Today on Kresta - October 18, 2010

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Oct. 18

Live from the campus of Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL

4:00 – The Tea Party Movement: How Does it Gel With Catholic Social Teaching?
Since their not-so-quiet arrival on the U.S. political scene, the tea party has garnered a great deal of attention and found growing support among disgruntled Americans, many of whom are Catholics. A study commissioned earlier this year by the National Review Institute found that 28 percent of tea party supporters identified themselves as Catholic. Yet while the movement may include aspects that are attractive to practicing Catholics, there are also serious questions about whether the at times radical views and controversial practices seen from tea party protesters fit with the teachings of the Church. Fr. Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute is here to look at the Tea Party and Catholic Social Teaching.

4:40 – Ohio Elections Commission Silences Pro-Life Group
National Democrats have given up on Ohio Representative Steve Driehaus's reelection campaign, but the race took an interesting turn today when the Ohio Elections Commission agreed to allow Driehaus's case against a pro-life group, the Susan B. Anthony List, to proceed.A three-member panel of the commission ruled that there was "probable cause" to believe that the SBA List is falsely trying to claim in an ad that Driehaus "voted for taxpayer-funded abortion" in the national health care law. The panel's vote was two-to-one, with a Republican member voting against Driehaus and a Democratic member and an independent member voting in Driehaus's favor. A criminal conviction for making false campaign statements is punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $5,000. The SBA List had tried to place its ad on four billboards earlier this month, but a lawyer for Driehaus convinced the billboard company not to run the ads while the case is pending. The SBA List says the commision is squelching the group's free speech rights. With us to discuss the case is the President of the Susan B Anthony List, Marjorie Dannenfelser.

5:00 – Climbing out of Communism to the Freedom and Virtue of Catholicism
Ismael Hernandez is a black Hispanic ex-communist activist who is now a Catholic activist working with the least among us. His decision to launch the Freedom and Virtue Institute was founded on years of hard work in poor communities and his eventual realization that, decades after the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, there are still walls of silence, oppression and division erected in minority communities by governments, organizations and leaders who are invested in a government-centered vision for minority America. He joins us.

5:45 – Faith and Ale – Wednesday Night
This Wednesday evening Al will be speaking for the Faith and Ale group of men in Naples, FL. The topic will be “How the Media Perverts Society, the Church, and Reality”. We talk with George DeLos Reyes, co-founder of Faith and Ale about this tremendous apostolate for men and about Al’s appearance this week.