Today on Kresta - December 29, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Dec. 29

Kresta Countdown of the top interviews of 2009

#16 – Kresta Comments - Michael Jackson: A Human Commodity

#15 – Abortion Rites: A Social History of Abortion in America
In a remarkable and controversial work which goes back to 1992, Marvin Olasky wrote an in-depth analysis of the history of abortion in America. Part One describes the three groups of women who were having abortions through the mid-nineteenth century. Part Two examines the failures and limited successes of anti-abortion Americans as they tried to develop a societal mind-set in which abortion was condemned. And Part Three carries the story into the twentieth century, examining the moral transition among physicians and the impact of changing values and economic pressures. It is as relevant today as it ever was, and Marvin joins us to look at the social history of abortion in America.

#14 – Christianity Caused the Crash?
Recently the Atlantic magazine ran an article under the provocative headline “Did Christianity Cause the Crash?” The article itself was much less silly than the headline, but even so, its effort to tie Christian religious movements to the crash was a pretty implausible stretch. However, the topic of Christianity and the market deserves some serious attention, because (the absurdity of the Atlantic notwithstanding) recent shifts in Christian religious attitudes really are related in important ways to the American economy. So—Did Christianity Cause the Crash? Dr. Greg Forster has the answer.

#13 – Climate talks seek calm after “Climategate” fury
For years, Jay Richards says he’s warned fellow Christians not to confuse environmental stewardship with climate change alarmism. His experience is that many Christian environmentalists simply accept the conventional wisdom when it comes to the science, rather than studying it carefully. They place a lot of weight on the credibility of mainstream views. So he is now hoping that “Climategate” will cause many of them to rethink their uncritical embrace of what they learn from the cover of Newsweek. We talk to Jay about how “Climategate” has affected the current Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

#12 – A. Lincoln: A Biography
Today we celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is endlessly chronicled because he is, like the nation he saved, endlessly fascinating. In celebration of the Lincoln’s 200th birthday, Lincoln scholar Ronald White has written a splendid, sprawling biography of a man we can never know too much about. Everyone wants to define the man who signed his name “A. Lincoln.” In his lifetime and ever since, friend and foe have taken it upon themselves to characterize Lincoln according to their own label or libel. In this magnificent book, White offers a fresh and compelling definition of Lincoln as a man of integrity–what today’s commentators would call “authenticity”–whose moral compass holds the key to understanding his life. He joins us.