Political “Preacher”, Paula White Shock, & Selective Outrage

Summary

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Wretched Radio with Todd Friel

Episode: Political “Preacher”, Paula White Shock, & Selective Outrage

Date: April 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Todd Friel and co-host Jimmy Hicks tackle a range of topics centered on theological confusion in modern Christianity, with a focus on public Christian figures, controversial church practices, and societal attitudes toward religion in the public square. Key themes include the incoherence of much contemporary preaching, the problematic elevation of political figures within religious rhetoric, and examples of selective outrage and religious double standards in Western culture.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Women Preachers and Progressive Churches

• Todd opens the episode expressing discomfort with women in authoritative preaching roles, using a recent United Church event as an example. He discerns that some churches are more focused on modern political causes rather than the gospel.
  • “Pretty much every. No. Every single time. When I hear a woman preaching authoritatively, it rankles me. I'm just telling you, it just grates.” (03:05 – Todd Friel)
• The guest preacher at the event, Flamie Grant (a drag queen), spoke about rights activism and pluralism, leading Todd to critique churches that adopt social causes at the expense of gospel clarity.
  • “They need a cause and they simply adopt things that are unbiblical.” (05:08 – Todd Friel)

2. Denominations & Liberal Theology

• Todd singles out denominations with “United” in their names (UMC, United Church) as leaning theologically liberal.
  • “That is usually the sign you and I rule. You're looking at something liberal.” (06:15 – Todd Friel)
• UMC's support for gender-affirming care for minors is highlighted as a significant departure from biblical norms.

3. Legal Threats to Religious Expression

• Todd comments on Canadian legislation (Bill C22), warning that it could criminalize quoting Scripture if it is deemed to cause emotional harm, reflecting growing hostility to traditional Christian views in the West.

4. Paula White’s Easter Remarks and the Politicization of Faith

• Paula White's prayer for Donald Trump at a White House Easter event drew significant critique from Todd for its comparison of Trump’s suffering to Christ’s, and for blurring distinctions between savior and politician.
  • “Mr. President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life.” (08:28 – Paula White)
  • “Well, except Jesus died. His ear didn't get nicked. Now, I'm not minimizing that, the wickedness of that act, but it doesn't come close to the brutal murder of our Savior.” (09:10 – Todd Friel)
  • “Because he was victorious, you were victorious.” (11:18 – Paula White)
• Franklin Graham’s letter to Trump is referenced, clarifying Christian doctrine on salvation by grace, not works.
  • “The only one who can save us from hell is Jesus Christ. You can't save yourself. I can't save myself.” (10:05 – Todd Friel, quoting Franklin Graham)

5. The Problem of Incoherent Preaching

• Todd laments the rise of “incoherent” sermons and gospel presentations, arguing that many churchgoers are not clearly taught the basics of the Christian faith.
  • “More and more, I am struck by the incoherence of so much preaching... If we have any sort of evangelical concern on the horizon, I would offer incoherence is one of them.” (12:23 – Todd Friel)
• He outlines elements often missing in modern preaching: the nature of God, the reality of hell, repentance, and faith (18:54).
  • “They'll use lingo that is all Christian sounding... But it's missing all the... It doesn't make any sense... It needs to make sense to people.” (18:13 – Todd Friel)

6. Selective Outrage & Double Standards in Secular Societies

• Todd plays a segment about a Belgian publicly funded radio program smashing Christian statues (Jesus and Mary) in a "rage room," but refusing to do so with symbols from Judaism or Islam, citing safety or cultural norms.
  • “Let me ask you this. If you were doing the video again, would you smash a symbol of the prophet Muhammad?” (33:47 – BBC Reporter)
  • “That is a very dangerous one.” (33:59 – Studio Brussels Host)
• Todd observes this as a prime example of “selective ethics” and the casual disrespect for Christianity compared to other faiths.

7. International Spotlight: Punishing Christian Convictions

• Finland: MP Päivi Räsänen convicted of hate speech for quoting biblical passages regarding sexuality; Todd draws connections between this and increasing legal threats to gospel proclamation worldwide.

8. Cultural and Political Religion Wars

• Dallas removing rainbow crosswalks signals the politicization of public spaces and how Christian engagement in politics is necessary for positive change.
  • “If you've got more Christians in politics, you're simply going to have decisions that are going to be better and more biblical.” (39:36 – Todd Friel)

9. Religious Hypocrisy & Prosperity Gospel

• The Vatican is called out for preaching generosity while hosting exorcism summits and living amid opulence.
• Todd discusses a viral interview between a young YouTuber and prosperity preacher Kenneth Copeland, highlighting the incoherence and evasiveness common in prosperity gospel circles.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Incoherence in Today’s Preaching

  • “If you listen to a lot of evangelical preaching, especially when it comes to the core of our faith, pretend that you know nothing about anything Christian. Would it make sense to you? And the answer so often is no.”
    — Todd Friel (17:54)

• On Comparing Trump to Jesus

  • “That’s a little too close. No, but it didn’t end there for him, and it didn’t end there for you.”
    — Todd Friel, reacting to Paula White (09:06)

• On Smashed Statues and Selective Respect

  • “Do you think that for many listeners, they would find that that's so deeply offensive to take a bat and to smash Jesus into pieces?”
    — BBC Reporter (32:34)

• On Double Standards

  • “Let me ask you this. Would you smash a symbol of the prophet Muhammad?” — ‘That is a very dangerous one.’”
    — BBC Reporter & Studio Brussels Host (33:47-33:59)

• On the Need for Gospel Clarity

  • “We need to raise the bar. And now we've got Easter Sunday coming up. I fear how many pastors will never find their way to the gospel.”
    — Todd Friel (18:44)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:05] – Todd’s reaction to women preaching and progressive activism at the pulpit.
• [06:15] – United denominations and liberal church trends.
• [08:28] – [11:18] – Paula White’s Easter remarks equating Trump and Christ.
• [12:23] – [18:44] – Incoherent preaching and missing gospel essentials.
• [32:34] – [36:04] – Belgian “rage room,” smashing religious statues, and double standards.
• [38:50] – Legal repercussions for quoting the Bible in Finland.
• [39:36] – On Christians in politics.
• [44:01] – [51:22] – The Vatican, Pope’s statements on war and peace, prosperity gospel incoherence with Kenneth Copeland.

