MythVision Podcast

Sorry I had to reschedule today's livestream with ‪@History-Valley‬ because my neighbor died and the funeral is today. I hope everyone is creating something beautiful today.

Derek

3 days ago | [YT] | 204

MythVision Podcast

My friend Matt Baker ‪@UsefulCharts‬ just released a new video on Old Testament Textual Criticism, and it’s excellent.

It uses Stephen Nelson’s ‪@CrossBibleOfficial‬ “Timeline of the Bible” to walk through the Hebrew Bible section of the chart, including the relationship between the Masoretic Text and the Greek Septuagint.

If you’re interested in biblical history, textual transmission, or just clear visual explanations of complicated topics, don’t miss this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HprzQ...

3 days ago | [YT] | 119

MythVision Podcast

Just came in the mail! You really should read this friends! amzn.to/4vR7A33

1 week ago | [YT] | 186

MythVision Podcast

Check out Stephen Nelson’s new interview on Cross Bible with Dr. Willemijn Waal.

It just dropped today, and it explores whether the standard chronology of the Greek alphabet may wrong.

Make sure you're subscribed to ‪@CrossBibleOfficial‬ and go drop a like on the video:
https://youtu.be/dH0ntqIE8ew

1 week ago | [YT] | 50

MythVision Podcast

Must get books!

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 257

MythVision Podcast

I LASTED THREE DAYS ON BUDDHISM. THAT'S A PERSONAL RECORD AND I'M FURIOUS IT'S OVER.

Three days. Seventy-two hours. The longest I've held any religion in this entire series. Ryann was starting to relax. The kids stopped drawing me in costumes at school. Richard Miller texted "still Buddhist?" and when I said yes he said "impressive." That's the closest that man has come to saying he's proud of me.

Then I ruined it. Because of a river.

I was on the floor at 11pm, three days into Buddhism, doing nothing, thinking about nothing, when I remembered something Alan Watts said. "You can't grab a river." You can put your hand in it but the water you touch is already gone. You can't hold it. You can't own it. You just watch it go.

And I thought: that's not Buddhism. Buddhism says sit with the suffering and let go. But the river thing says don't even SIT. Don't try to let go. Don't try to NOT try. Just flow. Be the river.

That's Taoism.

Buddhism still requires you to DO something. Meditate. Follow the Eightfold Path. Practice mindfulness. There's a PROCESS. The Buddha gave you a program. Lao Tzu looked at the program and said "the program is the problem."

The Tao Te Ching. Eighty-one chapters. Most shorter than a tweet. First line: "The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao." If you can describe it, it's not it. If you can make a religion out of it, you already lost it.

I have spent two and a half weeks NAMING gods. DESCRIBING theologies. EXPLAINING traditions. And Lao Tzu opens his book by saying the thing you're looking for can't be named, described, or explained.

Wu wei. Non-action. Stop forcing things. Stop swimming upstream. Stop grabbing the river. Be water.

I didn't put on a costume. I didn't light incense. I didn't buy anything on Amazon. I went outside. Stood in the backyard. Looked at the sky. And did absolutely nothing. Less than Buddhist nothing. Taoist nothing. The nothing that doesn't even know it's nothing.

Ryann found me in the backyard at midnight. She said "what are you doing?" I said "nothing." She said "you said that three days ago with Buddhism." I said "Buddhist nothing is sitting on the floor trying to not think. This is not trying to not think. This is just standing here." She said "those sound like the same thing." I said "Buddhism is trying really hard to relax. Taoism is actually relaxing." She said "this is better. You look less like you're having a medical event." She said "how long are you going to stand here?" I said "wu wei means I'm not supposed to plan." She said "wu wei better mean you're coming inside before the sprinklers turn on."

The sprinklers came on at 12:30. I did not move. The Tao doesn't dodge sprinklers. The Tao gets wet.

I came inside soaking. Ryann had left a towel on the counter. No note. Just a towel. She knew I wouldn't move. She pre-deployed a towel. That is the most Taoist thing anyone in this house has ever done and she doesn't even know it.

