Thoughts & Comments Podcast

~Content warning, discretion advised~

A disturbing university sexual assault trial (details deliberately left vague) is redefining how we view predators and victims.

LifeNet director and podcaster Brendan Malone unpacks the gender-based groupthink now shaping public reactions to cases of crime and immorality. He posits that rather than asking "What is true?", society has split into tribal camps, echoing decades of campus tolerance —and promotion— of hedonistic behaviour among students.

The Christian anthropologist and Andrew Urquhart discuss how a libertarian "consent-only" ethic assumes a level playing field between men and women and that private character doesn't affect public life. He points out that true consent only makes sense within a Christian sexual ethic that upholds human dignity; whereas stripping out morality under the guise of absolute bodily autonomy has bankrupted Western culture, which is still in denial about the catastrophic effects of  the sexual revolution, much like the failed Soviet experiment ([lifenet.org.nz)

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Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

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Public theologian Dr Craig Heilman joins Andrew Urquhart to unpack the unrest sweeping French cities, where protests over crumbling schools and spiralling public debt have spilled into street violence. Dr Heilman warns France's debt, now around 120% of GDP, is a "wake-up call" for all heavily indebted Western nations, including his own Australia, as governments struggle to tax or spend their way out of trouble.

Beyond the economics, Dr Heilman argues the unrest exposes a deeper loss of social cohesion, with disparate and sometimes opposing groups - from genuine protesters to Free Palestine activists and agitators - converging on the same streets. He contends Western governments are likely to respond with increasing authoritarianism and online censorship, and reflects that the real "revolution" of recent generations has been cultural rather than political - played out through the sexual and gender revolutions. He concludes that the most countercultural act available to Christians today is simply to live faithfully, marry, and raise a family.

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

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Matt Perry, executive director of the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC), updates Andrew Curtis on the deepening crisis in Ukraine as the war enters its fifth year. He reveals that FEBC's roughly forty Kyiv-based staff are now being evacuated westward to Chernihiv amid a relentless new Russian bombing campaign targeting bridges, roads and transport infrastructure, causing severe sleep deprivation and psychological strain across the civilian population.

Despite the hardship, Perry highlights a striking spiritual response: Pentecostal leaders report fifty-four new churches planted in the Kyiv region since the invasion began, many made up of 60-80% new believers from Orthodox backgrounds. He explains how FEBC's down-to-earth, non-denominational broadcasts - including programmes like "Wounded by the War" and "Embrace" for strained marriages and widows - have become a key discipleship tool, as listeners seek authentic, hope-filled content rather than constant crisis talk ([febc.nz](https://www.febc.nz)).

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

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Thu 8 Oct ~ Geopolitical analyst Dr Jeffrey Miller, editor of Gulf States Insight, reflects with host Andrew Curtis on the two years since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, which killed around 1200 people and took 250 hostages before triggering a devastating war in Gaza. Dr Miller notes the conflict reshaped global attention away from Ukraine, hardened divisions over who counts as victim or aggressor, and has since spread into Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran, with Hamas and Israel now locked in a stalemate over disarmament and occupation.

Dr Miller argues Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline military response was driven partly by domestic political survival after Israel's intelligence failure, and warns there is no military solution to the region's problems, only difficult diplomatic ones that neither side currently wants to pursue. He also discusses the deepening polarisation seen even in New Zealand around the conflict, and points to the renewed war in Yemen as a growing, under-reported flashpoint now contributing to high global oil prices.

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema&utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link

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Simon O'Connor of Family First joins host Davina to discuss New Zealand's retirement income landscape, covering the rising cost of superannuation, proposed KiwiSaver hikes, and the five-year anniversary of the End of Life Choice Act. He warns the country is heading towards a fiscal "cliff" as an ageing population drives up the superannuation bill, arguing successive governments of both colours have avoided the politically unpopular step of raising the pension age.

O'Connor opposes lifting KiwiSaver contributions to twelve percent, saying the extra cost burdens businesses and locks away money New Zealanders could otherwise use to pay down mortgages, while criticising Labour's proposal letting employees pause contributions while employers keep paying. On euthanasia, he cautions that financial and social pressure on the elderly will likely drive further expansion of the law, pointing to Canada's experience and recalling a chilling comment from a nurses' group suggesting euthanasia could cut health costs, and urges voters to use Family First's "Value Your Vote" tool to check MPs' conscience-vote records ahead of the election ([www.valueyourvote.nz](https://www.valueyourvote.nz)).