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Summary Flow & Tone

The episode is sharp, critical, and at times satirical—characteristic of Todd Friel’s style. He blends doctrinal critique, cultural commentary, and a dose of humor, particularly when calling out inconsistencies or abuses in church and society. Listeners are urged to seek gospel clarity, recognize creeping secular hostilities to Christianity, and resist both theological and ethical sloppiness in the contemporary church.

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Conclusion

Wretched Radio’s episode is a call to gospel coherence, biblical fidelity, and thoughtful engagement with today’s theological and cultural currents. Whether critiquing Paula White's political theater, exposing selective outrage in Europe, or lamenting the vagaries of modern preaching, the episode challenges Christians to uphold truth and clarity, within and beyond the church walls.

Transcript

[Todd Friel]

Sorry to interrupt me, but wanted to let you know we have a spring matching gift campaign. This is a big deal. Mega plans. We're launching more podcasts. We're publishing a new book this year. We're going to more campuses this year. We desire to exalt Jesus Christ. And right now we have a no Retreat matching gift campaign. Because we're not gonna back down, we're not gonna back off, we're not gonna lighten up, we're not gonna not go to places where it might be hostile to preach gospel. Would you kindly consider supporting us during the Spring Match campaign? It really helps the ministry to keep doing more and more and more, and we have plans to do far beyond what we are currently doing now. So if you currently have extra means you're already giving to your church, would you please consider joining us on the no Retreat matching gift [e-mail] Donate now back to me.

[Todd Friel (Wretched Radio Intro/Outro)]

Wretched radio begins in 3, 2, 1.

[Todd Friel]

White privilege is just an acknowledgement that our world is uneven. We live in a country that's unequal.

[Paula White]

All human beings share solidarity. All of us are made in God's

[Todd Friel]

image equally and therefore worthy of dignity. We're all ruined and rebellious against God and therefore calls us Solidarity in sin. We all need the same Savior.

[Todd Friel (Wretched Radio Intro/Outro)]

It's time for Wretched Radio with Tod Friel.

[Todd Friel]

If you don't like what you're about to hear, blame Jimmy. My hands are clean of this whole business. Well, mostly. This is red shit Radio. Who is this woman standing in a pulpit? Apparently in some sort of religious assembly.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Yeah, I don't know who she is. I don't know her name, but she's a woman in a pulpit that said. Yeah, that's all I'm going to say.

[Todd Friel]

Do we know the pulpit? Do we know the denomination?

[Jimmy Hicks]

Yes, yes, it's United Church.

[Todd Friel]

You could have just stopped with United. It's the uni rule. You and I, you got yourself some problems, and I suspect we're gonna hear some.

[Flamie Grant]

We actually had a booth yesterday in Anaheim at the no Kings protest.

[Todd Friel]

The no Kings protest. Apparently, they're concerned that our current president is a king. Now, look, I could be wrong about history, but it seems to me if we actually had a king at this moment, you wouldn't be having a protest because you'd be scattered. It wouldn't be allowed.

[Flamie Grant]

But we know that there were people all over the county and even beyond who were standing up for democracy.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, yes, democracy. We're not a democracy. We're a representative republic. Furthermore, And I know this is going to sound. No, it's not going to sound bad. Here's why. Because I'm going to couch it in therapeutic language. I'm merely expressing myself. I'm merely sharing how I feel on the inside. Typically, no. Pretty much every. No. Every single time. When I hear a woman preaching authoritatively, it rankles me. I'm just telling you, it just grates. This woman

[Flamie Grant]

were committed to speaking up for trans rights, for queer rights, for immigrant rights, for women's rights, for science and education and peace and pluralism.

[Todd Friel]

Now, did she emphasize women more than transgender? Because that would be. I think that's showing bias. That's unfair. And I think she's oppressing transgender people. Hey, two can play this game.

[Flamie Grant]

So thank you. If you were out. Anybody out yesterday?

[Todd Friel]

Okay, show of hands. Church. What about this side? Show me over on this side.

[Flamie Grant]

I was out. And last night we invited Flamie Grant.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, excellent for us. Baby. Baby Flammy Grant.

[Flamie Grant]

Like Amy Grant.

[Todd Friel]

Yeah, we got it. We got it. I tied my shoe. Like, you know, the thing that goes on your foot. Jimmy, what was. Oh, El Shaddai. That was her biggie. I know she had a bunch of hits. She was contemporary Christian music in the very beginning, like the most popular current version, along with Michael W. Smith. But I can't think of anything more than El Shaddai, except the contemporary stuff that she did that made a lot of evangelicals upset. Speaking of upsetting.

[Flamie Grant]

But she's a drag queen. And believe it or not, this music was so powerful.

[Todd Friel]

Yes, I'm sure. Yes, it was so powerful.

[Flamie Grant]

Transformative. This coming.

[Todd Friel]

Wait, wait. Transformative? Was she doing any.

[Flamie Grant]

Okay, Tuesday, we are hosting. I have a flyer. I didn't get it on the screen yet, but we're hosting at, we like to say, our corner on Culver and Alton. Trans visibility Day awareness.

