125 Comments

I think this was a fantastic episode. At first it almost feels like a discussion that would reduce the significance of the story and life of christ but it sums up really showing how much more significant and powerful it is compared to many others. Thanks Darryl

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Wish this was up for everyone man. I had to choke back tears when you talked about how you can remember every time you failed to stand up for someone being picked on. That one felt very real. Sorry to say it, but I'm grateful that your original guest asked you to hold that episode.

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It is up for everyone.

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Just in case you get negative feedback for sharing anything ever, I for one am fine with you reaching as large an audience as possible. I’m not in this for exclusivity - just want to contribute in a small way to the extremely positive influence you have had.

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Darryl I don't think it is. I just checked and it's only showing up on the private feed.

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Yeah, it seems that it isn't "locked" as a private episode on Substack, but I also couldn't find it on my Spotify public feed (was gonna send the link to some friends who use Spotify)

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Same here for me on my device. I have two feeds so i know which one i can link to friends. It don't show up on the open feed yet.

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So I just heard the introduction and I want to let you know that you and your Jim Jones podcast basically got me out of my extremist and at the time newfounded racist ideas and... just your take on a lot of certain issues that you've covered have, I mean.. you've changed; you've saved my life and yeah. You feel like a good friend to me in fact I would consider you one of my best friends and I actually have real friends, I have plenty of them. I want to say one thing about your humility you're a super special guy you're a super rare talent and I hope that in time you can be more solemn about it and embrace it and maybe even try to have a little bit of fun with how great you are and hopefully you have people in your life that can encourage you and tell you that you're not a piece of shit and you're fucking really awesome!! Happy Easter btw. And my name is Brendon.

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Fully agree man.. the explanation on the psychology of narcissism and the safe hypocrisy of some progressive activism really hit home for me.

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Oh hell yes! That was a good one! Always super measured and intelligent. Convincing and sympathetic. Couldn’t be happier to support this channel.

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I missed that, what did he say regarding progressive activism?

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Last episode mentions the theme the most.

I’m hesitant to summarise Darryl’s meticulously thought out narrative on this because I will simplify and paint the wrong picture. Let me know if you’ve listened to the last JJ podcast and I can talk about the parts I’m referring to no problems.

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I know that I am not even remotely good enough at writing to be able to express how much I enjoy your episodes, but I know I should at least try to let you know how much your work is appreciated, so here goes...

Before I knew how intelligent you are, and before I understood how inspiring your story was, it was your clear humility that caught me and made me a dedicated listener. Your episodes not only teach me so much about history, literature, and human thought, but force me to look at myself honestly, not just the people in the stories. Every episode you put out is humbling in some way, and this is a huge reason why you have become my favorite podcaster.

In this episode, when you discussed your memories from the playground, I was reminded of your story of encountering the homeless man on your LA walks from the beginning of the Jim Jones series. Both stories hit me hard as they made me think of the countless things I am ashamed of. By being real with us, you force us to be real with the people you talk about and to not cast judgment. I firmly believe that the first step to leaving the mob behind is to be humble enough to realize that you are no better than the person being stoned. The gospels and the saints are clear on that: humility is the first step in defeating Satan and joining God. Thank you for keeping me humble.

I am sad we couldn't hear your mystery guest, but perhaps it was meant to be, because this was an incredible episode.

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Brother, I have listened to a lot of sermons that paled in comparison to this one. As I grow older, one of the things that I appreciate the most about the Bible is how it goes out of the way to detail all the worst attributes of the men and women God works through. Always a reminder that God can use anybody and that He loves us no matter what. Thank you for your commitment to the truth, being humble enough to admit when you’re wrong, and for the encouragement to stand strong for what is right no matter what the cost.

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Happy Easter Sir. This was well crafted and perfectly executed. Too caught up of late in the immediate, and addled by my ignoble appetites, this episode gave me so much relief. These days my fever dreams are incessant, but thinking deeply about our condition, appreciating the long arch of humanity and recognizing that our most ancient ancestors suffered and endured so much more than modern western man, this perspective, this insight, always available, but not always prevailed upon, this perspective and insight broke my fever. At least for a little while. From Oedipus to the Book of Isaiah, Girard to the current thing, your thoughtful consideration and delicate weaving grounded me today. With Gratitude, Hallelujah

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I just want to say thanks man. A beautiful episode that explained more to me about the Christian faith that I abandoned when I could, than anything I ever heard in church. You have inspired me to dust off that old bible and look at it a fresh.

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If you're getting back into your Bible, I highly recommend the The Bible Project (https://bibleproject.com/) as a great resource to help you on the journey. I've found them to be extremely helpful in making sense of some of the more puzzling aspects of the Bible. After all, it's an ancient book written thousands of years ago by people in cultures very different from our own; so it's not quite a simple as reading the newspaper. But it's so much cooler.

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Best Sunday service on Monday! Seriously, this will have lasting power, at least for me, as I look at things coming to a boil in the world today.

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“A posterity shall serve Him,

It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,

They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,

That He has done this.” - Psalm 22:30-31

“…how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree.” - Romans 11:24

Happy Easter, DC.

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DC’s a closet Christian - this was amazing

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DC, I can't thank you enough for each and every contribution you provide. And I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that your originally-intended guest recants his self-criticism and gives his blessing to air the episode...but we are grateful recipients of this Easter episode in the meantime. Absolutely everything you have offered is necessary, enlightening, and from your original perspective. THANK YOU, brother, and more power to you!

