THOR'S DAY RANT: Stick to Scripture!

In the 1500s, there was this German priest who wanted to translate the Catholic bible into German, so the average joe could read it. A century earlier, the Gutenberg printing press had made it possible to mass produce bibles, printing them instead of the meticulous rewriting, by hand, that had previously been used to make more bibles. In the course of his study and translation, this priest realized that what the Church was teaching was not what was in the scripture (scripture being a fancy word for the writings of the bible). He objected to the Church's teachings, going so far as to print a letter about what the Church had wrong. This priest's name was Martin Luthor, and he is credited with starting the Protestant Reformation. 

Five centuries and countless denominations later, people are still mis-quoting the Bible, teaching ideas that run absolutely contrary to what the bible says. When modern Christians are told "that isn't what the Bible says" they get offended, responding with statements like "that's what my Preacher said" or "that's what's in my bible".

For example, you might hear many modern Christians (and their preachers) declare that Christ proved he was God by resurrecting himself. That is absolutely not what the Apostles (the guys who followed Jesus and spread his teachings after his resurrection) wrote. Their writings would later be added together to form what is known today as the New Testament--the second half of the Holy Bible. Acts 2:24 specifically states "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Acts 2:32, 3:15, 13:30, Romans 6:4, Romans 8:11, and Hebrews 13:20 are all quite clear on this topic: God raised Jesus from the dead. Resurrection doesn't make you God. Jesus resurrected people. Even the apostles resurrected people. But, this is just one of many examples of how modern Christians refuse to read the scripture, preferring to listen to what someone else tells them... then repeat false teachings like unholy parrots. 

Imagine if you were a movie critic and instead of going to see a movie before writing a review, you instead read a short synopsis someone else wrote about the movie... or read the comments movie viewers posted online. Is your review accurate? No.

Before you reach for your bible, though--which one are you grabbing? Four hundred years ago, a group of scholars set out to make the best English translation they could, turning to the original Hebrew and Greek texts, rather than Latin, or other english translations. Today, we know this as the King James Version--which some people will say is inaccurate because "King James just wanted a divorce". Not true. King James never divorced. He had one wife, his entire life. 

If you're skeptical that the KJV is accurate is more accurate than the ESV, NIV, NLT, etc. you can actually look at the original Greek and Hebrew at Bible Hub's interlinear bible texts--letting you see the original writings, and literal english translations. For example, in Revelation 10:1, the Apostle John wrote about an angel who's feet were "like pillars of fire". The KJV gets it right, listing "feet", while the ESV, NIV, and NLT all proclaim the angel's legs were like pillars of fire. This might seem like a small change, but there shouldn't be any change. Revelation 22:19 clearly states "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

The bottom line here is that you don't know who is right or who is wrong when you listen to someone else tell you what scripture says. Two preachers with different takes, or different Bibles, both can't be correct. See for yourself. Look at the most accurate translation you can, and maybe cross-reference that with an interlinear bible to see how the Apostles themselves wrote it out. If your preacher knew better than the Apostles, his writings would be in the bible.

THOR'S DAY RANT: Subaru Sucks!

Never in a million years would I have thought I would be putting Subaru in the same category as HP. But, here we are...

Subaru makes, or at least they used to make, excellent cars. Our 2011 Forester has hung in there, providing safe, reliable transportation even after someone ran into it and we had to have extensive work done on it. I have no qualms about my wife driving it to work in the deepest snow or slickest roads our hometown can bring. Even fully loaded, it has more than enough power to safely merge onto the highway. It's a comfortable ride that has never made me worry about "what's that sound" or if it was going to break down.

However, this will be our first, and last, Subaru. All thanks to a Subaru dealer--Bachman Subaru (Louisville, KY), to be precise.

The Forester's AC had gone out--the compressor was seized, but the clutch wasn't engaged--the car was still driveable. Initially, I thought I could fix it myself, and ordered off for a replacement compressor ($180 on Amazon). Then I realized I'd need a refrigerant recovery device/pump, rather than just venting a bunch of R134 into the atmosphere. Prices for those pumps were more than the part, and nowhere locally rented one. Then I hurt my back (worse than normal). I grudgingly let the wife take it to the dealership.

The dealership was initially very nice. They were willing to install the compressor I'd already ordered. Total cost to test and install: $200.00.

Alas, things didn't stay that way. End of day, the dealership informs us that our compressor isn't working--it's making a lot of noise and smoking. They'll have to put on a $1500 OEM (original equipment manufacture) compressor!

