A Gen Z daughter brings the questions and confusion many people feel, while her dad brings decades of study in economics, history, philosophy, and theology. Together, they examine politics, media, and culture through a clear set of values, challenging dominant narratives, questioning incentives, and breaking down complex issues with logic and generational perspective so listeners can better understand what’s happening and why.
Are We Overreacting to AI? Trump, Data Centers & the 2026 Midterms
Are data centers worth it, or is the backlash justified? A Gen Z daughter and her Catholic dad cover a bit of everything this week: AI fears and whether Big Tech's push for regulation is really about killing competition, the data center fight reshaping the 2026 midterms, gas prices and Trump's record so far, the Iran war and a shifting Middle East, Michigan's governor and Senate races, and our midterm predictions.
Stay until the end for a big announcement about the future of the show.
Have something you want us to cover? Email us: agirlandherdadpod@gmail.com
CHAPTERS0:00 Welcome + what's ahead
0:13 Gas prices & the $5,000 check
2:00 Were things better under Biden?
3:40 FBI, Epstein & "a sickness in Washington"
4:00 Does the "Jews control everything" theory hold up?
7:50 The Iran war & a shifting Middle East
11:30 Are Americans too spoiled to sacrifice?
14:20 The dangers of AI: why AI CEOs want regulation
19:50 Data centers: fear porn or fair concern?
23:50 AI, loneliness & the loss of real community
25:30 Michigan governor & Senate races 26:30 Midterm predictions
29:30 Candace Owens & Turning Point
31:15 A big announcement about the show
Questions or topic requests? Email agirlandherdadpod@gmail.com or comment below.
SUBSCRIBE to our channel on YouTube and FOLLOW our page on Apple/Spotify so you don't miss next week's episode, and to help grow our show!
21 Sept 2026
Why Do Catholics Confess to a Priest Instead of Just God?
Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest instead of just praying to God directly? Did Jesus actually set up confession, or did the Church add it later?Jackie asks the questions Protestants (and plenty of Catholics) really ask, and Dad walks through the biblical case: John 20:21-23, St. Paul's "ministry of reconciliation" in 2 Corinthians 5, and James 5:14-16. We also get into what "in persona Christi" means, why the seal of confession is absolute (and what happened when Washington State tried to force priests to report what they hear in the confessional), and where the confessional box actually came from.CHAPTERS0:00 Washington State vs. the seal of confession1:00 Where does confession come from?2:00 The biblical case: John 20:21-237:30 St. Paul and the "ministry of reconciliation"8:15 James 5:14-16: "confess your sins to one another"10:00 "I don't want to confess to a man": in persona Christi10:45 The Catholic who believed in the Eucharist but skipped confession12:45 Pride, fear, and awkward confessions14:45 Baptism, Protestants, and forgiveness of sins18:45 Can any sin be forgiven?19:15 Can a priest ever break the seal?21:00 Penance and reconciliation23:15 Child abuse and the Washington law: the hard question26:30 Where did the confessional box come from?Questions or topic requests? Email agirlandherdadpod@gmail.com or comment below.
14 Sept 2026
Should Catholics Hold Hands During the Our Father? What the Church Actually Teaches
Should Catholics hold hands during the Our Father, and is the "orans" position (arms raised, palms out) something everyone at Mass is supposed to do?
Jackie and her dad break down where hand-holding during the Lord's Prayer actually comes from (it's not from the Church, it's borrowed from Protestant practice after Vatican II), what the GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal) actually prescribes, and why the Vatican document Ecclesia de Mysterio calls the lay orans position a liturgical abuse.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Cold open: why doesn't our family hold hands at Mass
1:00 – What is the orans position, and who's it actually for?
3:00 – Where hand-holding at the Our Father really comes from
8:00 – What the GIRM actually says
9:00 – Ecclesia de Mysterio and the "liturgical abuse" question
13:00 – Why bishops haven't corrected it
17:00 – The Sign of Peace has the same problem
21:00 – Final takeaway
Got a question or topic you want us to cover, or just want to send us a note of support (or hate, we take that too)? Email us at agirlandherdadpod@gmail.com.
SUBSCRIBE to our channel on YouTube and FOLLOW our page on Apple/Spotify so you don't miss next week's episode, and to help grow our show!
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