The Briefing with Albert Mohler Tuesday, March 17, 2026
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Mar 17, 2026 Discussion of Paul Ehrlich’s death and the influence of his population control ideas. Debate over scientific authority and why Ehrlich did not revise his theory. Coverage of medical associations and new California legislation on transgender-related insurance mandates. Reaction to a controversial Ninth Circuit ruling on sex‑segregated facilities. Newsy looks at nudism trends and what they reveal about cultural shifts.
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Why Ehrlich's Predictions Initially Seemed Plausible
- Rapid declines in infant mortality and agricultural advances caused a population boom that made Ehrlich's doomsday forecast seem plausible.
- Mohler highlights the Green Revolution and improved hygiene/farming as reasons food production outpaced Ehrlich's predictions.
Why Ehrlich Didn't Abandon His Theory
- Reality (Green Revolution, improved distribution) contradicted Ehrlich's famine predictions, yet he and many supporters maintained the ideology.
- Mohler argues the persistence reflected an ideological antipathy to human reproduction, not scientific revision.
Compulsion Was Part Of The Population Control Playbook
- Ehrlich explicitly endorsed compulsion if voluntary population control failed, influencing coercive policies like China's one-child program.
- Mohler links those calls for compulsion to real-world harms: forced sterilization, abortion, and demographic collapse.