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

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Professor Robert Patman, Professor of International Relations at the University of Otago, joins Andrew Urquhart to assess the state of the Ukraine war as it heads into another winter. He describes the Donbas front as bordering on stalemate, with Russia making grinding, costly gains until a recent Ukrainian breakthrough near Lyman, while both sides escalate drone and missile strikes on infrastructure and cities in a bid to break morale.

Prof. Patman warns that diplomatic efforts, including recent Kushner-Witkoff visits, have achieved little since Putin will only accept a Russian-dictated "land for peace" deal, and flags growing fractures in European support as pro-Russian populist parties (AfD, National Rally, Reform UK) gain ground. 

He argues New Zealand has a direct stake in Russia's defeat given the precedent it sets for China over Taiwan and the Pacific, and notes rare cross-party domestic consensus, from David Seymour to Winston Peters, against Putin's invasion despite differing political persuasions.

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema&utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link

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Commentator Brendan Malone joins Andrew Urquhart to dissect the media storm around Nicky Hager's latest election-season book, questioning whether it represents genuine investigative journalism or a recurring pattern of politically timed hit jobs targeting the right. Malone draws a parallel with America's "October surprise" tradition, arguing Hager's repeated conspiracy framing ironically mirrors the very "undue influence" he accuses groups like the Taxpayers Union of wielding.

Malone goes on to challenge the Enlightenment assumption that voters are purely rational, arguing emotion, tribal loyalty and media trust (or distrust) shape political choices more than policy analysis. He points to Stuff's fact-check double standards as evidence of uneven media scrutiny, and urges voters to prioritise a candidate's character and virtue over claims to expertise, while ultimately placing trust in God above any media institution.

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema&utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link

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Nathan Seiuli, founding head of civil liberties group Pillar, reviews the outgoing Parliament's three-year term as politicians head into campaign mode. He grades the National-led coalition a "B at best", crediting them for shrinking a bloated public service inherited from Labour's expansion years, but criticizing moves like move-on orders, gang patch bans, proposed social media restrictions and talk of reviving blasphemy laws as civil liberties concerns that cut across political lines.

Mr Seiuli also unpacks the coalition's contested shift away from ancestry-based service allocation towards needs-based support, arguing genuine Kiwi identity rests on shared values of responsibility, innovation and service to neighbours rather than heritage, while acknowledging fierce external opposition to these changes. He reflects on ACT and NZ First's influence in restraining National, suggests real reform typically takes more than one term, and predicts the coming election will be fought more on opposing rivals than distinct policy visions ([www.nzpillar.com](https://www.nzpillar.com)).

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema&utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link

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Andrew Urquhart speaks with Professor Grant Schofield, an expert in preventative medicine, about New Zealand First's health policy which draws on work from the Make New Zealand Healthy trust. Schofield explains he was part of a scientific advisory team that offered comprehensive health reform policy to all political parties, focused on shifting spending from treating sickness to preventing disease; and rejects claims of plagiarism since the policy was openly offered and only New Zealand First engaged meaningfully with it.

The discussion covers bodily autonomy and informed consent in medicine, the influence of government dietary guidelines on institutions like hospitals, prisons and schools, and whether taxpayers should subsidise healthy food choices similar to existing subsidies for pharmaceuticals and big food. Schofield also raises concerns about Big Pharma's heavy marketing influence within medicine, particularly around weight-loss drugs, contrasting this with the comparatively weak lobbying power behind whole-food and lifestyle-based approaches to health.

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema&utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TUE 15 SEP ~ Are political bias, bureaucratic stalling and buried incompetencies the hallmark traits of the civil service?

Arian Tashakkori from civil liberties group PILLAR joined Andrew Urquhart to discuss recent examples of clashing loyalties and conflicts of interest, including public service unions handing out "change the government" stickers during strikes; and the tension between service continuity versus accountability to elected ministers and the taxpayer. (www.nzpillar.com)

Do you think institutional knowledge held by career bureaucrats outweighs the need for integrity and neutrality in serving the government of the day?

Text 8168, keyword 'Comments' to share your thoughts.

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Thoughts & Comments will also be live on Shine TV from Monday 28 September

Tune into Thoughts & Comments from 10:00am - 2:00pm on the Rhema Media App.

For more from the show, visit the Thoughts & Comments page at rhema.co.nz.

Produced using AI tools under human supervision.

Support Rhema: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=rhema&utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.