Radio Shows

2024

LA Catholic Morning Radio Interview Archives  

Topic: Are Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) Supernatural Phenomena?

Looking at the Brain Under Situations of Stress and Oxygen Deprivation. Father Tad, Todd and Ellen look at some of the common elements reported in near-death experiences and the semi-religious overtones that often accompany such reports. NDEs are not instances of a person actually dying and then returning from the dead to tell about it, but could they somehow be providing a glimpse beyond death, or just a manifestation of the way we process the world around us through our brains? Researchers who have studied NDEs extensively note how other situations resemble NDEs, such as fainting, hallucinations, and psychedelic drug use. As a general rule, we ought to prefer a natural explanation for a phenomenon, unless and until the evidence for a supernatural explanation becomes truly compelling or overwhelming.

 Broadcast Date: June 25, 2024

Topic: Errors in Thinking About Physician-Assisted Suicide

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Gambling with Our Fate After Death. Father Tad, Todd and Ellen discuss the significance of the choices we make at the end of our life, as discussed in his column entitled, "The Most Serious Miscalculation of All?". Physician-assisted suicide is marketed as an "easy end" to end our life, especially when it has been marked by suffering and pain. This decision on our part is often not fully thought out, especially in terms of the potentially drastic consequences for us on the other side. We make the risky assumption that physician-assisted suicide gives us a "get out of jail free" card, while we may instead be locking ourselves into further, even more severe purgation, or maybe even eternal loss and regret, than if we had remained on earth until the appointed time for our passing. Just believing that we should get what we want, an easy out, doesn't make it so. They also discuss how our lives are not our own and how our decisions affect others, and connect us to others and to society as a whole, so we can easily fail in our charitable obligations towards others if we opt for physician-assisted suicide.

 Broadcast Date: May 29, 2024

Topic: The Overlap of Mental and Spiritual Health

Depressive Disorders, Anxiety, Suicide and a Crisis of Hope. Father Tad, Todd and Ellen discuss the surge in mental health issues, and how the Church speaks to people and families struggling with these challenges. They review how psychological problems can have spiritual roots, and how the longing for meaning and connection among people is an important psychiatric area of ministry. They look at how the spiritual vacuum left by stepping away from faith and religion can be unsatisfyingly filled by yoga, Reiki, crystals and witchcraft. They discuss the stigma of suicide, and of mental illness and the importance of pushing through that stigma towards healing and wholeness in Christ.

 Broadcast Date: April 23, 2024

Topic: Do Human Embryos at Fertility Clinics Deserve Protection?

The Legal and Political Battleground Heats Up Around Frozen Embryos. Father Tad, Todd and Ellen discuss the remarkable decision by the Alabama Supreme Court in April, 2024 extending legal protection to embryos by noting that Alabama's  Wrongful Death of a Minor Act “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.” This has triggered the IVF mega-industry to suddenly become activated and start pushing back against the decision and as they strive to safeguard their turf and their highly lucrative business model that relies on the exploitation of young and vulnerable human life.

 Broadcast Date: March 5, 2024

Topic: Is Surrogacy "Deplorable"?

Are the Pope's Comments at the Start of 2024 About Surrogacy Too Strong? Reflections shared by Pope Francis suggesting that surrogacy involves a form of child trafficking received some pushback in the media, but what does surrogacy really involve? Father Tad, Todd and Ellen discuss several of the unseemly realities that are part-and-parcel of the contemporary practice of surrogacy and in vitro fertilization.

 Broadcast Date: January 31, 2024