$1500?!

A quick search online reveals that no, OEM compressors don't cost that much. I can order off for one for less than $700!!

Social media is no help... lamenting there gets answers like "buy an older car, they're more reliable" or "They have to pay their people's salaries" or "How do you expect them to make a profit?".

Uh, what? It's a dealership... selling cars is their primary source of income. Fixing them is customer support--not a revenue stream.

I get a markup--a small mark up. Like maybe 25% or so. Not DOUBLE the price. That is crazy. It's immoral, and it's just downright wrong.

I guess one commenter had it right: avoid "stealerships".

I had expected better from Subaru. given the quality of the vehicle.

What has this taught me? That, like HP, Subaru's customer support is terrible. So, no, I won't be buying a new Subaru next year after all. I may not even buy anything new... maybe I will look for an older car, and just fix it myself--assuming my back and respiratory issues don't totally sideline me from wrenching anymore. 

I may not know what the future holds, but I do know one thing:

Subaru sucks.

THOR'S DAY RANT: All of us, not each of us!

 

A lot of modern Christians will tell you that God loves you. They will say that God loves them. There's even a song that proclaims "Jesus loves me, this I know, because the Bible tells me so."

That isn't exactly correct. 

John 3:16 states that "For God so loved the world...". As in all of us. We are part of the world. When those words were written, two thousand years ago, we weren't even around yet. The writings of the apostles, in Greek (because English wasn't a thing yet), describe God living the kosmon, a word that can mean world, universe, or inhabitants of the world.

Think of "world" like "team". Surely you've heard that there's no "I" in team?

Many modern Christians will also tell you that God loves everyone. That's definitely not true.  Proverbs 6 tells us things God hates: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet swift in running to mischief, false witnesses, and anyone who sows discord among brethren. 

The bible also tells us that God hated Esau (Malachi 1:3). 

God surely hated the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19)--wiping them from the face of the earth with his wrath. 

Even the book of Revelation (by the same John who wrote God loved the world) tells of what happens when God unleashes his wrath in the future. 

Maybe God does love you, the person reading this. Maybe he only hates some of the things you do: bearing false witness, lying, thinking up evil, and any other wickedness like fornication, murder, and theft. Maybe he otherwise thinks you're swell and is willing to overlook your wickedness.

It is wrong to preach that God is all about hugs and kisses for everyone, overlooking that all of us sin (Romans 3:23) and many of us are just plain evil. Yes, God loved the world so much that He sacrificed His only begotten son (Jesus) to pay the price for our sins, so that we could repent (turn away from sin) and accept God's forgiveness. 

We should never overlook sin and tell anyone that God loves them--we don't know what they do in their private lives or what they think about. We should instead tell people that God wants to love them. That He created them in love.... that He waits to love them. 

God loves ALL of us, not EACH of us. 

Unless he had some major epiphany before he died, it's a sure bet that God didn't love Hitler, or Stalin, or Jeffrey Dahmer, or even Jim Jones. There are lots of people, who, like Esau, have earned God's hatred. The good news though, is that despite what we, or they, have done (or are doing) we don't need God to love us individually to be saved. Christ died for everyone. When he returns, he will gladly accept those who reject sin and accept him as Lord and master, despite any past transgression. 

If you are now evil, or ever have been, God will love you when you accept his son and turn away from sin. Until then, don't kid yourself and keep being evil. 

THOR'S DAY RANT: That isn't in the Bible!

 

Times are tough and a lot of Christians are expecting the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ, any day now. Some Christians believe in the "Rapture", the calling up of Christians, living and dead, into the sky to meet Jesus. This concept is best described in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 

There are arguments within the Christian community as to when this might happen: some believe it will be Pre-Tribulation, some believe mid-Tribulation, and others believe it will be Post-Tribulation--immediately preceding Christ's Second Coming.

Then, there are some Christians (and non-Christians) who argue that "the Rapture is not in the Bible". 

These are often the same people who will tell you that Jesus loves you; that God died on the Cross; and that if you give money to their church, God will give it back to you ten-fold. None of those things are in the Bible. 

Jesus may indeed love you, but the Bible doesn't say that. It mentions people he said he loved. But none of the apostles claimed he said he loved every single human being. Saying Jesus loves you is a guess. 

