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Announcements

No new episodes through December 2025—Episode 150 drops January 2026. Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music feeds are experiencing technical issues. Follow Matt on Instagram during the break.

Topics

Young Men's Advisory Board: The newly announced Young Men's Advisory Board is notable because five of its fourteen volunteer advisors are public influencers, signaling a potential shift toward valuing digital communication expertise in Church leadership.

Federalism in Church Governance: A Catholic parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, is defying the Archdiocese of Boston by maintaining an anti-ICE nativity scene. If a ward defied an Area Presidency this way, would Shawn's love of local government control apply to church governance?

Kratom Deaths in Idaho: Bonneville County has investigated six kratom-related deaths in 18 months. The FDA prohibits kratom, but Idaho law allows its sale. Is this federalism gone bad?

The Big Question: The Economist ranked the top economies in 2025—and the results defy simple "socialist vs. capitalist" explanations. Since ideology doesn't explain outcomes, is it morally appropriate to use labels like capitalist, socialist, or Marxist at all?

Chapters

00:00 Podcast Updates and Technical Glitches
02:51 The Role of Social Media in Content Creation
05:38 The Influence of Digital Content Creators in the Church
09:36 Local Control vs. Central Authority in the Church
17:57 Political Messages and Church Doctrine
24:57 Building the Kingdom of God
26:58 Federalism and Public Health
30:54 The Role of Federalism in Drug Regulation
37:33 Economic Ideologies and Their Impact
44:26 The Manipulation of Labels in Politics