Today on "Kresta in the Afternoon" - May 21, 2013

Talking about the "things that matter most" on May 21

4:00 – Kresta Comments

4:20 – The American Bible Challenge Comes to Ave Maria Radio – Callers Compete With Team ‘Sisters of Mary”
This Thursday the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist compete for the $100,000 grand prize in The Game Show Network’s “The American Bible Challenge” finale at 9 p.m. Eastern. The winner of The American Bible Challenge Fan Favorite contest will be announced during the show, as well, and will receive $10,000 for their team’s charity. Should they win, the Dominican Sisters will use their winnings from the show to provide for the treatment and care of the aging Sisters in the Order, and to ensure that they are provided for as they advance into retirement. Team Member Sr. Mary David is here with us in studio to compete with callers who can win prizes if they can top Sr. Mary David!

4:40 – Kresta Comments

5:00 – Kresta Comments

5:20 – Catholic Medical Association Issues White Paper on Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment - Identifies Significant Problems in New Form

The Catholic Medical Association has published a White Paper on POLST  (“Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment”)in CMA’s journal of medical ethics. POLST is a new kind of advanced medical decision-making document that is spreading rapidly across the United States as a result of an organized campaign. The White Paper identifies some significant problems posed by POLST, and makes practical recommendations about how to promote decision-making for vulnerable patients that is medically and ethically sound, and consistent with the Catholic Church’s teachings on respect for human life. CMA Executive Director Dr. John Brehany joins us.

 

5:40 – Brace Yourself for the Human Embryo Market

If you want to know what’s going to go wrong in the culture, read the professional journals. A case in point: An article in the April 10 New England Journal of Medicine called for the creation of a commodities market for “made-to-order” human embryos. The authors—university professors, of course—treat embryos as the equivalent of a prize cattle herd. They note that sperm and eggs are already bought and sold for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and, further, that New York legalized buying eggs for use in biotechnological research a few years ago. Hence, “it is not clear” why we should not also allow companies to make “made-to-order embryos” for profit, since that activity would be “more similar to the sale of gametes than the sale of children.” Bioethicist Wesley Smith joins us.