Beauty for Ashes

This week is a special - we look at the ten main threats to democracy today - 1) Wealth imbalance - the Wisconsin election, Trump's Tariffs; 2) Islam - the BBC and Bradford, the Salaah, Cardiff city council promotes Islam; 3) Anti-Semitism - Douglas Murray; John Anderson with Mark Durie and Richard Shumack;  4) Misuse of the police - Parents arrested for criticising school in UK, Scottish politician and the non hate crime of criticising non-binary ideology, FBI ordered gag on Hunter Biden laptop; 5) Progressive Woke ideology - Shanna Kattari, Ross Greer, Toddler suspended for transphobia, Quality Street becomes Equality Street, two tier justice;  6) Lawfare - Country of the week - France, the banning of Marine Le Pen, Yanis Varoufakis, Guy Verhofstadt; 7) Net Zero - destroying virgin forest in Australia, Myanmar earthquake, - when did the 24 hour day begin? 8) A Censored Media - death of Val Kilmer, Adolescence, Celtic's Shame, 9) Education as an indoctrination business - 10) The Decline of the Church  - including Feedback and the Final Word with music from Leonard Cohen, ACDC, Edith Piaf, the Kingston Trio, Jim Croce, and Sovereign Grace 

This week we look at Van Gogh with the help of Dr Who; Cynthia Erivo and Jesus Christ Superstar; the Snow White debacle; the death of George Foreman; What the collapse of 23andMe tells us; Japan bans the Moonies; a Mega Mosque in England's Lake District; Majoring in Decolonising Academia and Biological and Linguistic Futurity; Nurse abused by racist paedophile disciplined for not using 'correct' pronouns; Care Homes and Assisted Suicide;  Canadian and Australian Elections; Country of the Week - Turkey and Ekrem Imamoglu; Peace Deal in the Black Sea; The Emperor who went to war with the Sea; Net Zero increases carbon in the UK;  More Bibles sold in the UK; Feedback and the Final Wordwith music from Don McLean, Disney, Jesus Christ Superstar, Johnny Wakelin, the Rolling Stones, Turkish Orthodox Christian Music, Jimi Hendrix, and City Alight 

This week we look at Africa's only official Christian nation - Zambia;  Chinese pollution in Zambia;  Germany abandons debt ceiling and industry; Scottish Greens on Gender neutral toilets;  Dylan on machines making music; The Peat Inn for sale; the Dundee Derby; Newcastle United end trophy drought; SpaceX rescues astronauts; DOGE discovers 'Magic Money Machines'; Tesla and BYD batteries; Persecution of Christians in Syria and the Congo; Banning 'midwife'; New Jersey asks babies to self identify; Sydney rally against abortion; Ukraine ceasefire; The history of mail; C of E urges avoiding 'Eurocentric' prayers, Feedback  - with music from AGAM, Bob Dylan, the Magpie Geordie, the Rolling Stones, the Carpenters, and Ailsa Turner 

This week we look at Greenland's election;  Ukraine Ceasefire;  Canada's new Prime Minister;  Cancelling elections in Rumania - Vanis Varoufakis; Nicola Sturgeon leaving; Is Samoa Sinking? Vegan Friendly Films;  Amazonian Hypocrisy; Dolly Parton's husband dies; Dick McTaggart; Country of the Week - Syria; Hamas 'migrant' in the UK; Can a Black Woman play Jesus?  Woke RAF runs out of pilots; Canberra Church buildings; Christian inmate attacks death penalty before being executed; Street Preacher acquitted in UK; Feedback - including Donald Macleod on Gender; the Last Word - Pauls Conversion; with music from Elton John, the Who, Queen, Dolly Parton, Survivor, the Gene Band, Kenny Loggins, and Syrian Orthodox singers. 

This week we look at our country of the week - Ethiopia - Saudis shoot Ethiopian refugees, the Tigray civil war, coffee in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Jews,   The UK's National Death Service; Exploiting Sexual Abuse in Australia; Man becomes Sydney Woman of the Year;  Mardi Gras mockery of Christ; that White House Press Conference; Sharks in NSW; Mikey Madison and 'sex workers'; Germany rearms and refinances; Britain funds illegal Mexican abortion providers;  the death of Gene Hackman; Wes Streeting and Islamic freedom; Brian Cox on the Universe; Revival in the UK?  Feedback, an apology and Psalm 22 in Gaelic.  With music from Bob Marley, Helen Reddy, Nebiyou Elias,  Bob Dylan, and Bach Gaelic Psalm Singers. 

1 John 5:16-17 - Two of the most difficult verses in the whole Bible. What is the sin that leads to death and the sin that does not lead to death?

This week we follow up with many things going on in the world - including Gillian Mackay admitting prayer could be banned;  John Swinney wants unity against 'the Far Right'; Islamism in Sydney schools; another Islamist attack in France;  BBC whitewashes Hamas documentary; Stonewall uses US funding; Blackadder on the causes of war; the German Election;  English Granny visited by police for criticising politicians;  Northern Irish Pastor arrested for preaching in buffer zone; ;  Country of the Week - Greenland; the Death of Roberta Flack; France closes TV stations - proving JD Vance right; Wildfires Decline;  BP loses big on Renewables;  New Disease in the Congo;  the death of Roberta Flack and JFK's bodyguard; and Psalm 3  with music from Brebach, Talsik, Nive Nielsen and the Deer Children; Roberta Flack, the Specials, Dreamers Circus and the Sons of Korah.

This week we fact check JD Vance's extraordinary Munich speech, and remember the movie of the Band's last concert; including Abortion in Scotland; the rise of the AFD;  Islamic organisations in Australia support anti-semitic nurses; the BBC, LGBT sailors and the importance of gender pronouns over death; why manufacturing is a sexist word; Trumps Ukraine error; Iain McWhirter on Keir Starmers troop promise; Online hate speech in Germany; Margaret Brennan on how Free Speech leads to Nazism; Japan goes nuclear; Dr Who goes Woke and Broke; French taxpayers pay for training to talk to plants;  Christianity Today accepts $1.8 million USAID money; West Yorkshire Police and Diversity Officers; Christians killed in Nigeria and the Congo; Feedback and Is the Resurrection for Real? with music from The Band, Eric Clapton, the Cox Family, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell 

This week we focus on Germany and the reasons for its decline as well as the ongoing Trump impact - including the rise of the AFD;  Richard Dimbleby and Belsen; Anti-semitic nurses in Australia; Paula White and the White House Faith Office;  David Fletcher and Liam Goligher;  Are surf boards sexist?;  Is Lego anti- LGBT? Keir Starmer takes a HIV test; Elections in Ecuador;  Joe Rogan on USAID;   USAID funds Islamic extremism;  Selling out Britain - Chagos; Julia Hartley Brewer and the 'kindness of Hamas';  German economy tanked by Green polices; Hunter Valley Coal; the new Super Bowl vibe; the history of wine and beer; clergyman claims Saviour is an offensive term; public to advise on next Archbishop of Canterbury; and Feedback  with music from Rammstein, Beethoven, the Beach Boys, The Polka Brothers,  John Lennon, U2,  and Bach.  

1 John 5:1 - Faith and Love - the twins of real Christianity. What is faith? How does that work? What is the relationship with love?