Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Albert Mohler

Episode: Monday, December 15, 2025

Host: R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Theme: Cultural Commentary from a Biblical Perspective

Episode Overview

This episode tackles a striking Wall Street Journal investigation into Chinese billionaires, particularly one named Xu Bo, commissioning dozens—eventually over a hundred—of U.S.-born babies via surrogacy. Mohler explores the moral, legal, and societal implications of this practice, highlighting the commodification of children, the unregulated nature of the fertility industry, and the broader ramifications for citizenship and culture. The conversation draws on science fiction analogies and Christian theological principles, urging listeners to consider the issue's gravity beyond mere headlines.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Science Fiction Becomes Reality

• Mohler introduces the theme by reflecting on science fiction’s legacy of “futuristic narratives” and draws a powerful comparison to today’s technological realities that seem “unimaginable in the present.”
  • Quote (00:19):

    “Sometimes it’s kind of difficult to tell the difference between fact and fiction when it comes to some of the accounts that we see coming at us in the media. That’s why it’s particularly important to know that what we’re about to talk about is factual.”

2. The Wall Street Journal Report

• The episode centers on a report about Chinese billionaires seeking dozens to hundreds of U.S.-born babies through IVF and surrogacy.
• Xu Bo, a video game executive, seeks not just children but specifically U.S. citizen sons, intending to build “mega families” and future business dynasties.
  • Quote (01:10):

    “He hoped to have 20 or so US born children through surrogacy—boys, because they're superior to girls. He said they are intended one day to take over his business.”

• Some babies are being raised by nannies in California, as their paperwork to travel to China is processed.
• The entire process is compared to “buying babies,” with assisted reproductive technology agencies facilitating these arrangements largely for profit.

3. Commodification of Children

• Mohler underscores the gravity of seeing children as commercial products, highlighting issues like embryo selection for gender and designer babies.
  • Quote (07:25):

    "Let’s just put it bluntly. He’s buying babies… a technology that now allows for the development of custom babies as a consumer product."

• He emphasizes that the IVF/surrogacy industry is essentially unregulated—a “wild, wild west.”
• Many agencies profit from these arrangements (“tens of thousands of dollars of administrative fees”) and mothers, often depicted as altruistic, are predominantly motivated by compensation.

4. Ethical and Theological Critique

• The episode challenges Christian listeners to evaluate the fertility industry through a biblical worldview.
• Mohler warns that removing procreation from marriage, treating children as commodities, and constructing dynasties outside of God’s intended order undermines divine creation.
  • Quote (18:29):

    “The context for having children is the same context for having sexual relations. And that is within the covenant of marriage, the union of a man and a woman in a monogamous union. That is what is set right there. Genesis 1, Genesis 2.”

• Disassembly of God’s order for human flourishing leads to negative outcomes—children here become “consumer goods.”

5. Global and Legal Dimensions

• The practice is illegal in China but legal in the US, creating a global “market for children.”
• Surrogacy firms facilitate international transfers, and American birth confers citizenship, raising “birthright citizenship” debates.
• Industry recommendations—such as not working with parents seeking more than two simultaneous surrogacies—show the limits of self-regulation.
  • Quote (28:24):

    “That tells you a whole lot right there… Industry groups recommend that agencies and IVF clinics not work with parents seeking more than two simultaneous surrogacies because of the logistical and emotional challenges and the risk that it will increase the perception that surrogacy commodifies pregnancy.”

• The “mother” role is erased; “surrogate carrier” replaces it, signaling deep moral shifts.

6. Broader Social Context: Billionaire Influence

• Mohler briefly pivots to a Wall Street Journal report on the rise of billionaires globally (now 2,900), emphasizing the unprecedented economic power allowing billionaires to “buy just about anything”—including children.
  • Quote (34:30):

    “That kind of wealth means that you can buy, evidently, just about anything. And that’s what takes us back to the first issue of our concern today. That means that billionaires are now able to buy lots of babies. Welcome to the brave new world…”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Surreal Nature of the Story (03:42):

  “This isn’t science fiction. This is the Wall Street Journal. This is a hard news report about one Chinese billionaire now believed to be the father of more than 100 children by IVF and surrogacy.”

• On Parenting vs. Consumerism (09:19):

  “This doesn’t sound like parenting? Because let’s just state the truth. This isn’t parenting. This is a commercial enterprise. It is a financial transaction. It is basically big business.”

• On the Disappearance of Parents (29:50):

  “The fact that even the word mother just disappears entirely. They are only surrogate carriers. If you want evidence of the deeply, deeply suspect, deeply wrong dimensions of this entire thing, notice that there is no father unless he shows up… and the mother disappears altogether forever.”

• On Birthright Citizenship (23:37):

  “You have these babies that are being born to surrogates on behalf of a Chinese client who simply wants to buy American baby boys, complete with citizenship, that is a perversion of the very notion of citizenship.”

• On Surrogacy as Global Market (31:48):

  “You see how things work in this global market for children—what’s illegal in China, a Chinese billionaire can just buy in the United States.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04 – 02:09: Introduction & Science Fiction Parallels
• 02:10 – 08:45: Overview of the Wall Street Journal Report: Chinese Billionaires, Surrogacy Agencies, Technology
• 08:46 – 15:50: Commodification of Children, Industry Profits, IVF as “Consumer Product”
• 15:51 – 23:36: Biblical/Ethical Critique; Redefining Family and Procreation
• 23:37 – 27:10: Legal Loopholes, Birthright Citizenship, American Context
• 27:11 – 30:00: Lack of Regulation, Loss of Parenthood Terminology, Global Market
• 30:01 – 33:40: Historical and Social Dimensions—Gender Preference, “Broken Branches” in China
• 33:41 – 36:05: Billionaire Class, Economic Power and Societal Influence

Summary & Takeaway

Albert Mohler’s analysis is a clarion call, warning Christian listeners and the broader public that current fertility and surrogacy practices—especially when fueled by extreme wealth—create profound moral and societal dilemmas. The episode moves from headline news to theological reflection, urging a re-examination of the assumptions, motivations, and legal frameworks that now permit the commodification of children and the redefinition of family.
Mohler ends soberly:

“Welcome to the brave new world, and especially, evidently, to the brave new world of billionaires.” (35:36)

For listeners interested in understanding the intersection of biotechnology, business ethics, social policy, and tradition through a Christian lens, this episode delivers both penetrating critique and thought-provoking commentary.