Podcast Summary: Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Episode: Experts Were Wrong, Culture Is Collapsing, & People Are Suffering
Date: April 9, 2026
Host: Todd Friel
Produced by: Fortis Institute

Overview

This episode of Wretched Radio, hosted by Todd Friel and joined by Jimmy Hicks, focuses on the consequences of misguided “expert” predictions, the decline of Western culture, and the suffering that results from unbiblical worldviews. Through news stories, commentary, and the regular humorous banter, Friel explores how bad policies, shifting cultural norms, and the abandonment of biblical principles are impacting families, communities, and individuals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dangers of False Predictions and Worldviews

Segment: Paul Ehrlich and The Population Bomb

• Todd discusses the legacy of Paul Ehrlich, an influential “doomsayer” who predicted global catastrophe due to overpopulation and climate change.

• Ehrlich’s forecasts (e.g., widespread famine, extinction of marine life, disappearance of England and Florida) were widely believed but never materialized.

• Friel highlights the real damage: these predictions discouraged people from having children, leading to generational regret and demographic issues in Western societies.

  “Bad policies have bad impact. Bad worldviews have bad results. When people forward these horrible ideas without any real genuine science to support them, it hurts people.” — Todd Friel [09:48]

• Stories of individuals regretting life choices due to Ehrlich’s claims are shared, underscoring how fear-driven ideologies can reshape lives.

2. Declining Morality and Lawlessness

Segment: Disturbing Crime Reminiscent of Judges

• Friel links a news story—where a Florida teen murdered a sex offender and dismembered the body—to the moral decline described in the biblical Book of Judges.

• He warns that as society loses moral restraint, greater atrocities become possible.

  "That is what happens when every man is a judge. They do what is right in their own eyes without some sort of internal restraint system in America." — Todd Friel [11:24]

3. Cultural and Policy Shifts in Minneapolis

Segment: Bathhouses & Public Health

• The Minneapolis City Council considers repealing a ban on bathhouses, originally enacted in 1988 to combat the spread of AIDS.

• Friel critiques the rationale for the change, noting the focus on “individual fulfillment” over public health, and the use of euphemisms like “commercial sex spaces.”

  "We are so set on making sure that the individual feels good about him or herself. Even though we know better... we will actually facilitate it for you." — Todd Friel [19:23]

• He links such policies to bad social science and a lack of understanding of the imago Dei (the image of God).

4. The Effects of Gender Transitioning Policies

Segment: Finnish Study on Transitioning Children

• Todd shares findings from a major Finnish study: gender-transitioning treatments often worsen mental health in adolescents.

  • For boys, mental health comorbidities jump from 10% to 60%.
  • For girls, issues rise from 22% to 55%.
  • Other statistics: suicide rates and physical complications rise after medical gender transition ([21:49], [22:44]).

• Despite the data, U.S. cities and medical centers continue these practices and even promote them with tax dollars.

  “Europe is actually banning them. Minneapolis and America promoting them. And they want your tax dollars to pay for them.” — Todd Friel [24:07]

5. Persecution for Christian Convictions

Segment: Jaden Ivey’s Firing

• Discusses the firing of NBA player Jaden Ivey after he posted a video criticizing Pride Night as celebrating “unrighteousness.”
• The conversation turns to the limits of free speech and how “tolerance” often does not extend to biblical values.

6. The “Which Story is Most Disturbing?” Game

Friel and Hicks engage in a regular segment, comparing stories for their disturbing nature:

• Story 1: Paul Ehrlich’s impact on demographic decline.
• Story 2: Gruesome crime in Florida.
• Story 3: Minneapolis considering bathhouse legalization.
• Story 4: Evidence on the harms of pediatric gender transition, yet policies persist.
• Story 5: Persecution of a Christian athlete for biblical beliefs.

Jimmy Hicks picks Story 3 (Minneapolis bathhouse legalization) as the most disturbing, for its display of societal values prioritizing personal gratification over communal well-being ([25:35]).

