Ben Wilson

And I think it highlights how good the four gospels of the Bible are from a literary perspective. you know, believe it or not, they're engaging, they're interesting, they're fun to read. The Gospel of Thomas is kind of tedious. And many of the teachings do line up with the four canonical gospels, although some of them do not. So I don't know. You can do it. I kind of enjoyed it.

But just this is my warning, I guess. If you do read the Gospel of Thomas, it's not that good. Uh, and then, um, yeah, one other thing is this idea of feasting. So I think it's very interesting. Uh, the, the Eucharist communion, whatever you want to call it is practiced by Christians all over the world now. And this is basically on Sundays, once a week they go, they take some bread with Catholics.

But just this is my warning, I guess. If you do read the Gospel of Thomas, it's not that good. Uh, and then, um, yeah, one other thing is this idea of feasting. So I think it's very interesting. Uh, the, the Eucharist communion, whatever you want to call it is practiced by Christians all over the world now. And this is basically on Sundays, once a week they go, they take some bread with Catholics.

It's like a wafer. And brothers use bread or wafers or crackers or whatever. And then drink a little wine. We Latter-day Saints, we do water in remembrance of Christ's body and blood. For early Christians, the Eucharist was not just a ceremony, but an actual meal. We don't know exactly how often they feasted together in this way.

It's like a wafer. And brothers use bread or wafers or crackers or whatever. And then drink a little wine. We Latter-day Saints, we do water in remembrance of Christ's body and blood. For early Christians, the Eucharist was not just a ceremony, but an actual meal. We don't know exactly how often they feasted together in this way.

I tried to look into it, but some sources say every time they met for worship, which Paul says was daily, they would partake of this meal together. Other sources say they feasted together weekly So who knows? But no matter how often, this was a key part of their worship and identity, which I think is cool because it goes back to how Jesus lived his life, which was to share meals with other people.

I tried to look into it, but some sources say every time they met for worship, which Paul says was daily, they would partake of this meal together. Other sources say they feasted together weekly So who knows? But no matter how often, this was a key part of their worship and identity, which I think is cool because it goes back to how Jesus lived his life, which was to share meals with other people.

That was a key part of what he did. And so I actually think that this concept of feasting is something I'm turning over in my mind and thinking a lot about. I think it's really, really important. I think you could found a very powerful political movement based on this idea of feasting. People eat alone now.

That was a key part of what he did. And so I actually think that this concept of feasting is something I'm turning over in my mind and thinking a lot about. I think it's really, really important. I think you could found a very powerful political movement based on this idea of feasting. People eat alone now.

I went on a deep dive kind of researching depression and suicide a few months, actually maybe a couple of years ago. Not for myself, thankfully. I have pretty good mental health. But I got interested in this because it just seems like such a curse of modern life. It always bothers me that so many people feel so badly about their life that they are depressed.

I went on a deep dive kind of researching depression and suicide a few months, actually maybe a couple of years ago. Not for myself, thankfully. I have pretty good mental health. But I got interested in this because it just seems like such a curse of modern life. It always bothers me that so many people feel so badly about their life that they are depressed.

And suicide is just something that sticks in your head, right? It's so horrible that someone would hate life so much that they'd want to end it. And I was, you know, trying to find who are people who do not commit suicide. You know, you hear about like green zones, people who live past 100 in these certain places on Earth. I was like, where are the green zones for suicide?

And suicide is just something that sticks in your head, right? It's so horrible that someone would hate life so much that they'd want to end it. And I was, you know, trying to find who are people who do not commit suicide. You know, you hear about like green zones, people who live past 100 in these certain places on Earth. I was like, where are the green zones for suicide?

Where do people not commit suicide? And one of the things I found was kibbutz, kibbutzim, kibbutzes, which are these compounds that people used to build in Israel. So when Israel was kind of being founded in the mid 20th century and early 20th century, a lot of these European immigrants to Israel wanted to set up radical communities. Actually, a lot of them were not religious at all.

Where do people not commit suicide? And one of the things I found was kibbutz, kibbutzim, kibbutzes, which are these compounds that people used to build in Israel. So when Israel was kind of being founded in the mid 20th century and early 20th century, a lot of these European immigrants to Israel wanted to set up radical communities. Actually, a lot of them were not religious at all.

They were just ethnic kind of atheistic Jews. And a lot of them had socialist kind of ideas. And so kibbutzes were, yeah, like supposed to be these socialist paradises where you'd have a community owned farm and a community owned dining hall and no private property. And we'll all live together in peace and harmony. And there are very few left who actually operate in that way.

They were just ethnic kind of atheistic Jews. And a lot of them had socialist kind of ideas. And so kibbutzes were, yeah, like supposed to be these socialist paradises where you'd have a community owned farm and a community owned dining hall and no private property. And we'll all live together in peace and harmony. And there are very few left who actually operate in that way.

Most kibbutzes have kind of turned into suburbs. But what's really interesting is in kibbutzes, you actually didn't have a single suicide. And this is hundreds of thousands of people. You didn't have a single suicide.

Most kibbutzes have kind of turned into suburbs. But what's really interesting is in kibbutzes, you actually didn't have a single suicide. And this is hundreds of thousands of people. You didn't have a single suicide.

from the time that they were founded the earliest ones i think were in the 1920s or 30s until the 1990s uh at which point they had basically become suburbs but for uh like 50 years 60 years not a single suicide in any kibbutz in israel not a single suicide