Ill Conceived cover art

Ill Conceived

Ill Conceived

By: Josh Boerman & June Sternbach
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 A podcast about natalism. Hosted by Josh Boerman (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, Traditional Scrench) and June Sternbach (Western Kabuki, The Onion).Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Embryonic Movement: Catholics, Evangelicals, and the In-Vitro Fertilization Debate

    Embryonic Movement: Catholics, Evangelicals, and the In-Vitro Fertilization Debate
    Jul 11 2025
    When the first human baby was born through the use of a blossoming treatment called in-vitro fertilization in the late 1970’s, society largely viewed this as a miracle of science that gave those struggling with fertility a chance to start a family. Catholic leadership, believing that taking procreation out of pregnancy went against God’s will, aligned themselves against the practice. Evangelicals, meanwhile, have still to this day not found solid guidance from their leaders on whether this procedure should be embraced or condemned. This week, Josh and June explore the history of in-vitro fertilization and the complicated relationship many on the religious right have with it. EPISODE ART: Bishop Richard Burbage, Catholic anti-IVF advocate SOURCES: The Alabama Supreme Court’s Ruling on Frozen EmbryosAlabama legislature votes to restore IVF accessThe History of IVF: Origin and Developments of the 20th CenturyIn Vitro Fertilization Comes of AgeINSTRUCTION ON RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE IN ITS ORIGIN AND ON THE DIGNITY OF PROCREATION REPLIES TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF THE DAYBegotten Not Made: A Catholic View of Reproductive TechnologyBishop Burbidge Writes against a Federal IVF MandateDespite church prohibitions, Catholics still choose IVF to have childrenAbortion Viewed in Moral Terms: Fewer See Stem Cell Research and IVF as Moral IssuesPope Francis calls for a universal ban on surrogacy. He says it exploits mother and childProtestant Denominations Need Stronger Leadership on Assisted Reproductive TechnologyIVF: Moral and Ethical ConsiderationsIVF is life-changing for infertile families. But the Christian right says it’s not in ‘God’s plan’How the Christian Right Became So Hostile to IVFRepublicans are rushing to defend IVF. The anti-abortion movement hopes to change their minds.Americans overwhelmingly say access to IVF is a good thingRepublican IVF bill fails in U.S. SenateIn vitro fertilization bills from both Democrats and GOP blocked in U.S. SenateTrump has signed an executive order on IVF. Here’s what you should know about the procedureWhat Trump’s IVF executive order means for access to fertility assistance for AmericansAlabama IVF ruling looms over 2026 statewide elections VIDEO CLIPS Bishop Bidge talking about the immorality of IVF From the archives: Pope Francis explains why he's against surrogacy
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    42 mins
  • Amoral Majority: The Evangelical Abortion Shift of the 1970s

    Amoral Majority: The Evangelical Abortion Shift of the 1970s
    Jul 4 2025

    Opposition to legal abortion wasn't always a consensus matter across the Christian Right. In fact, as recently as the early 1970s, Protestants mostly considered it a "Catholic issue." But against a backdrop of paranoia about government overreach into religious affairs and fear of demographic decline, a Catholic named Paul Weyrich and an evangelical named Jerry Falwell joined hands to turn abortion into the signature mobilizing issue of their new Moral Majority. This week, June and Josh look at how this historical moment was primed for exploitation, why Christian rhetoric and policy toward abortion shifted so quickly, and what the long-term durability of this unholy alliance means as Americans continue to see their civil rights rolled back by the Trump administration.

    CLICK HERE AND DONATE TO AN ABORTION FUND IN YOUR AREA TODAY

    EPISODE IMAGE: Paul Weyrich, cofounder of the Moral Majority, in a Heritage Foundation portrait from 1982

    SOURCES:

    • "Creating the Litmus Test: Abortion, Mainline Protestants, and the Rise of the Religious Right" by Sabrina Danielsen
    • "Family Values" and the Formation of a Christian Right Agenda by Seth Dowland
    • Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right by Randall Balmer
    • “How the Right Uses Abortion Restrictions to Reinforce Racist and Gendered Hierarchies” by Cassie Miller, Southern Poverty Law Center
    • “Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church’s Constant Teaching” from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
    • Historical Abortion Law Timeline: 1850 to Today from Planned Parenthood Action
    • “The Religious Right and the Abortion Myth” by Randall Balmer, POLITICO
    • "Here's how much the ICE budget would increase under Trump's megabill" by Grace Deng, Snopes

    AUDIO CLIPS:

    • 42:55 – Ronald Reagan delivers an address to religious leaders at the 1980 National Affairs Briefing

    FOLLOW THE SHOW:

    • Website: illconceivedpodcast.com
    • Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com
    • Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

    FOLLOW JOSH:

    • Website: joshboerman.com
    • Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world
    • Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds
    • Stream: Traditional Scrench

    FOLLOW JUNE:

    • Bluesky: @junlper.beer
    • Other podcast: Western Kabuki
    • Writing: June's Substack
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    57 mins
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Health & Human Sicko

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Health & Human Sicko
    Jun 27 2025

    Josh and June look into the past of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Health and Human Services secretary, and how his history led to him getting involved with the MAGA movement. Once a liberal and advocate for environmental issues, Kennedy took a turn into anti-science and pseudo-health political movements later in life and gained notoriety within Trumpworld. Now that this conspiracy theorist holds the reins of America’s largest government health institution, we zoom into how these beliefs inform what he has done, what he still intends to do with this power, and why his long-standing emphasis on children's health resonates so strongly with people who are invested in the natalist agenda.

    SOURCES:

    • RFK Jr. Suggests Not Enough Teens Are Getting Pregnant, Rails Against Youth Testosterone Levels
    • Inside RFK Jr.'s nonprofit's legal battles over vaccines and public health
    • 'RFK'ing the french fries': Steak 'n Shake becomes a MAHA darling
    • RFK Jr.: I’m fighting chronic disease, slashing unhealthy fat at HHS
    • RFK Jr. says autism database will use Medicare and Medicaid info
    • How R.F.K. Jr. Went From Environmental Champion to Trump Backer

    AUDIO CLIPS:

    • 16:29 - Bernie Sanders asks RFK Jr. if he is supportive of these onesies in a Senate hearing (C-SPAN, January 29, 2025)

    FOLLOW THE SHOW:

    • Website: illconceivedpodcast.com
    • Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com
    • Tumblr: @illconceivedpod

    FOLLOW JOSH:

    • Website: joshboerman.com
    • Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world
    • Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds
    • Stream: Traditional Scrench

    FOLLOW JUNE:

    • Bluesky: @junlper.beer
    • Other podcast: Western Kabuki
    • Writing: June's Substack
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    40 mins

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