Today on "Kresta in the Afternoon" - September 3, 2013

Talking about the "things that matter most" on September 3
 
4:00 – Kresta Comments
 
4:20 – Where is Billy Ray Cyrus?
When Dr. Meg Meeker watched Miley Cyrus slither on stage at the recent MTV Video Music Awards looking like a cross between a 12-year-old boy and a seasoned pole dancer, she says she felt as though someone had kicked her in the stomach. Clearly Cyrus was coached to act sexually outrageous in order to get attention.  But her handlers forgot to tell her that she would embarrass herself and, hopefully, her family.  Her performance showed how seriously she has been prostituted by adults wanting to gain one thing: a lot of money. And as she moved on stage Meg wondered, Where is Billy Ray? She joins us.

4:40 – A Travel Guide to Heaven for Kids
Soon after his very popular A Travel Guide to Heaven was published, Anthony DeStefano recognized that children also have many questions about heaven. In celebration of the tenth anniversary of that book, Anthony wrote a fun-filled, action story about a little boy named Joey who gets to take a whirlwind tour of heaven with his guardian angel, Gabby. Stunning illustrations bring the story to life, showing heaven to be a place where everyone is happy, the animals all get along, and God's glory is more amazing than anything Joey had ever seen in his whole life. Anthony joins us.

5:00 – Kresta Comments

5:20 – Copts Leaving Egypt Face Challenges of Identity
Coptic Christians must turn to their centuries-long history of overcoming obstacles as they seek to maintain their identity while fleeing violence amid Egyptian upheaval, scholars said at a recent event. "Yes it's a story of decline, but also of survival; yes it's a story of decay, but it's one of endurance as well," said Samuel Tadros, author of the recent book, "Motherland Lost: The Egyptian and Coptic Quest for Modernity."Tadros, a native of Egypt, spoke on the history of Copts in Egypt at an Aug. 22 event in Washington, D.C. and joins us here today.

5:40 – What Are Church Leaders From the Pope to Nuns on the Ground Saying About Possible International Intervention in Syria?
Pope Francis has renewed his call for peace in Syria, urging international leaders to “find a solution to a war that sows destruction and death.” The secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said that “the conflict in Syria has all the ingredients to explode into a war of global dimensions.” The Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch emphasized in a joint statement that they are “opposed to any foreign armed intervention in Syria.” Also Pope Francis has called upon all the faithful worldwide to join in a day of prayer and fasting of September 7 for peace in the Middle East, and especially in Syria. We talk with Matthew Bunson about what the Universal Church is saying about military intervention in Syria.