Occasional reflections on religion, culture, politics, and anything else that comes into my mind...
PRAYING FOR PEACE IS
ALWAYS APPROPRIATE
Whenever I’ve posted the lyrics to my little variation on “Silent Night,” Franz Gruber’s Christmas classic (as I do every couple of years), I’ve noted how current world conditions make it appropriate to pray for peace.
Which goes to show that praying for peace is always appropriate.
I guess the world is always in turmoil. And surely there are many threats looming.
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.
THE REAL ELECTION PLAN
IS FINALLY LEAKING OUT
The alley behind Chick-fil-A was dark and deserted at this time of night. Kind of chilly as well. But my secret informant had called to set up a meeting.
I wasn’t sure where he got his information, and not all of it was good. Still, he’d occasionally provided a few promising leads.
Anyway, here he stood again, wearing the knitted scarf he always kept wrapped around his face during our nocturnal sessions.
“I’m glad you could come,” he whispered in his usual furtive manner. “I’ve got a scoop for you, and it’s a bombshell.”
“Everything gets called a ‘bombshell’ these days,” I said. “Have you seen the Internet lately?”
“Forget that. This is the real deal.”
I was skeptical, but what the hell — I was already here. “Okay. What’s the story?” I asked.
MY SHOW “FREE EXPRESSION”
COVERS TOPICS THAT MATTER
I begin each episode of my radio show, “Free Expression,” by explaining…
“This program is all about conveying the Christian message — from a Catholic point of view — and defending the liberty which makes it possible to do that.”
A show that merely explained the mechanics of communicating would have limited appeal. So I interpret communication broadly, touching on a wide variety of topics addressed in the many messages with which we’re bombarded these days. And I try to demonstrate their importance to our lives as people of faith.
The “Catholic” point of view is mine, of course. Any topic is necessarily approached from a particular perspective.
And in the process of addressing such diverse subject matter, I’m trying to defend the liberty inherent in the show’s title, “Free Expression.” Sometimes I offer my defense explicitly, sometimes merely by exploring an issue that might be controversial or out of political favor.
In all of this, it’s content that matters.
Truth.
Which, after all, is the substance of the Christian message.
I hope this doesn’t sound too highfalutin’. The show is really quite down-to-earth. I discuss important things with intelligent people, and try to offer useful insight and practical information.
The latest episodes — accessible online at: https://billkassel.podbean.com — illustrate my approach…
MY RADIO SHOW/PODCAST HAS
COVERED IMPORTANT TOPICS
As we move into the last months of 2022, the urge to look back (a not altogether welcome impulse) creeps upon me.
The disruptions of this year — owing to COVID, some technical issues, and other concerns — are most apparent in this blog. You who follow my humble scribblings haven’t had much to follow lately — for which I apologize abjectly.
I’ve been able to keep reasonably close to a production schedule for my radio show, “Free Expression.” And so I’m happy to draw your attention to my latest episodes, which cover a number of important topics.
Take some time to sample a few. I particularly urge those of you in Michigan to catch my latest (Episode 63), in which I speak with Dr. Monica Miller, a longtime anti-abortion activist and founder of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society. Monica has some hair-raising insights into the dangers posed by Proposal 3, a dishonorable effort to amend the state constitution appearing on the current election ballot.
For one thing, Proposal 3 would legalize all types of abortion — including dismemberment, or so-called “partial-birth abortion” — right up to immediately before delivery. For another, it would lay a legal foundation for wholesale mutilation and sterilization of gender-conflicted children, without parental consent.
This is something which must be stopped. And Monica is rallying the troops to do just that.
Her interview and other provocative discussions can be accessed via Podbean, the well known podcasting platform. Just go here…
https://billkassel.podbean.com
Episodes currently posted…
MY RADIO SHOW IS NOW ON
A GREAT PODCAST PLATFORM
I’m pleased to announce that “Free Expression with Bill Kassel” is now available on the podcast platform, PodBean.
Silly name, but a really good distributor of alternative media. In fact, PodBean is one of the largest podcast outlets, with an excellent assortment of top Christian programs. Check out the latest episode of “Free Expression”…
In this segment…2021 PUSHED US TO
BE MORE ACCEPTING
I have to admit that my Christmas post was somewhat less merry than befits the season. But I can’t let 2021 pass without noting some of the social progress we’ve made, during this second year of pandemic.
Indeed, even while socially distancing, we’ve continued on our trek toward the enlightened goal of inclusiveness — gathering us all in, as it were, fully vaxed and unified in the oneness of cultural, ethnic and sexual acceptance.
DISAGREE WITH THE LEFT
AND YOU’RE A TERRORIST
In a tragically absurd miscarriage of justice — one you may not have heard about — a 21-year-old Michigan college student is under house arrest facing a possible 20 years in prison for posting a photo of a rifle on Snapchat.
Such cases always seem to be filled with irony, so let me point out that Lucas Gerhardt is the son of a Marine Corps colonel, he’s an Eagle Scout, he’s a Criminal Justice major at Lake Superior State University, and he’s the legal owner of the weapon in question, an AR-15.
Gerhardt is charged with making a terrorist threat. Prosecution of this apparently admirable young man was instigated by a student who took offense at the conservative views Gerhardt expressed on campus. The allegation was insanely pursued by his college administration.
AMERICANS’ SENSE OF HUMOR
HASN’T FAILED US YET
I’ve been woefully deficient in keeping up this blog lately.
Most of my recent activities have focused on building a library of recorded interviews, in anticipation of my radio show going weekly. And I can say there’s some good stuff on the horizon.
Nevertheless, I beg your forgiveness and implore your patience.
Despite my distraction, history goes on. And it’s interesting to observe how attitudes have congealed around the Biden Administration and our march toward national destruction.
Polls taken in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election suggested that most Republicans, and as much as a third of Democrats, suspected that cheating had taken place. By now, with hard evidence emerging from the Maricopa County, Arizona audit and other investigations ongoing around the country, confidence in the integrity of the vote count is slipping rapidly.
Add to that our other accumulating woes — Chinese threats, renewed violence in the Middle East, accelerating inflation, growing unemployment, endless COVID lockdowns, the border crisis, etc. — and you can feel gloom pressing hard on daily life.
But Americans are nothing if not resilient. The tendency toward finding humor (so visible a feature of our national character) has been on display in a steady stream of memes and graphics circulating online. The not-too-subtle Batman homage at the top of this column is one example. Here are a few others to brighten your day…
MY NOVEL ABOUT JESUS’ FAMILY
RECOGNIZED BY INDIE BOOK AWARDS
I’m honored to receive the medal shown at left for MY BROTHER’S KEEPER.
It indicates that my novel about the family of Jesus was listed as a finalist in the Religious Fiction competition held by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the largest not-for-profit awards program for independent authors and publishers.
Please let me express my sincerest thanks to the judges — many of whom are distinguished figures in the publishing industry — for their acknowledgment of my book’s unconventional retelling of the Christian story.
GET GREAT LENTEN READING
AND MEET THE AUTHORS
Good Shepherd Catholic Radio, an AM/FM station covering south-central Michigan, will host a group of distinguished Catholic authors — among whom is moi — at a mini book fair to be held at Queen of the Miraculous Medal Parish, 606 South Wisner Street, in Jackson, Michigan.
Titled Catholic Authors of Michigan, the event will be held Saturday, March 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is open to the general public, and refreshments will be available.
Guest authors expected to participate are…