Kresta in the Afternoon

On Sunday we will hear the story of Zacchaeus, the “wee little man” who climbed a tree to get a better view of Jesus. What compelled such a sinful man to seek Christ in the first place? What lessons does he have for us today? Peggy Stanton joins us.

At least 15 people were killed and another 40 injured in an attack on a Shiite mosque in Iran yesterday. ISIS has claimed responsibility and now Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi is trying to link the attack to the ongoing Mahsa Amini protests. We get analysis from Jason Brodsky.

A few weeks ago, German Cardinal Kurt Koch lamented how the German Synodal Way is claiming there are “new sources of revelation” which require the development of Church teaching. This same line of thinking was also found in Germany during Hitler’s rise to power, when the “German Christian” movement tried to reconcile Christian and Nazi beliefs. We begin with Robert Ericksen, who tells us how Protestant theologians reacted to the rise of Hitler, then continue with Robert Krieg, who tells us what the Catholic Church was doing at the time.

In his new memoir, Star Trek’s William Shatner recounts a recent trip he took into outer space: “when I looked into space, there was no mystery, not majestic awe to behold…all I saw was death.” For ages, scientists have asked why Earth has the very specific conditions necessary to support life. We talk more about this idea of the “goldilocks universe” with Karl Giberson.

We’ve been talking a lot this fall about Michigan’s Proposal 3 and why it is relevant to the abortion debate nationwide. Abortion is on the ballot in three other sates – in California and Vermont, proposed amendments would secure a Constitutional right to abortion, whereas in Kentucky the measure would clarify there is no Constitutional right to abortion. Michael Kenney joins us with a review.

When we talk about the collapse of Soviet-style Communism, we often emphasize the lives of figures such as John Paul II and Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko. But there are many other stories of faithful Christians living behind the Iron Curtain, resisting the influences of the atheistic regimes. To counter this, the Communists developed special programs to infiltrate the Churches and weaken them from the inside. Elisabeth Braw has the story.

Canvassing on Prop 3 is going well – 70% of voters who have talked with canvassers say they will vote no. More volunteers are needed. Melinda Movius joins us to tell how you can join.

On October 21 we celebrate the Feast of Blessed Charles I of Austria, also known by other names due to his succession. He's remembered for putting his Christian faith first in making political decisions and trying to be a peacemaker in the First World War. We look at his life with Charles Coulombe.

What are the specific legal elements of Proposal 3 that make it so problematic? Maura Corrigan, a former justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, and her daughter-in-law Marianne Grano, a lawyer, weigh in.

David Sanborn grew up in a family of missionaries, and from an early age was taught to have a personal relationship with Jesus. As he pursued a career in theater he found a passion for Biblical roles but felt God was calling him to something more. He eventually became a minister, where his studies of John 6 showed him where the Spirit was guiding him. He joins us.