Today on Kresta - Oct. 27, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Oct. 27

4:00 – Surviving Hell: A POW's Journey
On April 19, 1967, Air Force Colonel Leo Thorsness was on a mission over North Vietnam when his wingman was shot down by an enemy MiG, which then lined up for a gunnery pass on the two American pilots who had bailed out. Although his F‑105 was not designed for aerial combat, Thorsness engaged the MiG and destroyed it. Spotting four more MiGs, he fought his way through a barrage of North Vietnamese SAMs to engage them too, shooting down one and driving off the others. For this action, Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor. But he didn’t learn about it until years later—by a “tap code” coming through prison walls—because on April 30, Thorsness was shot down, captured, and transported to the Hanoi Hilton. He is here to recount a six-year captivity marked by hours of brutal torture and days of agonizing boredom. He describes how he and other American POWs strove to keep their humanity and their faith.

4:40 – The Case for Early Marriage
Virginity pledges. Chastity balls. Courtship. Side hugs. Guarding your heart. Evangelical and Catholic discourse on sex is more conservative than ever. Parents and pastors and youth group leaders told us not to do it before we got married. Why? Because the Bible says so. Yet that simple message didn't go very far in shaping our sexual decision-making. Amid our purity pledges and attempts to make chastity hip, we forgot to teach young Christians how to tie the knot. We talk with Mark Regnerus about the case for early marriage.

5:00 – John Paul II: Confronting the Language Empowering the Culture of Death
We live not only in a time and place but also in the description of that time and place. William Brennan is here to expose how that description was twisted and deformed, and how John Paul the Great responded by teaching the world the language of the culture of life. He reveals how, through a discourse of truth-telling - calling things by their proper name - Pope John Paul II effectively exposed the corruption of language and thought fueling a death culture that is becoming increasingly embedded in medicine, human experimentation, commerce, law, and ideology.

5:40 – Grace Before Meals: Recipes for Family Life
Fr. Leo Patalinghug is the host of a PBS television show “Grace Before Meals”, in which Fr. Leo travels to homes and cooks for families to reinforce relationships through the power of sharing a meal together. He is also the author of a book by the same name that provides a resource for parents who want their children to know that they can always talk to their families. He is with us to talk about the fundamental concept that the simple act of creating and sharing a meal can strengthen all kinds of relationships. Fr. Leo will get busy families back on track by bringing them back to the table.