Brian Tamaki, the self-proclaimed Apostle Bishop and head of Destiny Church, is back at it again, attributing a recent earthquake in Wellington to the city’s “Filthy” behaviour.
In a recent post on X, Tamaki shared an image of a news report covering the quake, accompanied by the caption, “A Warning Wellington… CLEAN UP YOUR FILTHY ACT…”. His remarks have been widely condemned, with many accusing him of using a natural disaster to promote his extreme beliefs.
Tamaki has a long-standing history of making such inflammatory comments. He previously linked earthquakes and other natural calamities to the LGBTQ+ community and other groups he deems “sinful,” referencing his interpretation of biblical scriptures.
In a 2016 sermon, he controversially asserted that homosexuality and other “sexual deviations” were the root causes of earthquakes, citing passages from the Old Testament as justification. These statements were met with significant backlash from politicians, community leaders, and the general public, including the Prime Minister at the time, who dismissed his claims as “absurd”.
The backlash to his latest comments has focused not only on their perceived insensitivity but also on what many see as a harmful misuse of religion to vilify marginalised communities.
The Human Rights Commission has previously received multiple complaints regarding similar comments from Tamaki, and there have been petitions advocating for Destiny Church to lose its tax-exempt status as a response to his rhetoric.