Occasional reflections on religion, culture, politics, and anything else that comes into my mind...
A SCHOLAR TAKES OVER FOR
THE LATE, GREAT AL KRESTA
Catholic Radio suffered a profound loss recently, when Al Kresta succumbed to cancer.
Al was a true pioneer of religious broadcasting. Working with the philanthropist Tom Monaghan, of Domino’s Pizza fame, Al created the Ave Maria Radio apostolate.
He also hosted what has undoubtedly been the flagship Catholic talk show, “Kresta In the Afternoon.” It’s now heard on about 300 stations across the country, distributed by EWTN.
DRUNK ON ANTI-SEMITISM
THE WORLD MUST SOBER UP
I’ve only ever posted the work of guest writers on a couple of occasions, when I thought what they had to say was better expressed than anything I would have contributed at the moment. This is such an occasion.
I’ve interviewed Jonathan Feldstein on my radio show, “Free Expression.” He’s president of the Genesis 123 Foundation, an international ministry that works to promote relations between Christians and Jews.
Jonathan has been living through Israel’s war against the Hamas terrorist organization that had controlled Gaza, turning it into a base for murderous assault on the world’s only Jewish state. He has two members of the Israel Defense Force in his immediate family, so he’s directly touched by the action, as well as by the global reaction to this struggle for survival of what Christians call the Holy Land.
His thoughts, distributed to Genesis 123 supporters around the world, are worth contemplating at this pivotal moment…
TRUMP’S SUPPORT IS BASED
ON GUTS AND PRACTICALITY
In case you haven’t been paying attention, Christian Nationalism is the big media bugaboo just now. Secular news people (the word, “secular,” covers most people in the journalistic trades) are convinced that, should Donald Trump return to the White House, compulsory church attendance and a new Inquisition will surely follow.
How could it be otherwise, when he appears to have a lock on the hearts — and votes — of most people with serious faith commitment, especially Evangelicals?
REACTIONS TO MY LAST POST
REFLECT TODAY’S ATMOSPHERE
Throughout my years of writing this blog I’ve been struck by the surprising ways in which readers respond to my posts.
Frequently they’ll focus on some secondary point I’ve made. Or they’ll offer an elaborate comment on a line I had considered a mere throwaway. Often they’ll bring an entirely unexpected view to the topic under discussion.
There’s very little predictability to how people react.
Response to my recent post about anti-Semitism has revealed that some folks have serious questions about what I would have considered a basic and obvious human reality. They aren’t sure that there’s any such thing as Jews, especially in Israel, and if there are Jews, what makes them such.
YOU CAN’T BE A CHRISTIAN AND
HATE OUR LORD’S OWN PEOPLE
Right at the start I’ll confess to having a great affinity for Jews.
I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia with a large Jewish population. Many of my friends were Jewish. When I got married, my best man was a Jew.
Now I live in the Midwest, a region which the late comic genius, Robin Williams, described as “mondo goyim” (gentile world). I miss the Jewish spirit I knew so well on the East Coast: that self-deprecating Jewish wit, that certain cadence of speech, that strong sense of Jewish community.
Ah yes, Jewish community.
There’s the heart of the matter.
HOW THE TERRORIST ATTACKS
TOUCHED AN ISRAELI FAMILY
In a special edition of “Free Expression” I interview Jonathan Feldstein, whose Genesis 123 Foundation works to strengthen relations between Jews and Christians.
Jonathan and his family live south of Jerusalem near the border with Gaza. Both his son and his son-in-law serve in the Israel Defense Force.
Three days after the terrorist attacks, Jonathan shared with me how Hamas’ atrocities have shaken the lives of ordinary Israeli citizens.
Take a few minutes and listen to this moving reflection from a man who has dedicated his life to interfaith understanding and cooperation.
COMMUNICATING ABOUT
COMMUNICATION
If you’re interested in how communication shapes our lives — and in this increasingly wired world you ought to be — give a listen to my radio show, “Free Expression.”
It’s produced by Good Shepherd Catholic Radio (an EWTN affiliate serving south-central Michigan), and is available worldwide on the PodBean podcasting platform…
“Free Expression” touches on writing, media, online communication, preaching, evangelization — all the various ways in which messages about life (especially religion and morality) are conveyed.
In terms of subject matter, the show covers a lot of ground, demonstrating how we’re impacted by mass media, politics, science, technology, pop culture, and more.
As the title, “Free Expression,” suggests, a special focus of the show is defending First Amendment rights. That’s certainly a timely concern in the current atmosphere of censorship, cancel culture, and anti-religious bigotry — a world where faith and virtue have been turned upside down.
Here are thumbnails of episodes currently posted on PodBean:
PRAY FOR PEACE IN THIS
VERY UNCERTAIN TIME
It’s been a couple of years since I posted the lyrics to my little variation on Franz Gruber’s Christmas classic, “Silent Night.”
I wrote these lines for the Christmas concerts presented by my 1980s music group, Company, which I’ve mentioned from time to time. We did an annual benefit program for a regional charity called Christmas Unlimited. The high point was always our rendition of “Silent Night” that included this insert…
FREE SPEECH DISPUTE REVEALS
CONTRADICTION IN ANTISEMITISM
Elon Musk’s liberation of Twitter has warmed the hearts of those who value freedom of speech.
It’s terrified those who fear open discussion, in particular open discussion of Biden Administration policies, election integrity, and other issues (not to mention Hunter’s laptop).
Charges are flying that — bereft of its former content-moderation practices and the hoard of woke operatives who implemented them — Twitter is becoming a wellspring of white supremacy, racism, misogyny, and every other frightening variety of hate and hostility. Especially antisemitism. [Read more…] about Jesus the Jew
WE NEED TO PROCLAIM
OUR TRUE CHARACTER
The Supreme Court decision negating Roe v. Wade has breathed new life into an old canard, namely that people are being forced into submitting to Christian doctrine.
All the familiar clichés associated with the abortion issue are, more or less, based on that premise: the silly cry of “Keep your Bible off my ovaries!” … those stupid red robes and cone-shaped bonnets from “The Handmaid’s Tale” … and the rest.
You needn’t be particularly concerned with abortion, either. I encounter self-proclaimed atheists and agnostics who seem to live in terror of being rousted out of bed in the middle of the night by agents of a new Christian Inquisition. Maybe as kids they all had really scary Sunday schools teachers, but the mere existence of churches taps into some primal fear of compulsory devotion.
A PIPELINE FOR TRUTH
AND A DEFENSE OF RIGHTS
I hope that you, dear readers, can forgive my laxity in tending this blog.
Since my radio show, “Free Expression,” moved from a monthly to a weekly schedule, my days are kept pretty full arranging, conducting, and editing interviews, then compiling episodes.
A definite shift in my priorities has taken place. But the way things are going in post-Trump America, I think my energies are directed usefully.
This country has entered a very uneasy period in its history.