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.