This week we look at Home, Heretics and Hate Speech - including Canadian government minister defines Bible as hatespeech;  Sudan; Anti-semitism in Melbourne and London; The Dutch election; Free Speech in France; The BBC edits Trump speech;  Fiji and Samoa celebrate Christ after rugby match;  country of the week - Germany;  the most infectious German song ever!;  Prunella Scales; The Queering of Jesus; Shape Singing in the US; Joe Rogan sticks with Jesus; and the Last Word - John 4:12  with music from RunRig, Jimi Hendrix; Plastic Betrand; Mountain Crew; Bach; 600 Shape Singers; and Matt Redman. 

This week's is a special in memory of my mother - including Kathren Maher on the truth; Ukraine war;  John Lennon's relationship with his mother;  Child abuse in Australia; Matt Redman on suffering; Birth rates throughout the world; and Proverbs 31 with music from Duncan Chisholm; Deep Purple; John Lennon;  Ray Davies; Matt Redman; Capercaillie;  and Warren Haynes 

Beauty for Ashes Conversations is an offshoot of the Beauty for Ashes Podcast, featuring interviews we do with the famous and the not so famous.  Our first conversation is with Matt Redman - the Christian songwriter.  We discuss his early life, his songwriting and some of the sufferings he has experienced....with some of his best known songs....enjoy!

In episode 2 we look at the question of bias; are Jews welcome in Birmingham?  Birmingham Imam instructs congregation on how to stone women;  Jewish children in Germany need armed guards to go to school; Victorian police have had enough of Far Left rioters; Robbing the Louvre; ChatGPT goes 'adult';   Dundee beat Celtic;  Country of the Week - Sweden;  Bill Maher on Swedish immigration;  Robert Irwin and LGBT symbols; Nottingham University wants to decolonise Lord of the Rings; Anglicans Split;  Is there Revival in the US? Isaiah 61:1-4  with music from ABBA; 10CC; Roxette;  Swedish Lutheran Chant;  Steph Macleod and Celtic Worship. 

Welcome to the first episode of Beauty for Ashes - in conjunction with Rhema Newcastle we are putting out a weekly radio programme and then this podcast.  It will follow the same pattern as Quantum of the Wee Flea - looking at news, culture, religion,  sport and music from throughout the world.    This week we look at Trump's Gaza piece;  Drugs in Estonia; Indoctrination in a Dorset school;  JK Rowling on Changing her mind and God; Senator Clare Chandler and Andy Cody; Country of the Week - Indonesia;   the Ashes; and the Final Word from Isaiah 61 with music from the Who;  the Verve;  Fun Boy Three; Iwan Fals-Bongkar; Ku Nyanyi Haleluya; Booker T and the MGs;  and Hillsong; 

This is a special edition of the Islam special....we have removed the localised and time limited references and a bit of the music....so that it is something that can be used as an ongoing resource.    Tom Holland on the incompatibility of Islam with Western liberal democracy;  Douglas Murray and James Orr on Muslim immigration;  Mousa Kadri;  Spencer Fildes on the new blasphemy law;   What happens if you leave Islam?  The genocide against Christians in Nigeria;  Country of the Week – Afghanistan;  Israel and Gaza;  Sharia Law in the UK;  Islam in Australia;  The Rape Gangs;  Islamic Education; Christian Apologist murdered in France;  The Church and Islam- Andy Bannister and Sam Green; with music from Yusuf,  Karl Jenkins; Afghan Christian Worship;  Bachman Turner Overdrive;  Bob Dylan; and Chris Tomlin.

In this weeks final Quantum (before we change into Beauty for Ashes), we take a look at the church throughout the world including the Pope blessing a block of ice; Vishnal Mangalwadi and Christian Education; US school vouchers; Church and State; Ofcom vetting sermons; The Church in China; the Church in South Korea; Bill Maher on Nigeria and the Persecuted Church; Spanish Priest arrested for Islamaphobia; The Weak Church - Jim Davies's response to Charlie Kirk; The Apostate Church - pastor takes child to Drag Queen shows;  Tony Evans; John Lennox on finishing well;  The non-transcendent church; the new Archbishop of Canterbury; Sydney Anglicans plan church growth; the 2025 Westminster Declaration; Marilyn Simon; Louise Perry; Gospel music in Japan; the church amongst the 'Angsha' tribal people; the last word - Matthew 16:18 with music from Sons of Korah, Gloria Kollectiv;  Ps 133 in Chinese; the Tenebrae Choir;  the Cave Church;  Megumi and Kenji Sato and The Kingdom Ambassadors;  the 'Angsha' people; and St Peters Free Church. 

