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Calvinism's Exhaustive Determinism and Old Testament Scriptures Submitted by WilliamBirch on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 9:16am "I don't see how anyone could read the Old Testament and not conclude that Calvinism is right," was the assessment of one Calvinist professor recently. By "Calvinism" he meant the notion of God's exhaustive predeterminism of all things by decree. This professor was merely being consistent and honest about his own beliefs. He has done nothing immorally or ethically wrong with making such a statement to his students. My only hope is that his students do not take their professor's word on the matter but...

CLEARING UP MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CORPORATE ELECTION Brian Abasciano I. INTRODUCTION The nature of election has long been one of the most hotly debated topics in evangelical theology. The question lies at the heart of the debate between Arminianism and Calvinism, a debate which commands so much interest and attention because it ultimately has to do with the character of God. But beyond the inherent appeal the disagreement between Arminianism and Calvinism holds for those with a high view of Scripture, the debate has been raging with a heightened intensity in recent years with no sign of abating due to factors...

Sister Sobodka said: "Several times he (Pope John Paul) would put himself through bodily penance. "We would hear it – we were in the next room at Castel Gandolfo. You could hear the sound of the blows when he flagellate himself. He did it when he was still capable of moving on his own." The flagellation is also confirmed by another bishop who has given testimony. Emery Kabongo was a secretary for Pope John Paul. "He would punish himself and in particular just before he ordained bishops and priests," he said. "I never actually saw it myself but several people...

Before starting the text of a long article, I want to explain what it is. In discussing the meaning of the Eucharist with Catholics on FreeRepublic, I've frequently been told that the Church Fathers, from the very beginning, have taught it was a 're-presentation' of Calvary. I've read little of the Church Fathers - as have many who have lectured me, I suspect. The norm on both sides of the argument is to pull quotes from those who help your case, and ignore what does not. In excerpts below, taken from his 7,000 page history, Philip Schaff discusses the nuance...

The following sermon by John MacArthur is available free either in text or as audio at: http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/2213 Since it runs 11 pages, I've heavily edited it to conserve space. If you have any questions about what he says, I recommend reading or listening to the full sermon! The Attitude Behind the Act Matthew 5:21 Tonight, I want I you to look with me at Mathew chapter five and we come to the section beginning in verse 21. This very important, very misunderstood often misrepresented and misinterpreted section of Scripture will be our occupation for many weeks to come. Because from...

From an email from Gabby Giffords, Representative of AZ-8...who was, of course, a no show at the protest held today at her Tucson AZ office... "Over the last few months, I have heard from thousands of my constituents who are very frustrated with our nation’s health insurance system. It is unfair that insurance companies can deny people coverage based on pre-existing conditions or impose arbitrary life time limits on care. Our premiums have doubled in the last nine years, and the cost of doing nothing is worse. Without reform, health care spending will rise to $4.4 trillion, more than one...

How We Got the New Testament - 2 1/2 Views (Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic) The following excerpts are pulled from the Internet. Their full articles are worth reading, if you want to understand their thought. In hopes of keeping this at a digestible meal, I've quoted the sections I found most interesting - and deleted a great deal of good reading! First, the Orthodox: taken from the Orthodox Christian Information Center. The Emergence of the New Testament Canon by Daniel F. Lieuwen Link: http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/ntcanon_emergence.aspx ...When the church began, there were no New Testament books. Old Testament texts alone were used...

2. What are the dates of these documents? The crucifixion of Christ took place, it is generally agreed, about AD 30. According to Luke iii. I, the activity of John the Baptist, which immediately preceded the commencement of our Lord's public ministry, is dated in 'the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar'. Now, Tiberius became emperor in August, AD 14, and according to the method of computation current in Syria, which Luke would have followed, his fifteenth year commenced in September or October, AD a7.1 The fourth Gospel mentions three Passovers after this time; the third Passover from that date would...

Why is this? Of all the battles in all the wars across the span of human history, why does this day hold such a revered place in our memory? What is it about the struggle that took place on these sands behind me that brings us back here to remember year after year after year?

