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Unless we HAVE to, I don't want to get into the free-will/predestination thing because it gives me headaches. Ephesians 1:3-10 (give or take) is an oft recurring canticle in the daily evening prayer and is, I think, read at Mass on the feast of the Immaculate conception. FWIW.

But, uh
It was not an independent act, apart from what Jesus did on the cross. It was intricately associated with it. It was a "package deal". :)
(did you mean "intimtely" or "intrictately" -- or both) but in general: YEAH THAT!
and
but I do not recognize it as a "'re-present-ation' of Good Friday, etc. 33 AD." I do not believe there is any "re". I would say that Christ died once and for all, with no strings attached, period, etc.

We're really close here. I would almost say exactly the second quote, but we'd have to work on what I meant and did not mean be "re".

Good Friday is one act. It is not limited to the time and space of Good Friday 33 AD. I say "re" only because of the pesky time thing that I find myself in. IT's not REALLY a "re". It's just my temporality which makes a distinction between good Friday and last night's altar call.

How's that?

In other news I want to resurrect the sidebar about how we're like and how we're different (or should be) from Islam, if you remember it.

But, uh [FK:] "[Being born again] was not an independent act, apart from what Jesus did on the cross. It was intricately associated with it. It was a "package deal". :)"

(did you mean "intimately" or "intricately" -- or both) but in general: YEAH THAT!

I suppose to one who is ultimately saved, it is both. :)

Yes, there might be some occurrence vs. effect stuff in there too? I know I'm not comfortable in being able to accurately report what the Catholic view is on this yet.

In other news I want to resurrect the sidebar about how we're like and how we're different (or should be) from Islam, if you remember it.

I remember seeing some discussion on it, but I didn't participate that much because I don't really know much about Islam. I remember Islam being a faith wholly separate from Christianity because they do not recognize Christ as Lord, Savior, or God. To me, that's a "There you go"...

One interesting thing I remember was that I wondered aloud whether "fundamentalist" Protestants like me were really more like the moderate Muslims or the terrorists. I got some agreement for the latter, actually, (and I'm speaking of only on an intellectual plane, here). I would tend to agree with this in terms of following the respective texts. IOW, I thought it more likely that the moderate Muslims, who DON'T want to kill us, are more like the cafeteria Catholics and Southern Baptists that we both wish there were fewer of. That remains a very scary thought to me. :) I think Kosta was in on this part, but I'm not positive.

Frankly, I can't think of much of the FAITH of Islam that I would want to emulate, since, as is my understanding, most of the "nice" stuff really should only be directed to other Muslims according to their sacred texts.