John 5:37-38 - Jesus's third witness is the big one! The Father. What does this mean?

In this Quantum I look at 12 times I have changed my mind about something.....the EU;  Israel and the Jews;  Democracy; Scottish Independence;  Immigration; Socialism;  Education; Climate Change;  Islam; Transgender Ideology; Equality before the Law; Netflix.  And the final word from Acts 28. with music from Europe, Dave Alvin, Leonard Cohen;  Dougie Maclean, Pink Floyd; Supertramp; and Robert Plant. 

This week, in our final Quantum (before we change to Beauty for Ashes) we take a deeper look at Islam.  Tom Holland on the incompatibility of Islam with Western liberal democracy;  Douglas Murray and James Orr on Muslim immigration;  Mousa Kadri;  Spencer Fildes on the new blasphemy law;   What happens if you leave Islam?  The genocide against Christians in Nigeria;  Country of the Week - Afghanistan;  Israel and Gaza;  Sharia Law in the UK;  Islam in Australia;  The Rape Gangs;  Islamic Education;  The Church and Islam- Andy Bannister and Sam Green; with music from Yusuf,  Led Zeppelin; Karl Jenkins; Afghan Christian Worship;  Bachman Turner Overdrive;  Bob Dylan; and Chris Tomlin. 

This week we look at the fallout from the Charlie Kirk assassination;  Yes Minister; Students in Amsterdam;  the Oxford Union President; Mental Health worker in Australia;  Borussia Dortmund;  AI books exploit death;  What does the London March mean?  Sir Trevor Phillips; Net Zero in Australia; Andrew Hastie;  the growth of ASEAN; The Decline of Germany; Theresa May on Euthanasia; Christians slaughtered in the Congo; Banning Prayer in New South Wales; Finnish school pupils v English Uni students;  'Man Overboard' banned; Danny Kruger joins Reform; Star Trek bissexuality; Robert Redford;  and the Last Word, with music from BJ Thomas; Sons of Korah;  Don Mclean;   REM;  The Rolling Stones;  Prelude;  Blink; 

This week we reflect on the assassination of Charlie Kirk; Apocalypse Now;  Iryna Zarutska;  AI and medicine; Riots in Nepal; Asylum Seekers in the UK;  Top restaurant in the UK - Texas Steakhouse; Zarah Sultana and Trans; Stephen Ireland and Surrey Pride; the racism of the New York Times; Country of the Week - Norway;  French government collapses; UK police arrest a man for causing anxiety on social media; Peter Mandelson; Attacking Jerusalem; Hamas's wealth in Qatar; Anglican Dean of Newcastle and yet more child abuse; Elizabeth Nicholls; Silicon Valley turns to Christ;  Dick Lucas's 100th birthday; with music from The Doors, Dire Straits, Robert Plant, Steph Macleod and Lou Fellingham, Antestor; Elizabeth Nicholls;  and Karl Jenkins. 

This week we look at Britain's Father Ted moment;  Kirralie Smith and Australia's court mandating lying;  NHS and 'people with a cervix';  Schindlers List; Keir Starmer and Islamaphobia; The Afghanistan earthquake; Three Scots row across the Pacific; The Racist English countryside; Babylon Bee and Hitler; Dominic Sandbrook on Triggernometry; Aristotle and Alexander the Great; France in danger of crashing the world economy; The UK's global talent visa and Turkish drag queens; The trans shooter in Minneapolis; Country of the week - Ghana; The Chinese Military parade and the summit of the dictators; China builds new base in London;  Genocide 'experts' exposed; An apology re Rev James Haram; the hope of Post Millenialism; and the final word from Habakkuk. with music from The Specials; Pod;  Rev Amy Newman,  Jimmie Rodgers, Andre Rieu, REM

This week we look at some of the questions that we face in our societies....What are the dangers AI fake news? What's going on in the UK?  What's wrong with flying the flag? Who is Lucy Connolly?  Is saying 'we love bacon' a crime in the UK?   Why was Iran expelled from Australia; What's going on in our Country of the week - Burkina Faso?  ; Why is the ocean warming?  Who is burning coal? Why is Norway opening new oil fields?   Why has John Fogerty released a new album?  Why have Cracker Barrel backed down on rebranding? Why made the first pillows?  Why does Lewis Goodall want to take all your money when you die? Why is it wrong to say 'boys and girls' in Australian schools?  Why are AI companions so destructive? Who will replace Dr Dobson?  Why is the teaching about 'biblical patriarchy' so potentially harmful?  Why is The Tree of Life such a great film? What does the Bible say?    with music from The Three Degrees;  The Beatles;  Florencia ADOUABOU; John Fogerty; Steeleye Span;  Tony, Toni Tone; and Steph Macleod