Over and Out [Mark Steyn] Following California's "tax revolt" and the usual editorials from a dying media sneering at the electorate as tantrum-throwing kindergartners, we now move on to the swimsuit round, in which the Golden State's woes are federalized and redistributed to the nation at large. In the states' version of the Obama model for everything from mortgages to credit cards, the feckless will have their pathologies rewarded and the prudent will get stuck with the tab. The Atlantic's Megan McArdle cuts to the chase: California is completely, totally, irreparably hosed. Up next: New York. As Miss McArdle notes,...

Yahoo finance has these 'headlines': Geithner defends bank rescue program amid warnings- AP GM, Chrysler to get $5.5B more in government loans- AP Treasury says about $110B left in bailout fund- AP IMF: US institutions could suffer $2.7 trillion in losses- AP Texas Instruments' profit tumbles, but beats expectations- AP CAT reports first loss since '92, slashes forecast- Reuters Merck sees 57 percent drop in first-quarter profit- AP

Case 1: "They want to stay in the house; they've lived there for 15 years and, well, it's home. They're way underwater, owing about $510,000 on a property not worth much more than $350,000 right now..." Case 2: "She has been in the home for 23 years, but family health problems, divorce and economic factors have conspired against her and she's never been able to substantially pay down the loan."

She hasn’t shown up for work very regularly over the last year or so, so when Michelle Obama’s $300,000 job was cut at the University of Chicago Hospitals, it may have been hard to notice the difference.

Elsewhere during the interview — which the president compared to doing “jumping jacks for my own book that I’m going to be writing” — Bush strongly defended his decision to go to war in Iraq; argued that the U.S. has better relations with many foreign nations than ever before; said he is certain that Harriet Miers would have been a great Supreme Court justice; defended his failed effort to reform Social Security; and, finally, expressed concern over Barack Obama’s reported intention to undo Bush policies on, among other things, stem-cell research and missile defense.

Lopez: Sarah Palin is a mom with spunk and executive experience. Does she not demonstrate some patriotic grace? Noonan: Well Kathryn, we have disagreed on the meaning and implications of Mr. McCain’s choice of Mrs. Palin. Here are some cool words from a cool head, George Will, who saw early on what a number of us came to see, and who said better what I would try to say later. “The man who would be the oldest to embark on a first presidential term has chosen as his possible successor a person of negligible experience. Any cook can run the...

September 30, 2008 Dear "Mr Rogers" - no, not my real name... Thank you for contacting me about the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (H.R. 3997) that was voted on in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. I joined a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives - and my seven House colleagues from Arizona - in opposing the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. I voted against the bill because it failed to provide sufficient protections for American taxpayers. Our nation is confronting serious instability in our financial markets that threatens the strength of the entire U.S. economy. Predatory lending, irresponsible trading...

Debate Prep [Jay Nordlinger] A reader is thinking ahead to the second and third presidential debates. In the first debate, he says, “how many times did Obama try to tie McCain to President Bush? About a million? McCain needs to answer that.” And he suggests that McCain answer as follows: “Say what you will about President Bush, senator, but he is the twice-elected president of the United States and a good and honorable man. I would rather be associated with him than with Billy Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and Tony Rezko, to begin with.” My reader says this would be a...

A Justice Department report scolds former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for mishandling highly classified...Gonzales failed to store the documents in proper secure facilities and at one point took them home.

My first reaction was shock. Then anger. John McCain chose a running mate simply because she is a woman and one who appealed to the Republican's conservative evangelical base. Now, with news that Palin's 17-year-old unmarried daughter is pregnant, McCain's pick may not even find support among "family values" voters...This may be a hard one for the Republican conservative family-values crowd to swallow. Of course, this can happen in any family. But it must certainly raise the question among the evangelical base about whether Sarah Palin has been enough of a hands-on mother.

Barely mentioning Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama said he was open to campaigning with McCain in "town hall" events. But he also warned that controversial issues such as McCain's ties to the Keating Five savings and loan scandal are fair game, and he called McCain's proposal for a temporary halt in the federal gasoline tax a pander and a gimmick... Obama was asked Saturday if the fall campaign might touch on the 1987 Keating Five scandal, in which the Senate Ethics Committee said McCain used "poor judgment" for allegedly pressing regulators to go easy on the owner of a...