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I apologize if this isn’t the correct place for this, but I stumbled into the Substack app today after listening to the Easter episode. I wrote DC an email last year after starting Martyrmade and I felt compelled to write again after this episode because I want him to know what a positive effect he has on my life and I’m so excited he has been able to make his passion a full time profession. I’ll just copy/paste the email with the hope he sees it in one form or the other, but THANK YOU DC, more than I can ever express in this format.

“Darryl,

I have no idea if you monitor this email, or even have time to read them, but after listening to your Easter episode I just had to thank you again. It is funny to be writing this in a way, I believe on your episode with Gray (Or maybe it was a Dr. Peterson podcast) where y'all talked about how strange being "famous" was; I realize I am talking to you like I know you, but I am just one of many anonymous strangers you likely hear from on a daily basis.

But that doesn't matter because I want to say this and hope you hear it clearly: you have had a profoundly positive effect on not just my life, but my families'. I started listening to Martyrmade about a year ago, a pretty low point in my life that I had been stuck in starting early in 2020, and it has led me on a journey that has fundamentally changed my life for the better. It is amazing to reflect back on a trip that started with a very dark story to open Fear and Loathing and has led me to a point now that I am regularly listening to Dr. Peterson, Jocko, you and working my way through The Gulag Archipelago - phew what a ride.

Anyway, reflecting on my life I know I don't do a good job expressing gratitude, so this email is as much for me as you...but again, thank you for all you pour into your podcasts...you are making a difference. If you actually get a chance to read this, I have two questions / requests:

-On a very early Martyrmade podcast (I think), you made reference to a blog or forum post/essay. The gist of it was something along the lines of the lower the moral standards one has, the more advantage they have in capitalism, which leads into this sort of death spiral into the darkness. Do you have any idea what I am talking about? I wanted to go read it, but can't find where I wrote the name of it down.

-I am going to double down on my suggestion from last year: put more crap on your store with the designs on it. I am in a much better financial position than last year, so in addition to my modest donation, I am now subbed to your Substack, bought myself two t-shirts, bought my wife a t-shirt for her birthday, and bought my sister one for her Christmas. Things like koozies, stickers, "stocking stuffers", I don't know - I would gladly purchase that junk to help support you and the great work you do, but there are only so many t-shirts I can own!

Thanks again, and I hope one day I can thank you in person.

Sincerely,

Jordan”

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TLDR: but I would suspect he’s reads, and cherishes our feedback. But I hope he doesn’t get bothered by me acting like i “know him” either. That would suck. DC! Don’t read these comments if you’re in a pissed mood and give me a good what’s-who! Even though any attention ( even negative) would be better than none, I suppose.

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Daryl, loved this and all your work. One question that’s been troubling me as I’ve begun to explore Girard’s work: is there any place in Girard’s theory for legitimate justice? Girard is fond of saying that Christianity brilliantly recognized, for the first time, that the victim is innocent and that the scapegoating mechanism had falsely imputed the guilt of the entire community into the victim. Girard uses examples like the woman caught in adultery or Christ or the Jew in Medieval Europe.

But what happens when the “victim” isn’t innocent? The ire of the mob, as inaccurate as it can be, does get it right sometimes.

Take the Red Scare for example. Surely that was a kind of scapegoating. But there were also real Communists actively working to subvert American government and society. Were they innocent victims onto whom American anxiety was projected? Or were they traitors working to being violence and evil into the community?

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I will address this soon.

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Thr victim is innocent insofar as everyone is guilty. "Let he who is without son throw the first stone".

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Amazing work, you should do some discussions like this with Jordan Peterson

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Yes! An Unraveling type podcast with JBP, but focussed on biblical sociology. We don’t ask for much do we?

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Peterson’s great, but I have Peterson fatigue… he’s over hyped, and he’s just selling books and doing Bible lectures (But Specifically targeted for fence-sitting Christians AND their fat wallets) instead of fighting liberal lunatics and therefore he’s not as spicy anymore.. but He still owes Daryl a friggin’ interview though.. if DC even still wants it? What were you gonna ask him, DC?

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Thank you DC. I really mean that.

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I just wanted to come here and say thank you for the great Easter message. It is honestly my faith that is getting me through these tough years of injustice done upon all of us. It was such a great buildup to your point and what you said this episode stands out so succinctly for me and the entire world needs to hear it again, because I think there is a great many of us ready to react to our circumstances dished out to us from leftist progressives that we are ready to stone a lot of people. I've also spent a long time trying to find the divine judge that rights wrongs with masculine strength that I've missed or forgotten a lot of the beauty of the Gospels. I've shared and loved your dialogue from a previous Twitter post about Jordan Peterson's view of the Beatitudes on the Meek and even shared it with one of my priests at our Church. A lot of us struggle and fall into the sin of Judas. On Lazarus Saturday, I was able to be up front and close to the nave with my daughter that day, and I could see behind the altar one of the icons which included Judas with the other apostles, in gray garb... and without the Divine light halo around him, holding his money with fear. I never noticed him there before, and it gave me chills. You recapture the point so well about what makes Christianity and Christ so different. Christ knows the nature of man and he knew what we wanted, but knew what we needed. Not to for our salvation from death, but from ourselves. I love your work, Darryl.

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We need people like you now more than ever. I appreciate everything you have done and all you are doing. This material is worth way more than five dollars per episode.

Thanks man.

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