7. Fortis News Break

Key stories:

• Children’s Minnesota resumes puberty blockers immediately after court ruling.
• Supreme Court to address birthright citizenship and its abuse.
• David Daleiden, pro-life journalist who exposed Planned Parenthood, cleared of all charges.
• Bill Gates to testify in Epstein investigation.
• Lawsuit over a “fake ICU” in Connecticut, staffed remotely.
• Violent incident over data center dispute in Indianapolis.

8. Worship and Church Engagement Trends

• Todd lampoons manipulative, repetitive worship songs (“Fuego song”), encouraging deeper, substantive worship ([29:32]).
• Recommends the new movie “A Great Awakening” about George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin.

Trends:

• Some evangelical churches are seeing increased engagement from Gen Z and young men, possibly a reaction to broader cultural drift ([43:55]).
• In mainline Protestantism, liberalization is linked to declines in marriage and faith; Friel argues faith is the engine for societal health, not the other way around.

9. Church & Worldview Data

• George Barna’s study: Only 19% have a fully biblical worldview; 68% have little/no biblical alignment.

• Friel attributes this to the “dumbing down” of church teaching, failing to challenge youth toward maturity.

  “Young people, we should be shoving them to like, hey, mature. Hey, we need to get you grown up... and yet the church and its incessant effort to tribulize the faith... is just wrong.” — Todd Friel [48:37]

10. Theological Compromise & Evangelism

• NT Wright’s podcast is critiqued for equivocation on the unreached: “He resisted definitive claims about who is in or out, urging believers to trust in God’s mercy”—which, argues Friel, undermines the urgency of gospel missions ([52:23]).

“You must hear the name of Jesus Christ to be saved. How will they hear unless they are sent? N.T. Wright... just needs to read what the Bible clearly says.” — Todd Friel [52:23]

Most Notable Quotes & Moments

• Re: Ehrlich’s Influence:

  “I took it to heart and now have no grandchildren. But 50 years later, the population has increased to 8 billion without dire consequences. I was gullible and stupid.” — Reader, Wall Street Journal [09:13]

• Re: Minneapolis Repealing Bathhouse Ban:

  “Enhancing HIV prevention... enhancing feelings of identity, camaraderie, authenticity and belonging. Where people can overcome isolation and develop a sense of community and pride.” — Todd Friel reading city rationale [19:00]

• Re: Church Trends:

  “They want cool, they want hip, they want groovy pastors, and they want anecdotes. They want TED Talks. So we’ve given it to them...” — Todd Friel [46:20]

• Re: Missionary Reluctance:

  “There’s no need to go if God’s saving people without hearing.” — Todd Friel, critiquing NT Wright [52:20]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Paul Ehrlich’s failed predictions and their social cost: [02:43] – [10:20]
• Analysis of crime and the decline of moral restraint: [10:48] – [12:07]
• Minneapolis bathhouse debate and public health: [17:13] – [21:49]
• Finnish study on gender transition and mental health: [21:51] – [24:07]
• Firing of Jaden Ivey for Christian convictions: [24:15] – [25:19]
• “Which Story is Most Disturbing?” reveal and discussion: [25:20] – [25:49]
• Fortis News Break (national headlines): [26:01] – [29:03]
• Worship song commentary and church engagement trends: [29:32] – [43:55]
• Barna’s worldview data and critique of church teaching: [43:55] – [48:37]
• Critique of NT Wright on the unreached: [52:16] – [52:26]

Tone and Style

The episode balances serious cultural and theological critique with characteristic sardonic humor and banter. Friel’s perspective is deeply evangelical, urging biblical fidelity against cultural drift, with regular tongue-in-cheek asides (especially about “gifted judges” and AI mishaps).

For the Listener

This episode is a wide-ranging meditation on the intersection of bad ideas and real-world suffering — examining why culture is “collapsing” and who pays the price. With plenty of direct Bible application, historical references, and practical implications for Christians engaging with the world, it’s both a warning and a call for discernment, truth, and gospel boldness.