[Todd Friel]

I just. I don't understand. Okay, I do. Why these liberal churches find a cause. It's because they're not obeying the cause of our king. Jesus has told the church what he expects of it. Here's why we are here. We're being built up in a spiritual house. For what purpose? To proclaim his excellencies. Your church shouldn't be struggling to figure out its mission and vision statements. Jesus wrote it for us. These churches that abandoned the gospel, that determine that theology is just too, you know, constricting, constraining. It just doesn't let us have as much fun as we want to. They abandon that. They got to come up with some sort of Cause otherwise, why do people go to just sit around and chat? You can do that any place in the comfort of your own home. Frankly, they need a cause and they simply adopt things that are unbiblical. All right, Jimmy, I found this. UMC agency supports legalizing trans surgeries for kids. There's another uni right there. You got United. United. That is usually the sign you and I rule. You're looking at something liberal. The Bishop of the General Secretary of the United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and Society. You know, you shouldn't have to take a breath in the middle of somebody's title. It's probably a good rule if you have to breathe in the middle of your tit too long. Published an article. Basically, adult transgender people. They're being oppressed. So we've got to be for them. They experience all kind of bad things. And so we are going to be all about gender affirming care. The senior executive director of communications of the blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, said that reflects the position of the United Methodist Church. Cool. There you have it. And now, in the meantime, related story, this is going to be a problem. If you speak against those things in Canada, you're going to be in some big trouble. They just passed. Now, it hasn't made it all the way through the Senate yet, but it did just pass in what we'll call the House of Commons, because that's what it's actually called. 186 to 137. That if you say something even based on a religious book because they scrapped that protection from their legislation. That if you quote something from a religious book that makes somebody feel bad because it sounds like hate speech. Guess what? You've broken a law. You've broken a law. So I guess the moral to the story is Jimmy's favorite female pastor isn't going to get arrested in Canada anytime soon. Speaking of female pastors, I got one for you, Jimmy. Yeah. Paula White. I'm sorry, what was that sound?

[Jimmy Hicks]

Was that out loud?

[Todd Friel]

Was your microphone on? Yeah, yeah, it was Paula White. She's the whatever they call her at

[Jimmy Hicks]

the President Trump's faith advisor or something,

[Todd Friel]

holds Easter lunch event at the White House. Prepare yourself.

[Paula White]

And Mr. President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life.

[Todd Friel]

Well, I can think of some presidents that it did cost their life. But history aside, you were betrayed and arrested. Oh, no.

[Paula White]

And falsely accused.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, no.

[Paula White]

It's a familiar pattern.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, no. Yep. Oh, no.

[Paula White]

That our Lord and Savior Showed us.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, no, that's a little too close. No, but it didn't end there for

[Paula White]

him, and it didn't end there for you.

[Todd Friel]

Well, except Jesus died. His ear didn't get nicked. Now, I'm not minimizing that, the wickedness of that act, but it doesn't come close to the brutal murder of our Savior, who actually died and who actually rose again. Oh, no.

[Paula White]

God always had a plan. On the third day, he rose. He defeated evil.

[Todd Friel]

She doesn't know what she's talking about, and Donald Trump doesn't appear to understand it. Franklin Graham wrote a letter that was just published on Palm Sunday by the President, where Franklin Graham, in response to Donald Trump, saying he didn't know if he was going to go to heaven, if he's doing enough good stuff to get there, where Franklin Graham actually said, you kind of got this wrong. That's not the way that it works. That's not, that's not how you get. Oh, here it is right here. I got it. All right. This week you commented to the media that you might not be heaven bound. Maybe you responded in jest, but it is an important issue to know for certain that your soul is secure and you'll spend eternity in the presence of God. The only one who can save us from hell is Jesus Christ. You can't save yourself. I can't save myself. That's cool. I, I, I, I've just got quotes from the letter. I don't have the entire thing. I hope that he talked about the character and the nature of God and why hell is a reasonable response to our law breaking, because otherwise it's without context. Hell doesn't make a whole lot of sense. He wrote, good works, prominence and success are powerless to gain entry into heaven. The only way to heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Well done, Franklin. How can anybody who understands that stand behind this woman and hear what she's saying without going. Okay, Paula, thank you. Back to your office.

[Paula White]

He conquered death, hell and the grave. And because he rose, we all know that we can rise. And, sir, because of his resurrection, you rose up.

[Todd Friel]

What, what, what verse is that?

[Paula White]

Because he was victorious, you were victorious.

[Todd Friel]

More and more, I am struck by the incoherence of so much preaching. If we can call this that or any sort of Christian oratory. I read through the incoherent Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally. Her preaching, her sermon at the installation. It's incoherent, it's mumbo jumbo. It doesn't make any sense. And In Paula White's case, more than that. This is just totally blasphemous and why people are so able to this honestly. Okay, it could just be me, but it seems to me right now, if we've got something in Christianity and evangelicalism that we should be going, hey, hey, hey, hey, fowl, you can't be doing that. It would be incoherent preaching. Don't you worry. If you haven't had enough of that, Jimmy has more for you next on Wretched Radio.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Thanks for listening to Wretched Radio today. Look, here's something that I've noticed, and maybe you have too, but it's really easy for us to treat our faith sometimes like a category. Sunday is Sunday. Work is work. Parenting is parenting. And somewhere in there you try to be a Christian. But it doesn't always feel feel like it's all connected. That's why Dr. Jon Kratz and his podcast Integrated is so incredibly important. Dr. Kratz is a pastor, he's an author, he's a biblical counselor, and he's a Fortis Institute fellow and the host of Integrated. And he is helping people see how scripture speaks to every part of their life. Not just the spiritual stuff, but the practical, everyday how do I actually live this stuff out stuff. And if what we're doing at Fortis Institute has been a source of encouragement for you, I want to ask you to consider joining us as an ongoing monthly gospel partner. Help us continue producing content just like Integrated that connects the dots. Go to fortisinstitute.org right now and find out how to join us. Wretched Amazing Grace Amazing Gospel Most men don't make one big decision that takes them off course. No, it happens gradually. And eventually you look up and you realize, I've been coasting for years. Well, Dr. Adam Tyson has created Walk Like a Man. It's available now on Fortis Plus. Dr. Tyson knows that's the story for way too many guys right now. And so he gets into God's word and he lays out what it actually looks like to walk with wisdom and live with real conviction. And the way he teaches it, you'll walk away from every episode knowing exactly what to do and why it matters. This is biblical teaching that puts solid ground under your feet and gives you a clear path forward. It's streaming right now, with new episodes dropping every Monday on Fortis. For free. Download the Fortis plus app right now. Wherever you download apps on your smartphone, your smart TV, or just go to fortis plus.org and walk like a man, the Univ.