God (the Father) did not die on the cross--His son did. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) 

And if God has 9x the money you are about to give, why make you give it to begin with? We aren't saved by donating to any church; "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Worse than some Christians misrepresenting what the Bible does and doesn't say is the fact that they use Bibles that have omitted verses from previous translations. Take the ESV, NIV, and NLT translations, which don't include Matthew 18:11; "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost." That's a reference to Jesus--who literally (as told in multiple other verses) came to save us from the penalty for sinning. That verse, and many others, are in the KJV--the King James Version.

The Bible wasn't assembled until a few centuries after Jesus' death and resurrection. It tells the story of Jesus, gives us a glimpse of what is to come, and is a guide to Christians of the period, and of the Apostle's followers of how to live and how to preach.

The word "Rapture" isn't in English-language bibles. Neither is the "Trinity". The word "God" doesn't appear in the original Greek writings of the Apostles. Neither does the word "Church". What is in the Apostles' writing is the word "Harpazo" which means to seize, snatch, or take away by force ("harpegesometha"--will be caught away). Today, we English-speakers use the term "Rapture" to describe this event. 

The next time someone tells you something is, or isn't, in the Bible, look for yourself--and be mindful of what translation you are using.

WHY JESUS?

 

As billions of Christians around the world (it’s estimated there are 2.38 billion) prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, this Easter, 2025, a lot of folks might be wondering why Jesus?

Why follow Jesus? 

Why believe that Jesus was resurrected? 

If you do believe in Jesus and his resurrection, why did it happen?

First off, nearly every translation of the Bible specifies that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ. (John 14:6) “…I am the way the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”

The alternative to Heaven, of course, is Hell. In simplest terms, if you don’t believe and accept both Christ’s sacrifice for you, and his coming rule over all the Earth, then you’re going to Hell. Forever (Revelation 20).

A lot of folks don’t believe in the resurrection of Christ. Jews and Muslims can’t agree on much, but they agree that Jesus was a real person. Roman writings from the period document that Jesus went around the Holy Lands, preaching and teaching, just as the Bible documents. His existence is not in question.

The Bible is a collection of a number of different writings, written at different times. The New Testament was written by Jesus’ twelve apostles (Paul replacing the traitor Judas, as documented in the Book of Acts). 

After Christ's resurrection, twelve different people all continued to preach, under penalty of death, the Gospel (a fancy word for message) of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for mankind, and his resurrection and ascension to Heaven. All but one of the apostles were put to death for their devotion. The 12^th, the Apostle John, was imprisoned on the island of Patmos for many years for his preaching, then was freed, and is believed to have eventually died of natural causes—continuing to preach the Gospel his entire life.

It seems improbable that the Apostles were lying, knowing they would be executed for their testimony. 

Hundreds of years after the Apostles were all dead, their writings, as well as those making up what we call the Old Testament, were assembled into a single volume, the Codex Sinaiticus. Over the centuries, different translations of this first Bible were created, in many languages (the King James Bible of 1611 being the seventh language translation, English).

Throughout the centuries, the main theme of the New Testament, the death and resurrection of Christ, has remained an adamant testimony of those who witnessed it. Not many other documents have lasted as long. Being that Jews, Muslims, and even secular historians all admit Jesus was real, it’s not that much of a jump to concede that he was crucified and resurrected.

But why was Christ sacrificed?

Pre-Jesus, people of the Jewish religion atoned for their sins by making a blood sacrifice to God. They sacrificed animals, which, for their time period, was a significant payment. Today, people pay thousands of dollars or spend years in prison to make up for crimes. Instead of continuing this tradition (as John 3:16 tells us) God sent his only begotten son to die for us—Christ’s blood was shed to pay the price for all sins. His blood was worth that because Jesus was God’s son, and because Jesus never sinned. He was the ultimate sacrifice and the only man to have lived the righteous life God wishes we all would live.

But again, why did God sacrifice His son?

The Old Testament tells us the story of Abraham, who God directed to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. (See Genesis Chapter 22). Abraham took his son where directed, built an altar, and was ready to perform the action when God interceded. This complete obedience to God by Abraham, even at the cost of his only son, was enough to earn Abraham, and all his descendants, an eternal blessing from God.

When Abraham’s descendants, over the course of centuries, then proved themselves to be nowhere as obedient or righteous as Abraham, God sacrificed his only begotten son: Jesus. This sacrifice opened a door to salvation--not just for Jews, but for non-Jews (gentiles) as well.

Abraham did not put on clothes to look like his son, or try and take his son's place. He didn’t try and trick God. He did as he was told. God did no less. God sacrificed His son.