I called Hugo Mendez. He said "what now?" I said "Taoism." Long pause. "I didn't predict this one. Tabor had indigenous traditions. Goodacre had atheism. I thought you'd stay Buddhist for a week." I said "I lasted three days." He said "three days longer than anything else. Progress is relative." I said "the Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao. That means every religion I've been naming for two weeks was automatically not the thing I was looking for." He paused. Then he said "that's the most accidentally philosophical thing you've said this entire series and I'm not sure you understand why." I said "I don't." He said "I know. That's what makes it work."

Andrew Henry update: the thread didn't see this coming. Andrew texted: "Nobody had Taoism. The betting pool is in ruins. Tabor said 'I had indigenous traditions and I was wrong. The boy has gone east again.' Goodacre left the thread for twenty minutes and came back with 'I give up predicting him.' Richard Miller said 'at least he's reading primary sources now.'" That's the second time Miller has said something adjacent to a compliment. The wall grows.

I called Joseph A.P. Wilson. I said "Joe, Buddhism to Taoism." He said "you've moved from the Indian branch to the Chinese branch. The Buddha and Lao Tzu were roughly contemporary, sixth century BCE, possibly never knew of each other, arrived at remarkably similar conclusions from completely different starting points." I said "two guys on opposite sides of Asia both said stop trying so hard at the same time?" He said "roughly. And neither would be impressed by what you're doing with their teachings." I said "Joe, I stood in sprinklers." He said "that's not Taoism. That's stubbornness." I said "what's the difference?" He said "about two thousand years of Chinese philosophy."

Neal texted: "Taoism??" Then: "I don't have a video on this either." I said "BACK TO BACK RELIGIONS WHERE NEAL DOESN'T HAVE A VIDEO." He said "I'm writing two scripts simultaneously. Buddhism AND Taoism. You are COSTING me production time." I said "the Tao that can be scripted is not the eternal Tao, Neal." He said "I am going to block you."

Justin from Deconstruction Zone called sounding like a man who had been staring at a ceiling at 3am. He said "I just organized my entire bookshelf by Buddhist philosophy. I bought a meditation cushion. I downloaded THREE apps. And now you're telling me we're moving to TAOISM?" I said "the Tao Te Ching says stop trying." He said "I CAN'T STOP TRYING. TRYING IS ALL I KNOW HOW TO DO. I LEFT METHODISM BY TRYING HARDER THAN ANYONE HAS EVER TRIED TO LEAVE ANYTHING." Ten seconds of silence. Then: "I hate you. But I'm downloading the Tao Te Ching." He's in. He'll never admit it. But he's in.

Trent Horn update: thirteenth email. the.tao.has.no.inbox@gmail.com. "Trent, I said my last email was the last email. It wasn't. The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao. Your theology that can be systematized is not the eternal theology. Also your lawyer's formal complaint only strengthened my attachment to emailing you, which means your lawyer is spiritually counterproductive." No response. The silence feels Taoist.

Wes Huff: still on read. Fourteen religions. Fifteen days. At this point Wes has maintained a silence so absolute, so cosmically committed, that I'm beginning to think HE is the enlightened one. The rest of us are out here chasing gods and arguing about manuscripts. Wes is just sitting there. Not responding. Not engaging. That's not ignoring me. That's wu wei. Wes Huff is the greatest accidental Taoist in Christian apologetics and he will never know it.

The channel is now MythFlow. First video: "The 2,500 Year Old Book That Made Every Other Religion Unnecessary." Second video: "I Stood in Sprinklers at Midnight for Lao Tzu and I'd Do It Again."

Ryann left a note: "Fourteen religions. Fifteen days. No costume. No incense. Just standing in the backyard getting hit by sprinklers at midnight. I left you a towel because I knew you wouldn't move. I don't know what wu wei is but if it means you stop buying costumes on Amazon I support it fully. PS: the water bill is going to be high this month. Enlightenment isn't free."

The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao. The man who stood in sprinklers at midnight is not the eternal man. But he is dry now. And he has a towel. And that's enough.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 666

MythVision Podcast

This might be the most important documentary I've ever put on this channel.
Did the author of Luke-Acts copy from the Jewish historian Josephus?


Most people have never heard this case because most people have never read Josephus. But once you understand the historical situation and see the evidence laid out, the picture becomes impossible to ignore.


