#120: Christmas and The Sermon on the Mount

Today, I divulge into why Christmas is on December 25th, then I do an entire analysis of The Sermon on the Mount. For those unfamiliar, The Sermon on the Mount is a speech which, according to the Bible, Jesus Christ gave. It is, more or less, Jesus' magnum opus of philosophy within Orthodox Christianity . Sources The Sermon on the Mount - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205-7&version=NIV History of Christmas - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas#cite_note-Forsythe-27 Other Winter Solstice festivals - https://www.amli.com/blog/7-ways-the-winter-solstice-is-celebrated-in-the-wo#:~:text=This%20Incan%20celebration%20of%20the,Soyal Other theories - https://www.youthpastortheologian.com/blog/why-do-we-celebrate-christmas-on-december-25th The Gospel of Thomas - https://www.marquette.edu/maqom/Gospel%20of%20Thomas%20Lambdin.pdf Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra Viktor Frankl’s A Man’s Search for Meaning My Novel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro provided by Brock Tanya.

On this episode, I trace back the usage of fire and light as symbolism for wisdom and knowledge via bringing up Genesis, the myth of Prometheus, animism, the resurrection, Plato's allegory of the cave, and the Zoroastrian religion. This acts as the introduction to begin discussing the first section of 'Zarathustra's Prologue'. Sources Genesis - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203&version=NIV Prometheus - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus Zoroastrianism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism Zarathustra’s Prologue - https://www2.hawaii.edu/~freeman/courses/phil394/Thus%20Spoke%20Zarathustra.pdf My Novel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro provided by Brock Tanya.

Kevin Donahue and Fletcher Neil join me to discuss Thich Nhat Hanh's Living Buddha, Living Christ and the Gospel of Thomas. Other references: Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra, "On the Three Metamorphoses", "On the Gift-Giving Virtue" Suzuki's Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist My Novel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro provided by Brock Tanya.

Dylan James returns to the podcast to discuss what it means to be an 'I', solipsism, and being. Plus, please enjoy a BONUS fireside chat at the end. Outro provided by Brock Tanya

Kevin and I sit down to discuss panentheism through the works of Jane Roberts and the entity she channeled named 'Seth'. Could God be a 'psychic/energy gestalt'? Could God be both the universe and something which transcends it?The Seth MaterialMy Novel:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Outro provided by Brock Tanya.

What is God from the perspective of ancient Hindus? Why do atheists and those who leave their faiths feel so betrayed? How can we change our conceptualization of God in the modern day in such a way that it doesn't conflict with modern science or knowledge of the world? My Novel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro provided by Brock Tanya.

A group philosophical discussion on religion, politics, epistemology, psychology, Nietzsche, and Marx. Enjoy! My Novel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro provided by Brock Tanya.

It never ends.

Dylan James joins Into the Absurd to discuss his theory of value as described in his paper "My Theory of Value" along with his paper regarding ontology "A Foray Into Ontology". Are values mere social constructs? If so, how are "values" formed? What is the difference between being and existence? To contact Dylan, please email him at [email protected] Song in Intro "What I Am" by Edie Brickwell & New Bohemians My Novel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ Outro provided by Brock Tanya.

Twice two equals five! I swear! Does man live and act out of spite? To defy the odds against him? To prove wrong all those who have subjected him with their calculated doubts? Today, ITA tackles Dostoyevsky's thought experiment/rebel statement "twice two equals five" from his novel Notes from Underground. References Radiohead's "2 + 2 = 5" My Novel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠On Death and God⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social Media: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ Outro provided by Brock Tanya.