[Todd Friel (Wretched Radio Intro/Outro)]

Know your church fathers. Ignatius of Antioch was a disciple of Peter and John and the Bishop of Antioch. He was arrested and sentenced to die in the Roman arena. As he prepared to go to his death, Ignatius said, let fire and cross, flocks of beasts, broken bones and dismemberment come upon me, so long as I attain to Jesus Christ. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[Paula White]

And sir, because of his resurrection, you rose up. Because he was victorious. You were victorious. And I believe that the Lord said to tell you this.

[Todd Friel]

Nope, he didn't. This is Wretched Ray. Paula White speaking right in front of the President and apparently a cavalcade of preachers at an Easter shindig at the White House, comparing Donald Trump to our Lord and Savior. This could be a new low for Paula White. And believe me, she's been low.

[Paula White]

Wherever I go, God rules. When I walk on White House grounds, God walks on White House grounds. I had every right and authority to declare the White House as holy ground because I was standing there and where I stand is holy.

[Todd Friel]

Paula White, not only has she been wildly unbiblical for decades, she's a prosperity preacher who, at least based on what I've heard now for a minute at this White House Easter affair, is joining the cavalcade of preachers these days that are incoherent. And if we have any sort of evangelical concern on the horizon, I would offer incoherence is one of them. I have noticed this increasingly, especially when it comes to gospel presentations, how they are so disjointed, they are so out of order, they're so often lacking in the details necessary for somebody to actually understand what the gospel is. And we have a tendency to just accept them because, well, it's all Christian language. It's just they're using biblical terms and stuff. And yeah, that is a part of the gospel. But so many gospel presentations, it's like, well, there's a part here, oh, that part. Okay, that's here. And they move that over there. But it's missing all the. It doesn't make any sense. If you listen to a lot of evangelical preaching, especially when it comes to the core of our faith, preaching the gospel. Pretend that you know nothing, honey, about anything Christian. Would it make sense to you? And the answer so often is no. On Monday, I had the joy of being with some really bright eyed and bushy tailed students at Georgia Tech. It was really a treat. There's some good kids on university campuses. Georgia Tech just getting prettier and prettier at 6:30 in the morning. That's right. 6:30 in the morning. I got to spend some time with student leaders talking about how to present the gospel. And when I then went out to the campus, I was reminded why we need to do that. It's because most people out in. No, everybody we talked out into the campus that had any sort of Christian knowledge, they didn't know the gospel. They just didn't. Why? Because I don't think that they're ever hearing it in a coherent fashion. And so we laid down here are all of the elements that must be inside of a gospel presentation. Otherwise it's not like you're trying to sin. But I don't think we're being faithful to being ambassadors for Christ who must prepare and present his entire message. It needs to make sense to people. Over the past decades, when you consider what are the assaults that we have seen now. We've seen the NAR movement, we've seen the Lordship issue. We've seen unbiblical ecumenism assaulting evangelicalism. I would suggest to you this one is sneakier and more subtle because it kind of passes. It's like, oh, well, I understood what they were saying, kinda that's not good enough. It's not good enough. We need to raise the bar. And now we've got Easter Sunday coming up. I fear how many pastors will never find their way to the gospel? And I suspect if they leave out anything, it will be these elements. They will leave out the judicial nature of the gospel. They will leave out the character and the nature of God. They will leave out the eternality of hell. They will leave out repentance and faith. Now that's a lot. They'll use lingo that is all Christian sounding, and they'll maybe even say something like, hey, you know, Jesus died for our sins. And that seems to be acceptable. It's not. Especially if somebody's an unbeliever. Look, if it's all Christians, that's one thing, but if it's, if it's a mixed group of people, which it will be on Easter Sunday to just say that Jesus died for sinners and then claim you've preached the gospel, you have not. What is sin? Who is Jesus? Why did he have to die? Who's so offended that I would be damned for forever? All of those elements need to be explained to people or we are not delivering the Gospel coherently. And speaking of incoherent, let's finish this torture that Jimmy prepared for us because of his victory.

[Paula White]

You will Be victorious in all you put your hand to.

[Todd Friel]

That's what Jesus told Paula to tell the president. That's extra biblical revelation.

[Paula White]

Amen.

[Todd Friel]

Why the applause?

[Paula White]

Because God is with you. And God is using you to defeat evil, to restore families, to awaken the church, to harvest the nations, and to

[Todd Friel]

bring a worldwide revival to harvest the na. He's using. Oh, okay. Again. Huh? What? What?

[Paula White]

So I'm going to ask something. Would you all stand and just, if you're comfortable, stretch your hand towards our president? And even if Reverend Graham, you'd like to lay hands on him and Pastor Robert and just come in agreement with me for 2 Chronicles 7, 14 declares, it's my people who are called by my name.

[Todd Friel]

Those would be the Jewish people under that covenant at that time will humble themselves and pray. Now listen to the details.

[Paula White]

Then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their lamb. So today we humble ourselves and we seek you, Lord Jesus. You declared in Proverbs 14:34 that it said, the righteousness exalts a nation. So we declare righteousness.

[BBC Reporter]

Over.