Six parallels. Every single one appears in Josephus AND Luke-Acts. Nowhere else in early Christian literature. Not one.


This presentation is built on the work of Steve Mason, widely regarded as the world's leading expert on Josephus. And dozens of the brightest scholars in the field have reached the same conclusion.


The only reason this isn't common knowledge is that the material isn't common knowledge. Once it is, you can't unsee it.


Full documentary is live now. Go watch it and tell me what you think.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 50

MythVision Podcast

Hmmmmmm

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 383

MythVision Podcast

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share something personal that my family is currently going through, something many of you may not know.

My mother-in-law, Deborah, was recently diagnosed with stage IV metastatic stomach cancer. In the midst of all of this, one of her wishes is to have a living celebration of life where we have a chance to gather, honor her, and create meaningful memories together while she’s here to experience it with us.

A GoFundMe has been setup to help cover the costs of that celebration, as well as future medical needs and, eventually, funeral expenses. Our hope is to approach all of this with intention, bringing as much peace, dignity, and love into the process as possible.

If you feel led to support in any way, whether through a donation or simply sharing this, it would truly mean so much to us:

👉 www.gofundme.com/f/deborahs-celebration-of-life-fu…

Please don’t feel any pressure at all. Even sharing this post helps more than you know.

Thank you for being such an incredible community. The support you show, just by being here, never goes unnoticed.

We’re grateful for each of you and the kindness you continue to put into the world.

Much love,
Derek & the Queen of MythVision

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 449

MythVision Podcast

I HAVE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE: Hinduism lasted nine hours.

And for the first time in two weeks, the mistake wasn't converting. The mistake was reading too much.

Last night I was on the floor. Incense burning. Ryann's good lavender incense, the fourteen dollar one. I was deep in the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna is explaining to Arjuna that the self is eternal, that death is an illusion, that attachment to outcomes is the source of suffering. And I'm sitting there nodding like I understand Sanskrit. Then I hit chapter two, verse 47. "You have a right to perform your duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions."

I read it again. Then again. Then I set the book down and stared at the wall for about twenty minutes.

Because that's Buddhism. That's basically Buddhism. The guy who FOUNDED Buddhism was Hindu. Siddhartha Gautama was born Hindu, raised Hindu, trained in Hindu philosophy, and then one day sat under a tree and said "what if we kept the reincarnation part but dropped all the gods?"

Buddhism is Hinduism's breakup album.

I have been sitting on this floor burning incense for nine hours worshipping thousands of gods and the entire time the answer was to worship NONE of them. The Buddha looked at the same tradition I just discovered and said "the gods aren't the point. The suffering is the point. Stop chasing. Stop attaching. Stop converting to a new religion every eleven hours, Derek."

He didn't say that last part. But he meant it. I can feel it.

I blew out the incense. I closed the Bhagavad Gita. I sat in silence. No gods. No statues. No clay tablets. No ankhs. No wine. No fire. No hammer. No incense. No costume. Nothing. Just me sitting on the floor in the dark doing absolutely nothing for the first time in two weeks.

It was terrifying.

Ryann came downstairs at 5am. She's used to finding me in various states of religious crisis at this hour. She looked at me. No incense this time. No book. No statue. No costume. Just me sitting in the dark. She said "what happened to Hinduism?" I said "I let it go." She said "you let it go?" I said "Ryann, the Buddha taught that attachment is the root of all suffering. I have been attaching to a new religion every day for two weeks. I have been the living embodiment of attachment. The Buddha would look at me and use me as a teaching example of what NOT to do." She sat down next to me. She said "so what are you now?" I said "nothing." She was quiet for a very long time. Then she said "Derek, this is either the most profound or the most concerning thing you've said in two weeks." I said "I think it might be both." She said "are you okay?" I said "I don't know. But I think not knowing might be the point." She put her hand on my shoulder. She said "this is my favorite religion so far." I said "it's not a religion, Ryann. It's the absence of one." She said "exactly."

Then she said "does this one have a costume?" I said "no." She said "does it have incense?" I said "no." She said "does it require me to buy anything, replace anything, reassemble anything, or explain anything to a second grade teacher?" I said "no." She said "I'm in." Ryann just converted faster than I did. Two weeks of resistance and the religion with no gods, no costumes, and no purchases is the one that got her.