God appeared multiple times throughout the Old Testament in physical form: his footsteps could be heard walking in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8), God wrestled with Jacob, in human form (Genesis32); God appeared as a burning bush to Moses (Exodus 3:2); and God appeared as pillar of cloud and fire, leading the Jews as they fled Egypt (Exodus 13).

God did not appear a man named Jesus:

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(1 Timothy 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

This Easter, you will likely hear people proclaim that Jesus is God. That is not entirely accurate, nor is it entirely wrong. The Apostle John explained Jesus’ origins in very simple terms:

(John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(John 1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

God made part of himself (the Word) flesh—his only begotten son, Jesus.

Part of the confusion on Jesus-as-God is that the word “God” wasn’t even around when the Apostles originally wrote their testimonies (which they wrote in Greek). God is an English word, derived from a German word (Gott), centuries after Christ’s resurrection. Christ referred to who we call “God” as “Father” (Pater, in Greek). He multiple times insisted that the Father was greater than him. And, multiple times, God proclaimed Jesus his son (see Matthew 3:17 and 17:5). Jesus even told his Apostles to pray to “The Father”:

(Matthew 6:9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

If we think of “God” as more title, and less “nickname”, and consider that Jesus is made from a part of the Father (the Word), then yes, Christ is “God”. More correctly, the bible tells us that Jesus is Lord—master of all:

(Matthew 28:18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Yes, Jesus, the son of the Living God, our Father in Heaven, is real. He died on the cross, paying the penalty for mankind’s disobedience. One day he will return (1 Thessalonians 4:16) to claim his kingdom on Earth. He will be in charge. If you accept that, and accept him, you will get to live for eternity. If you don’t, you will suffer for eternity.

Don’t wait for Easter, accept Jesus today.

(Romans 10:9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

              

THOR'S DAY RANT: Keep Apologies Simple, Stupid

 

For some people, apologies are difficult. Some folks don't like to admit they're wrong. Some people are embarrassed they've done wrong. And then, some people are just plain stupid and don't realize what they've done. 

Recently, at my day job, a young lady sent out an email in which she made a dig at my expense--stating that yoga would kill me. Well, I do have chronic back pain and multiple respiratory issues. Yeah, good chance attempting yoga would indeed be a bad idea. Unfortunately, she sent this email to everyone at work--instead of the one person she meant. I was reading the email, wondering why she thought we knew each other well enough for her to bust my chops, when it blinked out of existence. Turns out, you can recall emails... and it gives you a report of who was able to see the email before its erasure. Did not know that. 

A little later on, the would-be comedienne came by my office to apologize. I told her it was no big deal, I wasn't offended and that she should never apologize for comedy. But, she couldn't leave it at that. She had to go on and on, explaining how she didn't mean for me to see the email and that she had already turned herself in to HR, and had gone around the office and told everyone what she had done, and was apologizing.

Uh, what?

If only three people saw the email, why tell everyone about it? Moreover, why save the person you think you offended for last on your tour de apology? And why is it such a big deal... it's almost like it wasn't meant as light-hearted ribbing (like men do to each other) but rather a vicious, bitchy comment. 

Hmmmm....

There's a life lesson here. Dingbat should have stopped apologizing when I said, Okay. I wasn't angry, didn't yell, I just shrugged it off. Her continuation about how she didn't mean for everyone to see that lessens the sincerity of her apology. 

When you apologize, keep it short and sweet, and to the point. Don't turn it into a dissertation that smacks more of Freudian slip than friendly discussion. 

Kevin Bacon is Going to Hell

 

(Warning: the below commentary contain spoilers for the new Kevin Bacon show "The Bondsman", now streaming on Amazon Prime)

Kevin Bacon is a great actor, and a hard worker. These two assertions can be proven by showing the tremendous body of work he's done. He's been in so many films, there's a game based on him (Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon). From fighting underground monsters ("Tremors", 1990) to mutant vigilantes ("Xmen: First Class", 2011) he's done so very much. And now, Kevin Bacon is back with a new streaming show on Amazon Prime, "The Bondsman" where he goes back to his Footloose roots to oppose Christianity. Or, at least his character does. 

I am not saying Mr. Bacon is a bad man. From what little I've seen, he seems like a great guy--someone you'd want to hang out with or let watch your dogs. But the problem isn't about good or bad. It's about denying Christ. 

In typical Hollyweird fashion, "The Bondsmen" twists and distorts the gospel, possibly for dramatic effect, but more likely to push the anti-God agenda that's become so blatant in recent years. 