[Todd Friel]

There's declaring. Okay, so that's word, faith, business. And on and on it goes with the piano tinkling in the background. That's just perfect. Let me share with you a snippet from the Archbishop of Canterbury. She was just installed. I have to tell you, I saw the footage. For a human being, male or female, to dress up in that garb with the staff, to parade through a church, and to be elevated with pomp and circumstance, I just found galling. That belongs to our Savior, not human beings. We're there to lift him up, not for ourselves to be exalted. I have the text of her sermon, and I won't read the whole thing to you because it's. It's just. It's. It's just. It's too much. But perhaps this will serve as an example of the incoherence that I so often hear when it comes to preaching. She wrote that she said this in the Incarnation. So this paragraph that you're about to hear, this is about the Incarnation. God became flesh. We see God becoming one of us. And this gives me such hope for the church. In the ordinary and extraordinary life of the church, we see God's hand at work. The church rolling up its sleeves and getting stuck in where God is already at work in the local and the global. The church, through the ordinary lives of its people, continues to do so many extraordinary acts of love. God's people offering a listening ear, a word of encouragement or a prayer of Healing, offering food, shelter, sanctuary and welcome in a world that so often seeks to divide us, tables to sit at, conversations to be shared. And being a simple, loving presence, like the salt of the earth, a light on the hill, the treasure of the kingdom, a church for the whole nation and for the world, which looks for ways of joining in with people of all faiths and of none in acts of service which will transform a church, will extend around the world with our sister churches in the Anglican Communion and as part of one holy, catholic and apostolic church to embody Christ's love. I have to work really hard to see what that had to do with the Incarnation. There is a connection. She just didn't explain it. And really, if I were grading a speech, I would be like, if this came across my desk for proofing, I'd be like, no, this is not coherent. No, your premise is in the Incarnation. Now you start talking about the church doing all kinds of stuff. Did you mean to imply that the church is the Incarnation of God on the earth? Well, you probably should try to explain that. And you better do it delicately because it's kind of a tricky little subject to express. We have to stop putting up with preaching that I don't think would pass, that shouldn't pass any seminary class. Although I'm thinking if these pastors went to seminary and they took homiletics, which I. They should have, what are they teaching there? What are they, what are what? How are they helping them to think better and to present better, especially when it comes to the issue of the gospel. I think the amount of energy that we have put into trying to war against some of the other assaults on the church, the issue of incoherent preaching deserves just as much energy, time, attention and calling out, especially on Easter Sunday. Morning. This is Wretched Radio.

[Jimmy Hicks]

And it's now time for your daily Fortis news break, a production of Fortis Institute. The International Olympics Committee has officially banned biological males from women's competitions. They've adopted a policy that requires a one time sry gene screening for all female category athletes, starting with the 2028 LA Olympic Games. The president of the IOC, that's Kirsty Coventry. She's a former swimmer herself and she said in some sports it just simply wouldn't be safe. The Ohio House has passed the Indecent Exposure Modernization act, which closes a pretty absurd loophole. The loophole once allowed a man to walk free after exposing himself to young girls in a YMCA locker room because existing law didn't clearly define exposure. Yeah, the bill criminalizes obscene performances in front of minors and safeguards the private spaces of women. Every single Democrat voted against against it. And in Detroit, the Thomas Moore Society has filed federal lawsuit challenging a city ordinance that criminalizes pro life sidewalk counseling outside abortion facilities. Kevin Hammer, a retired attorney, simply stands on a public sidewalk holding a sign that reads ask me about free ultrasounds and pregnancy tests. For that, the abortion facility has called police on him multiple times and on one occasion summoned five patrol cars. And the ordinance will create overlapping buffer and bubble zones that effectively make it a crime to offer women alternatives on a public sidewalk. The Thomas More Society has a track record of winning these fights, including a case in Minneapolis where the city paid over $450,000 in attorneys fees. A federal judge that was once appointed by Barack Obama has upheld North Carolina's voter ID law. And after previously blocking and ruling that voting rights groups failed to prove the requirement was discriminatory, Judge Loretta Biggs had initially cited the state's history of racial discrimination to issue an injunction in 2019, but higher courts pushed back and she acknowledged controlling precedent left her no choice. Meanwhile, the state of New Jersey seems to be sprinting the other direction on the rule of law. The newly elected governor has signed legislation making the state a sanctuary jurisdiction, barring agencies from cooperating with ice, effectively rolling out a welcome mat for criminal illegal aliens in the Garden State. In Canada, a constitutional freedom group has launched a national petition against Bill C22, which is legislation that would let the government compel tech and telecom companies to hand over Canadians personal data. Canadians might want to pay a little bit closer attention before lawful access actually becomes a euphemism for we're reading your email anytime we want. And that wraps up today's Fortis News break. I'm Jimmy Hicks. If you want more, you can download Fortis plus or sign up to become a Fortis Insider for exclusive daily content. Both can be [e-mail] and don't forget, you can subscribe to Fortis News on your favorite podcast app in order to get these updates daily and until tomorrow, go serve your king.

[Todd Friel (Wretched Radio Intro/Outro)]

Important Dates in Christian history 1545 the Council of Trent opens Called by the Roman Catholic Church in response to the Reformation. It addressed abuses in the Catholic Church and further entrenched dogmas concerning the authority of the Pope, the need for works in salvation, and the saving nature of the Mass. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel.

[Todd Friel]

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of variety why? We have a variety of stories. Do they make sense together? No. No, they don't. We like themes. Therefore, we've put together this concoction of stories, slapped a really lame theme song on them and called it Wide World of Christian Stories. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Are you good?

[Todd Friel]

Oh, yeah, I'm real good. This is wretched radio. Hit my post, baby.

[Jimmy Hicks]

You're standing straight up.

[Todd Friel]

Yeah, I hit my post. This is. This is. This is the type of industry talk that happens in every profession. A group of workers in the same industry, they get together, it's after work, it's at the Christmas party, and they talk about their day or their week, and they talk about what they accomplished. Well, here it is in radio. I really nailed that post today on Wide World of Christian Stories, didn't I? That's it. That's radio industry talk right there. Let's go to Belgie, shall we? This is a publicly funded radio program that gets broadcast to children. They're at some sort of convention of sorts, and you're gonna hear a lot of racket. Imagine it's a guy. Looks like it's a guy wearing some sort of a jumpsuit with a helmet and a face mask on. He's got a sledgehammer and he's walking around smashing stuff. Specifically a statue of the Virgin Mary.

[BBC Reporter]

Let me ask.