I called Hugo Mendez. He picked up and just waited. I said "Buddhist." He said "Derek, a man who spent two weeks chasing gods was always going to end up at the religion that says stop chasing. That's not a prediction. That's a diagnosis." I said "but I'm here." He said "you're here the way a man who falls down a flight of stairs is at the bottom. Technically correct. Stylistically catastrophic." I can't even argue.

Andrew Henry update: the thread is quiet for the first time in two weeks. Andrew texted: "Nobody is betting. Hugo predicted it but refused to take money. He said 'this one felt inevitable, not clever.' Goodacre said 'I think he's actually landing.' Tabor said 'the boy is finally tired.' Richard Miller said nothing. Then thirty minutes later he sent a single message: 'This is the first defensible position he's held all week.'" RICHARD MILLER CALLED ME DEFENSIBLE WITHOUT A QUALIFIER. No "more defensible." No "the bar is on the floor." Just defensible. I am framing that text.

I called Joseph A.P. Wilson. I said "Joe, I went from Hindu to Buddhist." He said "of course you did. Buddhism emerged from the same Indian philosophical tradition. Siddhartha didn't invent a new religion. He pruned the existing one. Kept the meditation. Kept the reincarnation framework. Removed the gods and the caste system. It's the same tree, Derek. You just moved from the branches to the trunk." I said "Joe, am I ever going to stop finding the same tree?" He said "no. Because there's only one tree. You've been climbing around on it for two weeks thinking each branch was a different forest." I said "that is the most devastating thing anyone has said to me including Richard Miller and his arts and crafts comment." He said "you're welcome."

Neal texted: "Buddhist." Then silence. No link. No "I did a video on this." Nothing. I waited a full minute. I said "Neal?" He said "I don't have a video on Buddhism." I said "I'm sorry, what?" He said "I don't have a video on Buddhism." I screenshot that text. I am printing it. I am framing it next to Trent Horn's cease and desist and Richard Miller's passing grade. In thirteen religions over twelve days, through Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Scandinavia, and India, Neal Sendlak has had a video on EVERYTHING. Buddhism broke him. I said "Neal, how does it feel?" He said "how does what feel?" I said "to not have a video." He said "I'm already scripting one. You've got about six hours before I catch up." I said "FOR ONCE IN THIS ENTIRE SERIES I AM AHEAD OF YOU." He said "enjoy it. I type fast."

Justin from Deconstruction Zone called and said "the casseroles were samsara, Derek. I was trapped in a cycle of casseroles. The Gita freed me. The Buddha showed me the door." I said "WHAT DOOR?" He said "the one where you stop making casseroles." This man went from Methodist potlucks to Buddhist enlightenment in two weeks and the casserole was his bodhi tree.

Michael Jones texted just three words: "No god, Derek?" I said "none." He said "what do you do when the silence doesn't answer back?" I said "you sit with it." He said "I sit with someone." I said "Michael, I just dropped every god in human history." He said "and yet you're still texting me about it. Sounds like someone's still looking." I didn't respond. Because he might be right.

Trent Horn update: twelfth email. emptiness.is.form@gmail.com. "Trent, I've let go of all gods. Including yours. The Buddha says attachment is suffering. I was attached to emailing you. I'm letting that go too. This is my last email. Namaste." I'm lying. It's not my last email. But it felt like the most Buddhist thing to say.

Wes Huff: still on read. Thirteen religions. Twelve days. I have now worshipped every major religious tradition in human history and Wes Huff has not responded to a single text. The man's silence is more disciplined than my meditation.

The channel is now MythNothing. First video: "I Dropped Every God and Here's What Happened." Second video: "The Buddha Was a Hindu Who Quit: A Love Story."

Ryann left a note. But this one was different. No count. No list. No complaints. Just: "The house is quiet. The incense is out. The costumes are piled in the corner. You're sitting on the floor doing nothing and somehow it's the first time in two weeks I feel like you're actually here. Whatever this is, stay a little longer."

I'm staying.

The floor is enough. The silence is enough. The nothing is enough.

Or it will be. For about eleven hours. Until I Google something else at midnight.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 546