Today on Kresta - January 5, 2010

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Jan. 5

4:00 – Liturgical Translations: Should there be a “grass-roots” review of the new Missal?
A recent article in the significantly left-leaning Catholic magazine “America” makes the argument that there should be a grass-roots review of the new Roman Missal, recently approved by the USCCB after years of dialogue amongst the Bishops and with Rome. The attempt is to recover a more accurate translation of the rubrics. The article is entitled “What if We Said, ‘Wait’?” Now “America” has surprisingly agreed to publish a response article by Fr. Peter Stravinskas entitled “We’ve Waited Long Enough!” We talk with Fr. Peter about the issue.

4:20 – 2009 Daniel of the Year: Fighting for humanity’s eternal value
WORLD Magazine's 12th annual Daniel of the Year is Stephen Meyer, director of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, fights to show that lives have eternal value because they are the work of a Creator and not the product of chance. This fall Meyer came out with a full account of what science has learned in recent decades: Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design and shows that the cell is incredibly complex and the code that directs its functions wonderfully designed. His argument undercuts macroevolution, the theory that one kind of animal over time evolves into a very different kind. Meyer thus garners media scorn for raining on this year's huge celebration of the birth of Charles Darwin 200 years ago and the publication of On the Origin of Species 150 years ago. We talk to Meyer about his work.

4:40 – The Murder Business: How the Media Turns Crime into Entertainment and Subverts Justice
Crime stories fascinate the public. But between factual news stories, overblown “human interest” reports and salacious murder mystery exposés, it’s difficult to tell where news ends and entertainment begins. Mark Fuhrman explores this fine line and how it is increasingly being crossed, revealing new and shocking details on such high profile cases as JonBenet Ramsey, Martha Moxley and Chandra Levy. Fuhrman argues that the media’s approach to covering crime (“if it bleeds, it leads”) has allowed many criminals to get away with murder and impeded the search for justice. He presents a compelling plea for journalists, cops and citizens to demand higher ethical standards in the pursuit of justice.

5:00 – 5 Worst Stories of 2009 / 5 Positive Developments of 2009 / 5 Stories to Expect in 2010
Phil Lawler of Catholic World news has taken a novel approach to a review of the last year and what to look for in 2010. We look at the five worst stories of 2009, the five most positive developments of 2009, and the five stories you should be looking out for in 2010

5:20 – Direct to my Desk – Top Stories of the Decade