The self-described ‘apostle’ and political party founder also attributed the catastrophic floods to homosexuality and abortion.
The founder of Destiny Church and the Freedoms NZ political party, Brian Tamaki, has told followers that the devastating and deadly floods of Cyclone Gabrielle were brought on by a “moral depravity and degradation”, including high levels of pornography consumption in the worst hit areas. New Zealand had also been targeted as a result of homosexuality and abortion laws, he said.
In a rambling, disinformation-littered diatribe before his church fellowship, viewed online more than 3,300 times, Tamaki, a self-styled prophet and horse enthusiast who rejects allegations that Destiny is a cult, said: “That flooding was a result of depravity.” He went on to describe his research process. “I was suspicious. Don’t hate me for this … I see the perversion that is linked to bad weather. So I hopped on,” sermonised Tamaki, typing the air to illustrate logging on to the internet.
He continued: “And I went online. And by the way I don’t watch porn. But I went on there, [typed] ‘Porn in New Zealand’, and it gave me Pornhub. I was shocked by what I found. That city in there, Hastings and Gisborne, has the highest number of porn watchers in the country and it’s one of the biggest averages per capita in the world … And they’re the biggest watchers on the porn site of gay porn. I know! And I closed it and thought, I can’t do this in church, I can’t say this publicly.”
He overcame that instinct, however. “I thought, no, God said, you know, you know it, you’ve got it, the revelation, you’ve got to share it. [Otherwise] they will not see this, they won’t connect the dots. You’ll be mocked, they’ll say you’re a nutter, but don’t worry it gets out and people can see the truth for themselves … Please, stop watching porn, New Zealand. It’s getting us in trouble.”
The mayor of Gisborne, Rehette Stoltz, called Tamaki’s comments “disappointing, unhelpful and laughable”, adding: “We have families struggling after losing their homes and their livelihoods and a much-loved community member lost his life.” She told The Spinoff: “In true Kiwi style, the rest of NZ have mucked in and supported us every step of the way. The awhi and aroha have been heartwarming and humbling. We feel loved and nurtured in a very tough time.”
Stoltz was perplexed by Tamaki’s online activities. “It’s worth mentioning that Tairāwhiti was without internet access for five days, so Brian’s ‘research’ might need updating. I suggest Brian stop wasting his time ‘researching’ Pornhub, and instead join the rest of New Zealand who have donated time, energy and money to help us get back on our feet. I can flick him our Disaster Relief Fund bank details if he reaches out. We’ll get back to work now thanks.”
In a sermon lasting over an hour that drew heavily on the old testament’s Book of Leviticus, Tamaki said Cyclone Gabrielle “should never have got near us”, adding, baselessly: “But no, it was swirling, it got strong and He said, I’m coming for you, I’m after New Zealand. Because that’s where the most extreme abortion, that’s the abomination that’s coming up in the air to God. That’s the place that has the queerest parliament in the world.”
New Zealand’s abortion laws provided “a big tick for this country to be a target”, said Tamaki. How did he know? “I have caught how God feels about it,” he explained, “so I feel how He feels … I transfer His feelings to my feelings, His thoughts to my thoughts.”
After the Christchurch earthquake which killed 185 people in 2011, Tamaki delivered a sermon blaming homosexuality, saying, “the earth convulses under the weight of certain human sin.” In 2020, Tamaki attributed the Covid-19 pandemic to airborne Satanic demons and the drinking of bat’s blood.
Earlier this month, Freedoms New Zealand, a political party founded by Tamaki and his Freedom and Right Coalition, was successfully registered with the Electoral Commission. Tamaki’s attempts to persuade Sue Grey and the Outdoors Party to join his umbrella party were unsuccessful.
Despite Jacinda Ardern’s retirement from politics, Tamiki continued his vitriolic and falsehood-replete attacks on the former prime minister last week, saying: “That woman was the personification of a Satanic order she was going to put in place for this country.” And: “Jacinda was carrying on the satanic agenda that started with Helen Clark.”
The leader of the opposition was similarly denounced. By posting a tweet in support of Pride Month, Christopher Luxon had been “glorifying baby killing”, Tamaki railed, bizarrely. Chris Hipkins was not exempt; he was “part of the conduit of these problems, he’s in the same camp.” A spokesperson for Hipkins declined to comment, suggesting people could make their own assessments about Tamaki’s remarks.
Tamaki’s Man Up movement last week launched a “convoy” to the east coast of the North Island to assist in the cleanup. In a livestream earlier this week, Tamaki urged those taking part to grasp the opportunity to proselytise. “When you’re shovelling and digging,” he said, “look for gentiles.” In a post last night, Tamaki announced that he was about to head personally to Hastings to “muck in with my men”.