Author Archives: bfrhodes99

Making Up the Rules Along the Way

Posted in Christian values, Salvation, Truth by

During the 1200s, the Catholic church decided to make rule change. It was all official. It was decided at the Second Council of Lyon. Henceforth, people would be able to help their dead relatives by prayer and by alms.

So, if that favorite great aunt might not have been good enough to go to heaven, a person could give money to the church and then that grate aunt could go onto heaven, that is of course after the church received the proper sum.

It’s not biblical. The Catholic church made it up. While it had no affect on those who already died, it has brought a huge success to the Catholic church. Have you ever noticed the large number of huge Catholic cathedrals throughout Europe? Can you imagine the materials that went into their making, let alone the labor? Mostly built after the 1200s mind you.

Don’t get me wrong. We should have nice buildings for worship. However, the monies to build them should never be coerced. To be sure, the cathedrals are dens of thieves. The money was obtained through false teachings and totally for the power, profit and the benefit of the church.

It is convenient when a religion can make the rules along the way. In this case, it not only misled people but it also drove people from real Christianity. How many times have you heard someone say they would not go to a church because they are a bunch of hypocrites? Guess what? When it comes down to it, at least with some segments of the Catholic church, I certainly agree.

Down through the centuries, history is full of so-called preachers who are full of themselves. They make their fortunes off Christianity. And, of course, they believe not what they, themselves teach. In every state, in every major city, there are those who claim to be, but are not true ambassadors of Christ.

One of the ways you can spot them is that they love to make the rules along the way. If what they teach is not biblical, they are liars and likely thieves making their ill gotten gains off the hopes of others.

Take for instance the Mormons, Church of the Latter Day Saints. They had a really neat rule. The men could marry 4 wives, some married more. Great for the men, not so much for the women. It’s just not biblical. They made it up. They liked the new rule so they decided to adopt it. Well, nowadays, they claim to have removed their really neat rule, but some still live by it. Nonetheless, they have decided to adopt the Book of Mormon over the Bible, even though it is constantly being changed and revised.

One of the most horrid rules ever invented by any of these so-called churches is that you must do something aside from having faith in Jesus Christ to go to have eternal life. If any church, no matter who it is that is preacher tells you that you must do A, B or C it is a false teaching and comes from Satan. This is especially true if they say you must give money or possessions to that organization.

Read John 3:16 and 17

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Not only is Jesus the only one who can save you, only He has the authority. He will not allow anyone or anything to usurp His authority nor will He allow anything or anyone to be given the credit for that which He and He alone has done.

If anyone tells you anything else, they are trying to change the rules along the way, likely for their purpose.

It has been said that John 3:16 is the Gospel in a nutshell and I’d have to say it at the least comes close to it. However, might I add, it is a direct quote from Jesus, though interpreted from the Aramaic that Jesus spoke. If anyone speaks contrary to these words, he is calling Jesus a liar.

Aspartame Phobia

Posted in Advertising, experience by

It seems every now and then some expert comes up and says that we should ban aspartame. In the meantime, we ought not use it. It is dangerous.

I have taken note, it does cause problems for some, usually headaches. I have known a few folks who can’t use it. I guess there are other reasons.

On the other hand, diet sodas are one of the few things I can really enjoy nowadays. I have been drinking diet soda since they came out with aspartame and I have felt no ill affects. Maybe one day I will, but not yet.

I really do believe that some folks just have too much time on their hands trying to spoil things for others. I don’t know. Maybe they work for some conglomerate representing sugar. I have news for them. Sugar is bad for me too. I’m diabetic. If I get too much sugar, I have real problems. I know. It’s happened to me. Better for me to drink diet drinks rather than send my sugar through the roof… and I am sure I am far from being alone.

It does sort of remind me of a dietary expert on TV I saw one time. She was in favor of never eating processed food. The host of the show asked her, “If I put a round steak through a grinder, does that make it a processed food?”