The premise of the show is simple enough, Bacon's character, Hub Halloran, is a bounty hunter, tracking down bad guys who skip out on bail (don't show up for court). Hub is killed in the opening segment of the show, then has a slowish, grisly resurrection. He's then informed he's been resurrected to work for the devil, hunting escaped demons from Hell.

Yes, you've heard this premise before. In 2007-2009,"Reaper" starred Bret Harison as a reluctant bounty hunter forced to work for the devil (played by Ray Wise) to capture escaped souls from hell. Harison's character, Sam Oliver, didn't die, his parents sold him, Rapunzel-fashion, to the devil... although the show later retconned this and revealed that Sam was one of the Devil's many sons. 

Working for the devil again got produced as "RIPD" (2013) staring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges (with a sequel in 2022 starrring Jeffrey Donovan). In this film, Reynolds is a wise-cracking detective, killed in the line of duty and recruited to a kind of Afterlife/Men-in-Black bounty hunting organization, again capturing escaped souls from hell. 

In "The Bondsman" the major differences seem to be that it's hunting demons now--demons who kill, then possess the corpses of victims. There's also a strong theme of "Hollywood Christianity" in the show, with Hub's mother, a devout churchgoer and retired bounty hunter herself, espousing faith in every episode. 

Where "The Bondsman" fails, is its horrible understanding of demons in the Bible and what actually sends a person to Hell. In Hub's case, he went to Hell, after being killed in Episode 1, because (we later find out) he tried to murder someone and accidentally killed a young woman, hiding her body to avoid arrest. 

Yes, murder, whether completed, or just wished for in your heart, is a sin. Pre-Jesus, if you were Jewish, you'd have to make an atonement for your sin (sin being disobedience to God--breaking His rules). But Jesus died on the cross, paying the price for all sins, including those yet to be committed. We today, who sin probably on a daily basis (remember, thoughts can be a sin, as well; see Matthew 5:28), will not go to Hell so long as we (see Romans 10:9) Confess (admit) that Jesus ss Lord and that God raised him from the dead. Romans 10:13 goes on to declare that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

In other words, you have to believe that Jesus died to pay the price for your sins; that he was resurrected by God; and, you accept him as your Lord and Savior. Many christians also add on that you must repent (turn away) from sin. Which means trying not to sin. 

Hub Halloran did indeed turn from his sin of manslaughter (accidentally killing the woman). He definitely doesn't want to do that again. He is ashamed of what he did, and doesn't want to tell anyone--and not just to avoid prison. He does eventually decide to confide in his mother, but she stops him. That sure seems like he wanted to repent. 

Moreover, his mother (played by Beth Grant) doesn't want to know "what he did" to go to Hell. That seems rather odd for a regular church-going, praying, woman to say. She even laments about not making him go to bible study. What her character should have been doing was fretting over Hub not believing in Jesus. That is what sends you to Hell. But, the show dances around the issue of belief, with characters talking about "if the devil is real..." then not finishing up on their thoughts or proclaiming Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. 

Other twistings of the scripture involve a preacher in one episode, who calls out for Jesus' help when a demon comes after him in his Church. It is entirely possible there are preachers out there that don't really believe in Jesus--they believe in filling pews and taking in donations. But when you see a demon and whip out your cross and beg for the Lord's help, odds are you have found your belief. And, Ephesians 6 tells us about putting on the armor of God and resisting evil with prayer. 

Another odd discrepancy in the theology of this show is how Hub dispatches demons. Bullets to their chest don't stop them, but a headshot drops them like George Romero zombies, then they promptly burst into flame. I don't recall Jesus busting out any firearms in Matthew 8 when he sent a band of demons into a herd of pigs, which then stampeded off a cliff to their death. The Bible isn't specific, but I think it's implied the pigs died from drowning, not lead poisoning. 

At first glance, "The Bondsman" is quality entertainment. Kevin Bacon and his co-stars all deliver good performances. The show is paced just right, although it seems to swing back and forth from dark comedy to horror-lite. On a deeper look, it's very disappointing to have messed up when it comes to the scripture. 

I sincerely hope no one watching this show thinks that what they do or don't do will send them to Hell. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8 and 9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Belief in Jesus, accepting him as your Lord, and turning away from sin is the only way to get to Heaven. Yes, as a Christian, you should profess your faith by getting baptized, and follow Christ's example by helping others, but it really is about faith and not actions. It's just that simple.

Hopefully, Kevin Bacon knows this and isn't going to Hell.