The Dispatches

Frank Ritchie hosts a weekly talkback show on Newstalk ZB; he founded a Christian chaplaincy organisation to minister to journalists and others who work in the NZ media; and until relatively recently he was also a Protestant pastor. Then, in Easter 2026, after many years of profound grappling and contemplation, he swam the Tiber and entered the Catholic Church. After 15 years of back-and-forth on...

In this episode I sit down with Simon O’Connor for a candid conversation about his life and views on the times we find ourselves living through. We discuss everything from conspiracy theories, to his political betrayal, to being a politician during the Ardern regime, the current state of NZ politics, and whether he regrets not going out to meet with the organisers of the COVID anti-mandate protest...

Last week a Louisiana court issued a significant ruling about how abortion pills can be accessed in their state. Within days that ruling had escalated all the way to the US Supreme Court. In this episode I explore how we got to this point and where the legal battle currently stands. I also explain the good reasons why I think that even pro-choice people should be in favour of the Louisiana ruling,...

Several weeks ago a respected ethics journal published a paper arguing that every pregnant minor should be subjected to a forced abortion, and that not doing so is a serious injustice and failure to provide proper care. In this episode I discuss and dissect the major flaws in this vacuous and reprehensible claim. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ Become a Substa...

In this episode we discuss the deeper cultural crisis behind the shocking case of a grieving UK mother scheduled to have her life ended at a Swiss euthanasia centre and how this incident is also a prophetic call to the Christian Church. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ Become a Substack supporter at:   www.thecounterculture.substack.com  

The sixth and final episode in a special podcast adaption of a lecture series that I was asked to present at an event in January 2026 on Artificial Intelligence in the light of Christian anthropology. In this episode we discuss why AI is not like other previous technological advancements; the different types of harms arising from AI that we need to be aware of; and, most importantly, what practica...

The fifth episode in a special 6 part podcast adaption of a lecture series that I was asked to present at an event in January 2026 on Artificial Intelligence in the light of Christian anthropology. In this episode we focus on the backstory of AI; some key facts and definitions about AI; and some examples of morally good uses of AI that contribute to human flourishing. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter...

The fourth episode in a special 6 part podcast adaption of a lecture series that I was asked to present at an event in January 2026 on Artificial Intelligence in the light of Christian anthropology. In this episode we talk about Christian anthropology, power, science, technology and morality. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ Become a Substack supporter at:   ww...

The third episode in a special 6 part podcast adaption of a lecture series that I was asked to present at an event in January 2026 on Artificial Intelligence in the light of Christian anthropology. In this episode we begin exploring the issue of technology and morality. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ Become a Substack supporter at:   www.thecounterculture.sub...

Last week a self-styled conservative women’s magazine announced, along with some rather surprising promotional visuals, that its next edition was going to be the “Sex Issue’. However well-meaning their intentions might be, their statements and claims about sex and conservatism see the return of an age old false dichotomy, and they miss the mark in some fundamentally important ways. ❤️ Become a Pat...

The second episode in a special 6 part podcast adaption of a lecture series that I was asked to present at an event in January 2026 on Artificial Intelligence in the light of Christian anthropology. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ Become a Substack supporter at:   www.thecounterculture.substack.com  

In this special 6 part podcast adaption of a lecture series that I was asked to present at an event in January 2026, we explore the issue of Artificial Intelligence in the light of Christian anthropology. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ Become a Substack supporter at:   www.thecounterculture.substack.com  

Today's episode features my presentation from last week's Voice For Life national conference about two important paintings that hang in our home, and offer profound meaning about the culture of death we find ourselves living in, and the counterculture of life which offers the true path to human flourishing. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ Become a Substack sup...

Some serious thoughts, questions, and important Christian doctrinal considerations about the morality of the US war with Iran. In this episode of The Dispatches I pose some (hopefully) sober and consideration-worthy thoughts and questions about the US war with Iran. I was initially hesitant to broach this topic in a podcast, but the persistent and strident false dichotomies that have dominated onl...

A reflection for the modern and wearied seeker of truth... It is my contention that we are now living in the most propagandised era in human history. In this episode I reflect on why this is so, and, more importantly, share some wise insights that might help us to better navigate the polyphonous preponderance of propaganda we are all now bombarded by. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. Patreon...

Father Thomas Joseph White is a Dominican Priest; a founding member of The Hillbilly Thomists - a bluegrass band comprised entirely of Dominican Friars that has appeared on stage with the likes of The Zac Brown Band - and the Rector of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, an institution which boasts Pope John Paul II, and Pope Leo XIV amongst its alumni.  In this episode we d...

Over the weekend, Ben Shapiro delivered a blistering rebuke of Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and others during his speech at the Turning Point AmericaFest 2025 event. Tucker Carlson then used his speech to respond to Shapiro. In this episode I share my thoughts, my frustrations, and my sense of who won this round of the civil war playing out on the US right. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at: www. P...

Katy Faust - founder and president of Them Before Us, and advisory board member for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship - joins me to discuss the profound importance of Christian anthropology for human flourishing and humane societies. Them Before Us, a global movement defending children’s right to their mother and father. Katy publishes, speaks and testifies widely on why marriage and family...

US researcher and author Rachel Roth Aldhizer joins me to discuss the shocking untold story about the development, questionable FDA approval, and serious ongoing safety issues with the abortion pill - which has now become the primary method of abortion in many countries (including here in New Zealand). We also discuss the abortion pill reversal procedure, whether the current policies from the Trum...

Earlier this week a NZ Judge ruled that a mother had been the victim of a treatment injury and was entitled to compensation because she chose not to abort her baby after antenatal screening failed to detect her daughter’s Down syndrome. In this episode I unpack five important things that strike me as being worthy of our deeper contemplation in light of this ruling. ❤️ Become a Patreon supporter at...

In this episode I discuss a tragic incident involving a group of New Zealanders whose deaths are connected to a global euthanasia case. In particular, I explore some serious questions raised by key details that are missing from the media coverage, and the deeper metaphysical realities that are at play in this awful case. ❤️ Become a supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ WATCH the video...

In this episode of The Dispatches we take a deep dive into the goodness, truth, and beauty of Mary Shelly, specifically three different passages from her literary masterpiece Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The first passage offers deep insights about human friendship, the second about death and grief, the third about science and morality.  ❤️ Become a supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftF...

Dieuwe and William join me to discuss the fierce civil war that is currently raging on the right of politics in the United States. We share our views on why we think Nick Fuentes has become such a popular voice for a lot of young people in the US, why his appearance on the Tucker Carlson Show ignited such a vitriolic reaction from some on the right, and what we think needs to happen next. We also...

In this episode I discuss three profoundly important theological truths which play an essential role in the plot of Guillermo del Toro’s majestic new cinematic reimagining of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. ❤️ Become a supporter at: www. Patreon.com/LeftFootMedia   ❤️ WATCH the video verison on Substack: www.thecounterculture.substack.com  

Earlier today the NZ media published an article raising the alarm about increasing numbers of social media influencers speaking negatively about hormonal birth control while promoting the use of natural fertility methods instead. In this episode of The Dispatches I unpack the many truly fascinating ways that this media coverage unintentionally offers some very important insights into the dominant...