This week we continue to look at AI and its impact on our society;  AI friends;  The Stepford Wives;  Edinburgh University Press on Black and white; National Library of Scotland censors Women Won't Wheesht;  Men giving birth in South Australia; Country of the Week - England;  The Magna Carta; The Significance of Flags; Christianity in England; Ceasefires;  Triggernometry and Netanyahu and Tommy Robinson on Mohammed and Jesus;  The Matrix; Geoffrey Hinton and AI Sub Goals;  French Muslims ban Barbie; Lisa Nandy appoints Muslim as only religious advisor to civil society project; Med 1 in 200 billion year event!  It's cold in Australia;  Offshore windfarms decimate fishing and environment;  BP to reopen large North Sea oil field; UEFA's non political political message; Jasper Carrott on insurance claims;  Rev James Haram and Colin Smyth MSP;  A Hidden Life; Feedback; Podcast change news;  with music from Queen;  Vera Lynn;  Aqua;  Frank Sinatra and Dorothy Kirsteen; The Waterboys;  Melbourne Opera; and Indian Christians. 

This week we look at the subject of AI - Artificial Intelligence.  What is it?  How will it impact us?  Are AI companions for real?  Ethical issues - plagiarism, deepfakes and bias; Is humanity doomed?  AI weapons; Was Hiroshima necessary?  AI and jobs;  AI and money;  AI and Climate Change; Country of the Week - South Korea; AI and the Church; Fake Bible characters; Our Future is AI Serfdom - B.Duncan Moench; The biblical answer to AI....With music from Kraftwerk; Christy Moore; Styx; OMD; Radiohead; BTS;  REM; Rage Against the Machine;  Back Free Church; Gaelic Psalm Singing. 

This week we look at communion on the moon; banning Jews in Edinburgh; Kate Forbes resigns;  Lord of the Rings;  England v. India;  Country of the Week - India; Prison Officers compelled to lie; Chinese spies in the UK;  Angela Rayner and Muslim Heritage Month; Brisbane Anglicans reject Scripture; the Dutch self-generating sea wall;  the Chinese Vertical Forest City; The News Agents on the Quiet Revival;  the closure of Spurgeons College and Trinity; Feedback on Gaza; Niall Ferguson on genocide;  recognising Palestine: Major Andrew Fox on Triggernometry;  Final Word - Psalm 46  -  With music from REM; Radiohead; Booker T and the MGs;  Shankar- Essen- Loy;  Bridge Music; Golden Earring; Annie Lennox;  and Larry Norman;    

Apologies - this is version 2 - we needed to change the format so that Spotify could accept it.....This week we look at Corbyns new party; the Russian earthquake; Proof that Australia pays women to abort babies;  the Climate Crisis and Colonisation; Cleo Laine; Netflix's Pride and Prejudice;  Gladiator; Trump in Scotland; Why are Rapes in Poland so low compared with other European countries?;  Trump's Tariff triumphs; Robyn Williams on Golf; Sydney Sweeney and the Nazi Blue Jeans; JK Rowling on the Sandi Peggie Case; Country of the Week - Algeria; Israel and Gaza; Keir Starmer and Palestine; James O'Brien and the Jewish Blood Libel; Bret Stephens on Israel and Genocide; Killing Christians in the Congo; Cherry Vann - New Archbishop of Wales; Lots of Feedback; and The Final Word - Psalm 122; with music from Carole King; Cleo Laine; Hans Zimmer; David Dundas;  Tarwan n Darwed ; Adam Gabeli and Saeed Miryaghoobi

John 3:33-34 - How do we know the truth? When we acknowledge Christ. He is the one given the Spirit without measure....and we are given him. When we believe....

This week we look at Corbyns new party; the Russian earthquake; Proof that Australia pays women to abort babies;  the Climate Crisis and Colonisation; Cleo Laine; Netflix's Pride and Prejudice;  Gladiator; Trump in Scotland; Why are Rapes in Poland so low compared with other European countries?;  Trump's Tariff triumphs; Robyn Williams on Golf; Sydney Sweeney and the Nazi Blue Jeans; JK Rowling on the Sandi Peggie Case; Country of the Week - Algeria; Israel and Gaza; Keir Starmer and Palestine; James O'Brien and the Jewish Blood Libel; Bret Stephens on Israel and Genocide; Killing Christians in the Congo; Cherry Vann - New Archbishop of Wales; Lots of Feedback; and The Final Word - Psalm 122; with music from Carole King; Cleo Laine; Hans Zimmer; David Dundas;  Tarwan n Darwed ; Adam Gabeli and Saeed Miryaghoobi