Today on Kresta - June 26, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on June 26

3:00 – Kresta Comments

3:20 – Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism Is the Solution and Not the Problem
Does capitalism promote greed? Can a person follow Jesus' call to love others and also support capitalism? Was our recent economic crisis caused by flaws inherent to our free market system? Jay Richards presents a new approach to capitalism, revealing how it's fully consistent with Jesus’ teachings and the Christian tradition, while also showing why this system is our best bet for renewed economic vigor.

4:00 – Feast of St. Jose Maria Escriva
On this feast of St. Jose Maria Escriva, we take a look at the modern Saint and the organization he founded – Opus Dei. Vatican reporter John Allen has written the first serious journalistic investigation of the highly secretive, controversial organization. He provides unique insight about the wild rumors surrounding it and discloses its significant influence in the Vatican and on the politics of the Catholic Church. Its notoriety escalated with the publication of the runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code and with the previous pope's much-debated canonization of Escriva. We take a balanced look.

4:40 – The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to Al-Qaeda
Today's CIA is regularly criticized for emphasizing technology at the expense of human intelligence. In this history of the agency's Office of Technical Services, Robert Wallace, its former head, refutes the charge with exciting content and slam-bang style. From WWII through the Cold War and up to the present, he says, technical equipment—for clandestine audio surveillance, for example—has been an essential element of agent operations. In the post–Cold War information society, technology plays an even more significant role in fighting terrorism. Agents remain important, along with their traditional skills. Increasingly, however, they support clandestine technical operations, especially infiltrating and compromising computer networks. He is here to argue that employing and defending against sophisticated digital technology is the primary challenge facing U.S. intelligence in the 21st century.

5:00 – “The Stoning of Soraya M”
As the movie industry prepares to roll out its summer blockbusters, a sobering, controversial film explores the gripping story of an Iranian woman who is victimized by her husband. The movie is based on real events and is adapted from the book of the same name by the French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam, played by Jim Caviezel. In the aftermath of the Iranian revolution, a husband grows tired of his young wife, who has borne him two sons and two daughters. Under Islamic law, a man may have up to four wives – but he’s also obligated to care and provide for each of them properly. Interested in a potential child bride and unable to afford the added expense of a second wife, the husband maneuvers his wife into tending house for a recent widower. Then he falsely accuses her of infidelity, after blackmailing other male village elders, including the mullah – the town’s religious leader - into colluding in his lie. Jim Caviezel is with us and Dave Forsmark reviews the film with Nick.

5:40 – Why Young Children Belong at Mass
Recently Kate Wicker wrote an article for her parish newsletter about why we must offer encouragement -- not sideways glances -- to parents who bring their young children to Mass. Overall, the response was positive, but one reader sent her a letter suggesting she leave her kids at home so she could "more fully receive Christ." It was charitable enough, but the point was clear: Children are sweet, but they don't belong in church. If we are truly a pro-life people, then how can we not welcome children -- the future of the Church -- at Mass? Kate is here to talk about why children of all ages belong in the pews right along with us.