Without hesitation, she replied, “Yes.” Never even tried to explain it.

Some of these experts need to find something useful to do. Let’s face it, if I take that same round steak and put it on a grill whole, then it is processed. Yes, and there are some who think char-broiling meat can cause cancer.

I don’t buy that. Jesus made fish on an open fire for the disciples. If there was something wrong with that, I suspect he would have baked it. Certainly better than eating it raw. You can pick up all sorts of diseases eating things raw. Some have actually died from it.

Bottom line. If they don’t want to use aspartame, no one is twisting their arm. No one will hold a gun to their head. They don’t have to. However, I bet they will start having second thoughts when they start pushing 300 or 350 on the scale.

One small hint for the experts, it is a whole lot easier keeping that 5 pounds off than it is to lose it.

Absolutely Not!

Posted in Uncategorized by
Daily writing prompt
Do you see yourself as a leader?
View all responses

It is one of the bigger things I learned while in the Marines. I would make a very poor leader. In fact, I did make a bad leader.

It takes a special person to deal with subordinates and I am not one of those people. Try as I might, I failed miserably. Every since I left the Marines, I have made it a point to avoid positions with authority. It doesn’t pay nearly as much but it worked out better for me and those I worked for.

Finishing the Job

Posted in Socialists, Unions by

I guess it was around the 1970s and 80s. Maybe some during the 90s that the Unions halfway turned Detroit into a ghost town. They drove the price of the cars up so much that people started buying imported cars. Ironically, many of those folks making the Fords, Chevrolets and Plymouths bought VWs, Datsuns and Toyotas.

GM and Chrysler were bailed out by the feds. Ford barely scrapped by. American made auto sales plummeted. The automakers had to lay off many of those building the cars. Lacking any other form of employment, a whole bunch of folks left town. In many cases, just abandoning their houses.

Now, it would appear that the unions decided to finish the job. Five or six more years of strikes and guess what. The only folks left in Detroit will be those working for the government. With no tax-base, we’re looking at just the mayor and aldermen being left behind.

One nice thing about that. They will have their choice of houses, won’t they?

One hint to one and all. Some think the purpose of a corporation is to provide jobs. Actually, their primary purpose is to make money. If they don’t, they will simply go away. In this case, maybe it would be a good idea for the management to just close the doors and go somewhere else. I just might keep from prolonging the agony.

Want to Stop Crime

Posted in Uncategorized by
  1. Stop drug abuse. Truth be told drugs are involved in close to half of all crimes: murder, robery, auto accidents. I am sure there are some I left out.
  2. Close the border. We have enough criminals already. We have no need importing any. We have no need of more illegal drugs. We certainly have no need to import any terrorists.
  3. When criminals are caught, put them in the big house. If they aren’t on the streets, that makes the streets safer.
  4. Permit prayer back in schools.
  5. Teach respect. This applies to parents as well as school teachers. This means respect of law, enforcement personnel and other people. I learned to wait in line when I was in school. Obviously, some have not. Many think of themselves as special. They need not wait their turn, they are oblivious to common courtesy and stop signs are for the other guy.

If any of this angers you, it very likely applies to you.

The Benefit of the Doubt

Posted in Awkward Situation, Biden, Memories, Mistakes by

I Don’t know if the saying applies here but hopefully you will get the point. Many are quick to point out that, contrary to what Old Joe said, he was not at ground zero the day after 9/11. Many say he lied.

The thing is as people grow old and the memory starts going bad, they will say things not true and they refuse to admit to things that are true. It may or may not be a lie but it might also be a memory failure.

As I understand it, he was there 10 days later. He might actually think it was the next day.

in some cases while I was still in my 60s, my wife and I would argue and argue a point. The next day I realized she was right.

The question at this point is, is it better that he was lying or his memory failed him. To be sure, when a person in the Oval Office Office has a bunch of memory failures, he…we have real problems…problems that cannot be ignored.