his experiences within the evangelical right, his involvement in anti-abortion activism, and his eventual disillusionment with the movement. Schenck reflects on his past actions, the harm he caused, and his path toward reconciliation and a more inclusive faith. The memoir offers a candid and introspective account of his transformation, prompting readers to consider the complexities of faith, politics, and personal responsibility. It's a powerful story of redemption and the search for truth.
What do Silicon Valley billionaires, religious parents of six, and eugenics-curious biotech founders have in common? Welcome to the world of pronatalism—a growing movement that aims to solve the so-called population crisis by making more babies.
We follow the unlikely alliance between tech futurists and traditional conservatives who think it’s their duty to repopulate the Earth—with intelligence, ambition, and carefully screened DNA. Many believe our economic future is at stake without more humans.
“If you think of government as a business, then babies are its future customers,” said Patri Friedman, grandson of the economist Milton Friedman.
This week on Reveal, we go inside NatalCon, a gathering where embryo optimization meets Old Testament values. From Elon Musk’s fertility tweets to startup founders planning five-child families like product launches, this isn’t just about babies—it’s about engineering civilization.
But in some corners of the movement, a darker theme emerges: Who’s deemed fit to reproduce, and who’s left out? We also talk with the Reverend Rob Schenck, a former leader in the Christian nationalist movement, about his multidecade plan to repeal abortion rights and push the American government to the right.
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