Today on Kresta - April 4, 2011

Talking about the "things that matter most" on April 4

4:00 – A Rat is a Pig is a Dog is a Boy: The Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement
Over the past thirty years, as Wesley J. Smith details in his latest book, the concept of animal rights has been seeping into the very bone marrow of Western culture. One reason for this development is that the term “animal rights” is so often used very loosely, to mean simply being nicer to animals. But although animal rights groups do sometimes focus their activism on promoting animal welfare, the larger movement they represent is actually advancing a radical belief system. For some activists, the animal rights ideology amounts to a quasi religion, one whose central doctrine declares a moral equivalency between the value of animal lives and the value of human lives. All people who love animals and recognize their intrinsic worth can agree with Wesley J. Smith that human beings owe animals respect, kindness, and humane care. But Smith argues eloquently that our obligation to humanity matters more, and that granting “rights” to animals would inevitably diminish human dignity. He joins us.

5:00 – One Year Since the Haiti Earthquake (Jan. 12)
When the Haiti earthquake struck on January 12, 2010, Cross Catholic mobilized donors and trusted Haitian mission partners to rush immediate aid to traumatized refugees. They shipped food, water, and medical supplies to survivors as quickly and efficiently as possible, despite a closed seaport and broken roads. In the ensuing months, they remained committed to helping their Haitian partners recover and rebuild – a process that continues to this day. Political unrest, a cholera outbreak, and a shattered national infrastructure pose great challenges to the recovery, but Cross Catholic is working hard to meet the needs of the many Haitians who are crying out for help. We look back at this trying year for the country of Haiti with Jim Cavnar of Cross International Catholic Outreach.

5:30 – “Princess Boy” Ignites Media Buzz: Cross-Dressing Kindergarteners.
Any semblance of objectivity went out the window on the January 3 broadcast of NBC’S “Today Show.” Host Meredith Vieira promoted a book by Cheryl Kilodavis, titled “My Princess Boy,” an illustrated children’s book that promotes the tolerance of cross-dressing boys. The segment featured Kilodavis and her 5-year-old Dyson. Dyson likes to wear girls’ clothes and do girl things. Mom likes to make money off her son’s proclivities. And “Today” wants to educate viewers about “tolerating” little boys who wear dresses. We bring in a real expert – Clinical Psychologist Dr. Ray Guarendi.