[Todd Friel]

No, not. Not only, by the way, is it a statue of the Virgin Mary. It's a statue of Jesus, too. Some reporter got together with the kids who put together this little radio presentation to ask them some questions. I don't know that it demands a lot of my commentary because the dude kind of nailed them to the wall. Why are you, as a publicly funded radio station, smashing Christian statues? Now? I know there are some people who would be all in favor of that because it's iconography. The is. He's curious why Christian statues of Jesus and Mary only.

[BBC Reporter]

Let me ask you a question, because you mentioned respect, respecting each other. I'm thinking of respect towards all of the listeners. You played a video in there. What was it? The smashing video. You were doing a smashing class.

[Todd Friel]

We had a rage room because we were beating the blue out of the Monday so people could text us, like,

[Paula White]

I have a really blue Monday because

[Todd Friel]

my car broke and.

[Flamie Grant]

And everything.

[Paula White]

It was, okay, I will smash something for you, Callum.

[BBC Reporter]

And you smash.

[Paula White]

And then he was out. They said, like, wow, this really felt good.

[BBC Reporter]

And it was.

[Todd Friel]

That helps, does it? That there's. There's therapy for somebody who's having a blue Monday, right there, just smash. Have somebody vicariously smash something for you. Yes, that will ease your woes.

[BBC Reporter]

Pretty intense. And I saw one part. You had a statue of Jesus. Now, I know you laugh, but do you think that for many listeners, they would find that that's so deeply offensive to take a bat and to smash Jesus into pieces?

[Todd Friel]

Wasn't it Madonna, by the way? No, it was.

[BBC Reporter]

There was one, I think, of Madonna. The Madonna and the Child, and there was one of Jesus.

[Studio Brussels Host]

So the thing. That's a very good question, because I think it might offend people. I think in Belgium, not really, we're not a very religious country, so it's not offensive.

[Todd Friel]

And how not religious does it need to be for it to be offensive, son?

[Studio Brussels Host]

Definitely not the listeners of Studio Brussels. But what we did, all the things we smashed, we made it very clear as well that these were all things that were already broken. So the statue, it was turned face towards the back of the room so you wouldn't see the face as well, because that was already. It was a broken statue as.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, okay. Now, if you wanted to grab the microphone from the reporter to, like, go after this group of statue smashers, you don't need to. He's got this.

[Studio Brussels Host]

But I think I would have been more careful in another country. Definitely in Belgium. And it is not a big issue.

[BBC Reporter]

Let me ask you this. If you were doing the video again, would you smash a symbol of the prophet Muhammad?

[Todd Friel]

There it is. There it is. At least the dude's honest.

[Studio Brussels Host]

That is a very dangerous one.

[BBC Reporter]

You wouldn't do it.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Typical.

[Todd Friel]

You know, it's the price you pay for being the religion of peace. I mean, us, we are the religion of peace. Now, I know they purport to be the religion of peace, but I think history has revealed their abelicos religion and that actually, it does have some benefits. People don't smash your iconography. No, because that would be inappropriate because in Belgium, there are many.

[BBC Reporter]

But there are Christians, too. I know the Pope visited Belgium recently.

[Todd Friel]

No, no, I know they're Christians, but it's. Since we are all from the Christian tradition, I think it's like laughing with yourself. What? I think the word that we're looking for is busted.

[BBC Reporter]

Or like, you would never do it with Muhammad.

[Todd Friel]

No.

[BBC Reporter]

Star of David for Judaism.

[Studio Brussels Host]

I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't do it.

[Todd Friel]

No, it's the same thing.

[Studio Brussels Host]

I think we have all been raised Catholic, so that dude just.

[Todd Friel]

They're just scrambling for anything here. We see we can do that because, well, we were Raised Catholic, gives us

[Studio Brussels Host]

a little more credit to do this. But it's harder if you do it from a religion that you know nothing about. I think that is very dangerous as well.

[Todd Friel]

No, it's just dangerous.

[BBC Reporter]

Some of the main ideas and teachings are the same. It's just interesting watching it. I cover spirituality and religion normally on the BBC, in other networks.

[Todd Friel]

By the way, the Muslims actually should be offended because in Islam, Jesus is a prophet.

[BBC Reporter]

So when you see it, you see that hypocrisy. Jesus Christ, the statue, smash it in two. But never for Muhammad or for anything to do with the Jewish faith. And you have listeners who are Christians too. And it's taxpayer funded. Vrt, it's the public broadcaster.

[Studio Brussels Host]

Absolutely. But I think you have to look at the specific audience of your station. I would definitely not do this on every station.

[Todd Friel]

There's gotta be some sort of term for that. Jason Lyle would know, like selective ethics. Well, if this then, then doing that is okay, but if not, then it's not. No, it is either objectively wrong or it isn't.

[Studio Brussels Host]

But the, the studio Brussels station is very alternative, so I mean, we know that they're not very religious in, in any way.

[Todd Friel]

