The Briefing with Albert Mohler – December 17, 2025

Episode Summary and Key Insights

Main Theme/Purpose

This episode delivers an in-depth cultural commentary from a Christian worldview focused on the state of abortion in America post-Dobbs decision, the resilience of abortion demand, legislative and judicial developments, political party dynamics regarding pro-life stances, and reflections triggered by recent tragic news including the murder of Rob Reiner and his wife. Mohler unpacks these complex issues, always bringing the analysis back to foundational questions of morality, worldview, and the human heart.

1. The Increasing Abortion Rate Post-Dobbs Decision

• Key Point: Despite the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade and returning abortion law to the states, abortion numbers have risen rather than fallen.
• Reasons:
  • Telehealth Abortion & the Abortion Pill: Medical innovations, especially telehealth and mifepristone (“the abortion pill”), have dramatically increased abortion access even where clinics are banned.
  • State-by-State Divide: Some states have near-total bans, while others guarantee unlimited access and even taxpayer-funded abortion, but telehealth blurs these boundaries ([02:20]).
  • Legal Battles: Ongoing lawsuits between pro-life states and abortion pill providers attempting to restrict cross-state abortion pill shipment.
• Notable Quote:
  • “It certainly appears to be true that over the course of years, millions upon millions of women in the United States have demanded abortions… there is the demand. The demand, if anything, appears to be growing.” — Mohler ([15:45])

2. The Logic and Deep Embedding of Abortion Demand in American Culture

• Key Point:
  • Mohler argues that the so-called “culture of death” is now deeply embedded in American society, with abortion logic shaping even those who identify as pro-life on paper.
  • The willingness to seek abortion when personally confronted with an unwanted pregnancy reveals a profound cultural and moral shift.
• Euphemisms & Moral Evasion:
  • Mohler critiques the widespread use of phrases like “abortion care” as deliberate euphemisms, softening the reality of abortion ([08:20]).
  • Notable External Quote:
    • “The U.S. is becoming a tale of two countries in terms of abortion access and abortion policy.” — Public health scientist, University of California, referenced by Mohler ([07:31])
    • “All this legislation will never take away from the fact that women will continue to need abortion care and continue to get abortion care.” — Same scientist, as critiqued by Mohler for employing euphemism ([08:04])
• Mohler’s Response:
  • “You call something what it's not in order to try to make it more acceptable than it is. You try to dress up what is the termination of life, the killing of unborn life… Instead, you call it ‘abortion care’. And it’s just a complete world turned upside down.” ([08:45])

3. Political and Legislative Developments

a) Federal Appeals Court Ruling on Planned Parenthood Funding

• Summary:
  • A key federal appeals court decision affirms that Congress can deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion service providers.
  • This stems from a broad “Big Bill” omnibus tax and domestic policy legislation signed by President Trump, explicitly excluding funding to abortion providers ([19:55]).
• Impact:
  • Planned Parenthood is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, but Mohler is skeptical of their chances.
  • He highlights the pro-abortion movement’s ability to fundraise regardless of legal outcomes.
• Notable Quote:
  • “They seem to win by winning or losing. And let's admit it, that's really frustrating.” — Mohler ([21:00])

b) Political Pushback: Senator Josh Hawley’s Pro-Life Initiatives

• Summary:
  • Senator Josh Hawley and wife Erin are launching a new pro-life advocacy group, the Love Life Initiative, facing criticism from Trump advisors who see abortion as an electoral liability for Republicans in coming elections.
• Mohler’s Warning:
  • Criticizes the idea of sidelining the pro-life cause for political expediency, warning the Republican party of losing its core base and moral identity ([24:20]).
• Notable Quote:
  • "If the pro life movement or the pro life cause is put on the back burner in such a way that it becomes a political impediment for the Republican Party... I just would hope that the Republican Party would count the cost of doing that." ([25:00])
  • “If that calculus goes away, it will amount to a far larger injury to the Republican Party than standing by the pro life cause. But...that pales in significance to the moral injury.” ([25:40])

4. Recent Tragedy and Reflections on Entertainment’s Role in Culture

• Current News:
  • Mohler references a spate of violent events, notably the murder of movie director Rob Reiner and his wife by their son, which gripped the national attention ([28:00]).
• Cultural Reflection:
  • Mohler traces Rob Reiner’s career and “All in the Family,” observing the deliberate attempt by producer Norman Lear to shift culture leftward through television.
  • Interestingly, the show unintentionally humanized both liberal (Rob Reiner’s “Michael Stivic”) and conservative (Carroll O’Connor's “Archie Bunker”) perspectives, defying Lear’s expectations ([32:45]).
• Media’s Double-Edged Impact:
  • These portrayals, says Mohler, allowed Americans to “see real issues debated" in ways that could foster understanding across political lines.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Even when Archie Bunker was making outlandish arguments… he was often reflecting the basic moral consensus of the United States of America… Carroll O’Connor… played Archie Bunker with such authenticity that Americans couldn’t hate Archie Bunker. They just couldn’t hate him. He humanized Archie Bunker.” ([34:50])
  • “The humanization of the argument is a good and healthy thing for all of us.” ([37:25])

5. Moral Takeaway and Call to Action

• Root Cause:
  • Ultimately, Mohler roots the ongoing abortion crisis not in law or politics, but in the human heart—a core theological claim ([17:50]).
  • “The bigger problem is not in the abortion clinic. It's in the human heart.” — Mohler ([18:00])
• Christian Response:
  • Believers are called not just to legislative action but to “lean into the gospel of life and preach it all the time, everywhere we can” ([18:50]).

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “We are now in a situation in which the telehealth availability, the abortion pill availability, and you add to that what is undeniably a demand for abortion, it means that the number of abortions is actually higher than it was before the reversal of Roe v. Wade.” — Mohler ([05:30])
• “There’s a market for it, there’s a demand for it. It’s supply and demand. So long as there is a demand, there will be a supply. And that is the logic of the pro-abortion movement.” — Mohler ([11:55])
• “The bigger problem is not in the abortion clinic. It’s in the human heart. And this is something that Christians, given a biblical worldview, understand, even if no one else understands this.” — Mohler ([18:00])
• “Our job isn’t less than it was in 2022… It’s an even bigger job. And this is where, as Christians, we understand we have to lean into not only arguments for the dignity and sanctity of human life, we have to lean into the gospel of life and preach it all the time, everywhere we can.” — Mohler ([18:50])
• “I don’t think there’s much of a future for the Republican Party” if it abandons the pro-life cause. — Mohler ([27:40])
• “The humanization of the argument is a good and healthy thing for all of us.” — Mohler ([37:25])

Key Segment Timestamps

• [02:20] – Post-Dobbs abortion landscape, telehealth’s impact
• [07:31] – The “tale of two countries” quote and discussion of euphemisms
• [08:45] – Critique of “abortion care” language
• [15:45] – Admission of growing abortion demand
• [18:00] – Moral problem rooted in the human heart
• [19:55] – Ruling on Planned Parenthood funding
• [24:20] – Political debate within GOP on abortion focus
• [28:00] – Discussion of Rob Reiner tragedy
• [32:45] – “All in the Family” and unintended cultural effects
• [37:25] – Importance of humanizing debates

Conclusion

Mohler’s December 17, 2025 episode delivers a sobering assessment of America’s evolving abortion reality post-Dobbs, the resilience of abortion demand despite legislative victories, the need for clear-eyed political and theological reflection, and the cultural power of media. He implores listeners—especially Christians—to recognize that the defining conflict is a battle for the human heart, requiring both steadfast legislative engagement and an ever-fresh presentation of the Gospel of life.