Kresta in the Afternoon

Every one of us is going to die. In all likelihood, within a century of our death few people will know we existed. So if all he work for, learn, and experience simply comes to nothing, does life actually have any meaning? A Christian can answer Yes, citing the Hope of Heaven – but if Heaven is so wonderful, why waste our time on earth? As the Church has written for centuries, death is not a negation of life but a fulfillment of it. Randall Smith joins us.

What did faith mean to Winston Churchill? Unlike many politicians of his day he was not transparent about his beliefs, did not regularly attend services, and once described himself as “not a pillar of the Church but a buttress.” Still, he did have a sense of faith that contributed to his idea that he was “walking with destiny.” January 24 marks the anniversary of his death, and we’ll talk more with Gary Scott Smith.

Later in today’s program we’ll talk with Randall Smith about the meaning of life and death. All of us are invited by Jesus to accept his gift of Eternal Life. What does the Bible say about this? Al discusses.

Sunday marked three years since Pope Francis declared Jerome Lejune to be venerable. Lejune, a Catholic scientist, is most known for his contributions to the discovery of Downs Syndrome. We get to know him with Mark Bradford.

“Tora! Tora! Tora!” This message from Mitsuo Fuchida on the morning of December 7, 1941 informed Japanese commanders that the attack on Pearl Harbor was about to begin, and the Americans were completely unprepared. Commander Fuchida was the pilot responsible for coordinating the aerial attack and he became a hero in his home country. But due to an extraordinary series of circumstances after the war, he eventually became a Christian missionary. T. Martin Bennett has the story.

We’ve talked before about the effects the rise of AI may have on our lives, but one area that is easy to forget is business. Nvidia, a company that produces software and hardware for AI companies, now has one of the top stocks in the US. Chadd Garcia joins us looking at this and other major financial stories from last year and what we should keep an eye on moving forward.

January 21 was the 100th anniversary of the death of Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks and the first head of the government of the Soviet Union. Myths abound about his beliefs, motivations and ideologies. Who was the real Lenin? Paul Kengor joins us.

The Dutch bishops have become the latest conference to collectively reject the new provision by the Vatican for non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples and those in irregular relationships. Matthew Bunson has more on this and other stories.

It’s been a fun few months for football fans in Michigan. The Detroit Lions have won a playoff game for the first time in more than 30 years, and the University of Michigan Wolverines wrapped up a 15-0 season with a 34-13 victory over Washington in the National Championship game. Throughout the season, many Michigan players – as well as Coach Jim Harbaugh – were outspoken about their faith. We talk about it with Steve Clarke.

Fifteen years ago this month, Fr Richard John Neuhaus died. Al shares some thoughts about what the spiritual leader and political commentator would have to say to us today.