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Let's go to finish land, shall we? Have you been tracking this story? I think we have here over the years because it's been going on for years. There's an MP and I will not say her name right, P A and it's got a lot of dots above it. Is that an umlaut? P with an umlaut, I guess. V. Ivy Resenden, found guilty of hate speech. What did this MP do? Well, the nerve of actually quoting a Bible verse. She happens to be a grandmother of 12, by the way. It was a 3:2 decision of making and keeping available to the public a text that insults a group. It was a tweet from 2019. She quoted Romans 1:24,27. She was rebuking the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland for promoting LGBT Pride Month, questioning how the church could agree with shame and sin being presented as a matter of pride. And guess what? Now she has. I think historically there were two other trials she was acquitted, but this one, she was actually found guilty. Why? They also dredged up a pamphlet that she published in 2004 with a bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland titled Male and Female. He created them. That's a Bible verse too. Homosexual relationships challenge the Christian concept of humanity. And it states inside of the pamphlet that homosexuality is disordered, which the courts found was an opinion that could insult homosexuals as a group on the basis of their sexual orientation. Anybody thinking about Canada right now, the piece of legislation they just passed, same thing. You offend somebody, you insult somebody, you. It's a crime. It's a crime to make somebody feel bad. Can. Okay, how's it. Okay, how's it about this, Jimmy? I wonder if they. They would have a piece of legislation in Canada. They might actually, you know, rich people, I don't think that they should have all that money now. A rich person could hear that and be offended. So I could go to jail for that? No, just. If you speak out against LGBTQ stuff, that's what we're really looking for here. She was ordered to pay a fine of $2,080. 1800 Euros. Hey, wait a second. 2000. Okay, that's. So we're still on the wrong side. And the court prohibited physical and digital copies of the pamphlet from being distributed. She responded, I stand by my teachings on my Christian faith and will continue to defend my and every person's right to share their convictions in the public'. Square. To her, I say, well done, madam. And as long as we're speaking about LGBTQ stuff, let's go to Dallas. It looks like they're going to be removing 30 rainbow colored crosswalks. What they were doing there in the first place, Dunno. But apparently it's in a part of town where that is a. There's a dense population of LGBTQ folks. They had put the crosswalks down and now there they are saying, sorry, they can't be there because it's political speech. Okay, I can live with that. It's political speech. And for some reason, I don't know why, but this particular story struck me when it comes to the issue of Christians in politics, if you've got more Christians in politics, you're simply going to have decisions that are going to be better and more biblical. So I think that if we want to see bad legislation overturned, well, then we need more Christian politicians. And you know what that means. We need more Christians. This is wretched radio.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Remember when the craziest cultural ideas stayed in dystopian novels? Yeah. Those days are over. We're living in the brave new world now. And it showed up faster than anyone expected it to. Social media didn't just change how we communicate, it changed how everyone thinks. Thinks. And if you're not ready, as a Christian, to defend what you believe about gender and sexuality and race and entertainment and a dozen other hot button issues, you're gonna get steamrolled. Worldview 2 picks up where the first one left off. Todd Friel and Dr. Nathan Buznitz tackled 22 more issues through a biblical critical race theory, modesty, persecution, environmentalism, secular entertainment and more. The stuff you're actually seeing in the headlines and hearing at your dinner table. Because the Christian worldview is under assault and, I don't know, isn't going to cut it anymore. Wretched Worldview 2 is available in streaming right now for free on Fortis. You can download the app on your smartphone, on your smart TV, or simply

[Todd Friel]

visit fortisplus.org Would you like the University Experience without the, you know University Experience? The Masters University invites you to visit their campus, or you can visit them online at masters. Edu Wretched to discover a Christian college that is biblical, that offers all of the academic excellence you desire, sports, athletics, arts, communication, all of the activities of, you know, a secular university without the, you know, secular parts. Please consider the Master's University online or of course, on campus learning, undergrad, master's and doctoral programs. It's Master's University, the University with the University experience without the university experience. Masters Eduardo

[Jimmy Hicks]

no Retreat that's the name of Fortis Institute's Spring Match campaign, and we chose that name for a reason the church has been quietly backing up for years. A doctrine gets a little uncomfortable, a truth sounds a little too exclusive. So we set it aside and before long, the gospel your church is preaching sounds more like an apology than an announcement. Fortas Institute is determined to push the other direction to encourage churches to hold fast to hard truth and to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ rightly and loudly. That's why we're inviting you to join us on the no Retreat Spring Match campaign right now through the end of May. Every dollar you give is matched dollar for dollar, and your gift will help launch two new podcasts, publish Todd Friel's new book, Go Serve youe King Through HarperCollins and Fun Gospel proclamations on college campuses. The gospel doesn't move backward, and neither should we. You can find out more right [e-mail] donate.

[Todd Friel (Wretched Radio Intro/Outro)]

Books of the Bible

[Todd Friel]

the book of

[Todd Friel (Wretched Radio Intro/Outro)]

Obadiah is a prophecy against the nation of Edom, who were descendants of Jacob's brother Esau. Obadiah's message is clear. God will punish those who persecute his people. When you face troubles of any kind, turn to the Lord. Renew your faith in him, for he cares for his people. This is Wretched Radio with Todd Friel Mannequin, heal thyself.

[Todd Friel]

That was dreadful. This is wretched radio. That was supposed to be Johnny Carson doing Cress. Karnak, the Magnificent. Earth something. Maybe that's why the impersonation failed. I don't even know who I'm impersonating. Let's go to the Vatican. Shout. You don't even know who that was.

[Jimmy Hicks]

I have no idea.

[Todd Friel]

Oh, that. You know Johnny Carson.

[Jimmy Hicks]

I know Johnny Carson.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. Carnac the Magnificent. Yep.

[Jimmy Hicks]

Nope, not at all.

[Todd Friel]

He used to come out with a turban. He'd trip up the stair, and then he would make a prediction. He had little. He had. He had stuff, little cards inside of an envelope. He would hold it to his forehead, and he would tell you what's inside of the envelope. And then he'd open it up and then read the card, and it would be a joke. Okay, let me. Let me. Let me just. I actually remember one of them. It was the one that I remember actually seeing when I was a kid and busting a gut. So he holds up the card to his forehead. Sis boom ba. Sis boom ba. And then he opens up the envelope, takes out the card. Describe the sound a sheep makes before it explodes. Sis boom ba. But that was right there. Hey, as a kid, it was funny, all right? I was 6 or something.

[Jimmy Hicks]

It's still funny.

[Todd Friel]

Sis boom bah. What?

[Jimmy Hicks]

I get it.

