Today on "Kresta in the Afternoon" - June 20, 2013

Talking about the "things that matter most" on June 20

Live from the Acton Institute's Acton University 2013
 
4:00 – Exodus International Closes Its Doors and Apologizes To Gays
Exodus International, the 37-year-old ministry devoted to helping people deal with unwanted same-sex attraction, is shutting down. The Exodus board of directors unanimously voted to shut down the ministry after a year of prayer and dialogue, a press release states. Local groups that were affiliated with the ministry will continue, though they will no longer be under the umbrella of Exodus. "Exodus is an institution in the conservative Christian world, but we've ceased to be a living, breathing organism," said Alan Chambers, the ministry's president, in a statement. "For quite some time we've been imprisoned in a worldview that's neither honoring toward our fellow human beings, nor biblical." The announcement was made just one day after Chambers issued an apology to the gay community for the "trauma" he and the organization might have caused them. We talk to Exodus VP Randy Thomas.

4:20 – 21^st Century Religion
Religion emerged as a dominant force in shaping the final years of the twentieth century, from Communism’s peaceful defeat to the rise to jihadist terrorism. In the 21^st century, religion will help determine the prospects of free and virtuous societies, and the potential for peace between nations. What might the Christian proposal offer in a world contending with both religious and secular fundamentalism? Fr. Raymond de Souza answers that question.

4:40 – Tensions in American Conservatism
It is often claimed that “social conservatism” with its concerns for social issues such as life, marriage, and religious liberty, is at odds with the “fiscal conservative” commitment to limited government and individual liberty. Jay Richards argues that both streams of modern conservatism flow from the same philosophical sources, and underscores the underlying unity of social and economic issues.

5:00 – Defending Marriage: What Are We Facing in the Culture and the Courts
In 2008 Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse founded the Ruth Institute: One Man – One Woman: For Life. It makes the case for marriage as the proper context for sex and childrearing; respect for the contributions of men to the family; marriage as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman; lifelong spousal cooperation as a solution to women’s aspirations for career and family; and cooperation, not competition, between men and women. She joins us today to discuss her work and what we are facing in the culture and courts today.

5:20 – Africa: New Pathways for Development
When most Americans think about devastating poverty, the mind automatically goes to Africa. Andreas Widmer is here to look at a brief African history of aid, he identifies the domestic and international policies that have facilitated problems, and he outlines how people of faith inside and outside Africa can best contribute to concrete and sustainable solutions.

5:40 – The Study of Religion, Liberty and a Free Society
The Acton Institute was created with the intention of integrating Judeo-Christian Truths with Free Market Principles such as the dignity of the person, the social nature of the person, the importance of social institutions, sin, the rule of law, the subsidiary role of government, the creation of wealth, economic liberty and much more. Founder Fr. Robert Sirico is here.