Today on Kresta - April 19, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on April 19

4:00 – The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons, and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us
Anthony DeStefano is here to explain the reality of the spiritual dimension that surrounds us. All aspects of the spiritual realm are discussed, including the existence of angels and demons, the whereabouts of loved ones who have passed, and even the presence and activity of God in our lives. The Invisible World demonstrates that nothing is more significant than to be reminded that no one is alone. Anthony joins us.

4:20 – Kresta Comments – The Oklahoma City Bombing, The Murder of George Tiller, and “Christian Terrorism”
It’s been almost two years since the murder of late-term abortionist George Tiller and today is the 16th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Both events are often pointed to as prime examples of “right-wing” or “Christian” terrorism. Case in point is a new book entitled “The Wichita Divide: The Murder of Dr. George Tiller and the Battle Over Abortion.” Author Stephen Singular argues that Tiller’s murder “can only be understood within the context of right-wing extremism that has become increasingly mainstream.” Al responds to this assertion.

4:40 – Surge in New England Mass Attendance / Bill Maher Mocks “Catholics Come Home”
The notoriously anti-religious Bill Maher recently featured a three-minute segment on his show, slamming Catholicism, and in particular Catholic priests on Ash Wednesday. Maher specifically edited and perverted one of the highly-effective national commercials produced by the lay-Catholic charitable outreach organization, CatholicsComeHome.org. Meanwhile, this Lent, the Archdiocese of Boston, the Diocese of Manchester and seven other dioceses across the nation have partnered Catholics Come Home, to air the multimedia (TV and Internet) evangelization initiative inviting Catholics back to church – and the Bishops say it’s working! Tom Peterson, Founder and President of Catholics Come Home, is here.

5:00 – Pope Benedict XVI and Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection
Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and no myth, revolutionary, or misunderstood prophet, insists Benedict XVI. Indeed, Benedict maintains that the evidence, fairly considered, brings us face-to-face with the challenge of Jesus-a real man who taught and acted in ways that were tantamount to claims of divine authority, claims not easily dismissed as lunacy or deception. Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection is Pope Benedict XVI’s follow-up to Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordon to the Transfiguration. As we enter this Holy Week, Doug Bushman of the Institute for Pastoral Theology of Ave Maria University is here to take us deeper into the Pope’s thoughts on this most sacred week of the year.

5:40 – The Case of Sr. Elizabeth Johnson
The USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine has just issued a critique of a recent book by Elizabeth Johnson, a Professor of Theology at Fordham University. The book is Quest for the Living God: Mapping the Frontiers in the Theology of God. The Committee said that it finds that many of the book’s conclusions “incompatible with Catholic teaching.” The Committee asserts that the “basic problem with Quest for the Living God as a work of Catholic theology is that the book does not take the faith of the Church as its starting point. Instead, the author employs standards from outside the faith to criticize and to revise in a radical fashion the conception of God revealed in Scripture and taught by the Magisterium.” Moral theologian Dr. Monica Miller is here to explain the issues with Elizabeth Johnson’s theology.