[Todd Friel]

I'm not making it any funnier by repeating it, am I? Pope Leo, he went to Monaco. That's a pretty wealthy. In fact, that might be like one of the most densely wealthy, populated, whatever. However you put those sentences, those words together. Area in the. In the globe. There's a lot of rich people there. Every good place in our hands, said the Pope, bears an intrinsic need not to be held back, but to be shared, so that everyone's life may be better. In other words, he was telling the rich people of Monaco that you need to give your money away. I'm pretty sure that he flew in on a helicopter from the Vatican. Now, I've never flown a helicopter, but I'm pretty certain it's not cheap. Furthermore, the house he lives in, probably bigger than any house in Monaco. The art collection of the Vatican, bigger than any art collection in all of Italy. That's, in fact, maybe the whole globe. It is like an amazing museum at the Vatican. Not to mention the people even think it could be trillions of dollars. And the Pope scolding rich people to give their money away. I see. He gave the prince. So he visited with the Prince of Monaco. I Think this is ironic, too. A colorful artwork created by the Vatican's mosaic studio. It was an image of Saint Francis of Assisi, a 13th century son of a prosperous Italian merchant who renounced his inheritance to help the poor. See what he did there? But one wonders, what was the cost of that Vatican mosaic of St. Francis of Assisi? How much did that cost? Apparently the streets were not lined with followers. Apparently the new Pope hasn't gained a whole lot of popularity, at least yet. Pope Leo, in another story from the New York Post, hosts Exorcist summit at the Vatican over fears of worldwide surge in Satanism. I'm pretty sure the reformers would make a joke there. And it might be funnier than Sis Boomba, which, I know the bar isn't very high, but the point is, really, he's concerned about that. Oh, what was. What was. Did you see the interview? There's a young man, his name is Bryce Crawford. I believe he's mega popular on YouTube. I think he's under the age of 20. He goes out into the streets and he has these encounters and his hundreds of thousands of views on every video. Super popular kid. Somehow he finagled an interview with Ken Copeland. Ken Copeland came onto the interview wearing this garish red, white and blue leather jacket. Like the. Like he was wearing a leather flag on himself. Weird. But the kid, here's. Here's the irony of it. His shirt, this young man's shirt said I hate Satan. And yet he was. He was interviewing him basically, sorry, but that's Ken Copeland. If that man does not qualify for being a false teacher, the word has no meaning if we can't. And furthermore, there was another example of the incoherence. Now this is, I grant you, of a different sort. He's a word faith, prosperity guy. But what he would say to this kid, it's like I tried to track him and it's like, you're not making any sense. I know you're talking like Bible language and such, but it's like, dude, you're incoherent with your ramblings. And I don't think he's 90 years old. He actually seemed pretty sharp. I mean, totally wrong on everything he said, but he seemed pretty sharp, and yet it didn't make any sense. And the young man, it's going to be interesting to. I wonder where this kid was coming from. I don't know what his background is, but he kept saying, you know, the problem that I have with the prosperity gospel. And he would try to articulate it, but Ken Copeland was wise enough to cut him off and, you know, kind of jump on something and move away from it because to defend his prosperity. God, the kid probably said it, I kid you, at least six times. You know, the issue with the prosperity gospel that I have is when I see people who are poor. Well, let me just tell you about that. And they couldn't even finish his sentence because he had to cut him off because he knew if the kid kept talking, it could cause problems for him. And as I watched the interview, at least as much as I could stomach. Oh, he flip flopped and changed. Well, see, now, prosperity doesn't always mean that. Please, you're all about money. You're all about private jets and red, white and blue leather jackets. It was an atrocity. Honestly. Pope Leo saying, jesus doesn't listen to prayers of those who wage war. That's interesting. So I guess God didn't hear the prayers of David or any of the kings that he told to go to war because God directed them in their battles. Quote, jesus did not arm himself or defend himself or fight any war. Oh, this is Jimmy. I'm thinking of somebody that we heard from last week that was talking like this. It's like, oh, that Jesus was a loser. Who was that that was saying that last week? Do you remember?

[Jimmy Hicks]

Yes. Oh, just a moment.

[Todd Friel]

Okay. I didn't mean to give you a synapse. I thought maybe. What happened in there? You disappeared from me for a second.

[Jimmy Hicks]

I was trying to think.

[Todd Friel]

Jesus did not arm himself or defend himself or fight any war. Well, actually, he was fighting a war. It was a cosmic, spiritual battle. And he didn't arm himself or defend himself because he was purposefully going to the cross. Not to. He was going to die for sinners, but rather he revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence. No, God doesn't always reject it because he is the one who commanded the Jewish people in the Old Testament to go to war. Does he like it? No. But are there times when it can be just? And the answer is, yes, it can be. When God commands war, it is just. So the Pope is repainting God, apparently, as a pacifist. Rather than saving himself, he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross. No, it was God's prearranged plan, embracing every cross born in every time and place throughout human history. Therefore, God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying, even though you make many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood. That can't be true. Because war, while we do not rejoice in it is sometimes a necessary governmental duty. Furthermore, I wonder if the Pope, if somebody started to attack the Vatican, would use his security guards to defend it. Of course he would. This is revealing, too, and it's a reminder. The Roman Catholic Church is indeed universalistic. We hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war. God is love. Have mercy. Lay down your weapons. Remember that you are brothers and sisters. No, we are not all brothers and sisters. Different religions are. Well, just that, different religions. And speaking of Roman Catholics, JD Vance apparently is going to get into the vault to reveal those records on UFOs. But he said, I don't think they're aliens. I think they're demons. I actually think that he's right, that some of them are. That why wouldn't. Why wouldn't we, as Christians, rather than saying space alien in the sky, why wouldn't we say demonic activity or some sort of demonic bibbidi babbity in order to confuse us or to think that there's UFOs. Furthermore, Jason Lyle, I think we've got a [e-mail], free. Jason Lyle talked about UFOs. Most of the time, when we finally kind of like figure out that picture, it's a sun flare. It could be a drone, something from the military that they're testing. We almost always get to explain them. One of the explanations, I think J.D. vance is right. It could be demonic. But even if, even if we can't identify the object, then it is indeed just that, an unidentified flying object, because we can't identify it. And so to assume that it's a space alien is to, I think, import a desire that there's alien life someplace else into something that we simply cannot describe. Who was the person that was talking like the Pope?

[Jimmy Hicks]

James Tallarico. His Easter sermon from last year.

[Todd Friel]

That's it. That just. That just went through my heart. Until tomorrow. Go serve your king.