Letters: Destiny Church is no longer just an embarrassment – it’s a clear and present danger

Destiny Church protesters disrupt a children's library drag event at Te Atatū Community Centre in West Auckland on Saturday.

Letters to the Editor

As a gay man living in Auckland, I’m all too familiar with Brian Tamaki’s antics and the Destiny Church. At first, he was just another charlatan blaming LGBTQ+ people for natural disasters, peddling the same old bigotry under the guise of faith. We laughed it off, as we’ve done many times before – another day, another hater.

But after 24 hours of being bombarded with coverage of the “church’s” latest outburst, one thing is clear: they are no longer just an embarrassment; they are a clear and present danger – not just to the rainbow community, but to all of us.

In recent years, I have seen Destiny Church embrace imported extremism, conspiracy theories and far-right politics, weaponising these to rile up their followers and unleash them on the public. To what end? Gay people aren’t going anywhere. Drag Queen Story Hour isn’t stopping anytime soon. Trans people will continue to exist.

Yet Tamaki has built his empire on branding us as criminals, predators and threats to the community – but this weekend, the only real threat to public safety was him and his blind followers. For too long, this man has been allowed to push his agenda under flimsy political movements (Freedoms NZ), while masquerading as a man of God.

His influence is no longer just ideological – it has escalated into direct political and physical aggression against a community that is just trying to survive.

A pride parade met with an angry mob, yet only one side is seen as a danger to society? And it’s not the one hurling threats and inciting violence? Or storming public libraries.

It’s time for the public and the Government to stop enabling this fraud and hit him where it hurts.

For the uninitiated: Destiny Church preaches the Prosperity Gospel, a grift born out of American capitalism and vague religious doctrine, designed to enrich its leaders while exploiting the vulnerable, blaming them for their own poverty and suffering. It’s been a scam since the early 1900s, pushed by bad actors like Oral Roberts in the ′50s, and yet somehow, in 2025, it’s still allowed to thrive. What exactly is charitable about that?

How is this still happening? And yet we’re the problem? It hurts, man.

Daniel Gada, Auckland Central.

People v thuggery

I applaud Mayor Wayne Brown for his condemnation of Destiny Church’s cowardly protest towards the Rainbow Community.

The very name “Man Up” is denigrating to men. Real men are not threatened by diversity and the queer community. Bigotry and the like are always caused by fear and insecurity.

Brian Tamaki’s pride in his followers' bullying and thuggery is concerning, to say the least. To label the LGBTQ+ community as pornographic and perverted is wrong on so many levels.

May MPS and the local council continue to stand up against this kind of disturbing behaviour.

Susan Wilson, Waiheke Island.

Bar the shouting

One should always give praise when it’s due, regardless of their political opinions. MMP allows one that opportunity without compromising their party affiliations.

As a keen watcher of the TV programme Q+A, it was worth my time to observe minister Erica Stanford being interviewed by Guyon Espiner. Both had the good manners to not interrupt the other during the interview. Espiner will not be fobbed off, so Stanford was put on the spot several times. However, by listening to the full question before answering, she gave herself time to provide, at the least, a reasonable answer.

Others, including the PM, seem to think that by either repeating policy like a parrot or by forceful interruptions, they will gain the upper hand. They are wrong, as listeners will tend to focus on a heated discourse rather than the point. Observational learning could be a discussion point at the next Cabinet meeting.

Reg Dempster, Albany.

Peace pipe dream

Those who think Donald Trump having peace talks with Vladimir Putin will mean “peace in our time” could well reflect on the words of William Dodd. Dodd was the American ambassador to Germany from 1933 until 1937. And the quote below was his reply to Roosevelt when asked by him for details of happenings in Germany.

“With Germany united as it has never been before, there is feverish arming and drilling of 1,500,000 men, all of whom are taught every day that continental Europe must be subordinated to them.”

Trump is negotiating with Putin, who is a dictator who wants to dominate Ukraine and other parts of Europe. The only pathway to “peace in our time” is to stop Putin and prevent him getting his way. If we fail and give in to Putin, we will suffer, in the words of Churchill, “a grave and unmitigated defeat”.

To prove my point, not long after these words were uttered by Dodds and Churchill, World War II broke out. In this case, appeasement did not prevent war and it never will.

Michael Walker, Blockhouse Bay.