ryan.the.calvinist

I find it odd that I am not the normal college student. I do not speak of my decision to not smoke, get drunk, or have premarital sex. I am glad I have resisted temptation for these (though most have never really even been an issue for me), though I am not speaking specifically of m relm of belief. I may be one of a few handful of students whose beliefs, values or convictions have not crumbled 'neath the weight of the ivory walls of the University. One such example is my stance on politics. I was raised in a very conservative home where I learned of the importance of defending the lives of unborn babies from a slaughter at the hands of some who consider themselves "doctors" (more like death dealers). So conservative yes, but I was, by my own admission, truly a 2-issue voter by the time I was 18. The issues I was concerned about were biblically social issues -- abortion and the defense of the institution of marriage between man and wife (as God created it). Sure I c

FOXNews.com - Another Unbelievable Outrage in San Francisco - Bill O’Reilly | The O’Reilly Factor Taken from Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points from FOXNews.com: Last Sunday, at the Catholic Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, Archbishop George Niederauer was celebrating mass. As part of that ritual, holy communion is given to Catholics by the celebrants. Two gay militants in bizarre dress took communion from the archbishop in an attempt to mock the mass and the man. — The people who did this are members of a militant homosexual group that runs around San Francisco dressed as nuns. All city officials are aware of the group because in the past they have publicly demeaned Christianity. The Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, has refused to comment. The District Attorney, Kamala Harris, says she is waiting for a complaint to be filed. The Catholic Church says it will do its own investigation and doesn't want the police involved at this point. The archbishop has

I actually am fairly frustrated with one of my classes.  The class is Poetry 303 and I feel... inhibited.  I do not know if that is really the best word, but I will try it out.  Anyway, the reason I am somewhat down is because the course is directed toward Poetry/creative writing majors or minors.  I am neither.  I had considered minoring in poetry, but recently I have decided that would be a bad idea.  It is not very marketable for me (being a Religious Studies major) AND I do not have the ability honestly.  I write -- and this goes back to how I feel "inhibited" (for lack of a better term) by the course -- I write really for myself.  I do write for other people to enjoy my work-- devotions, theological discourses and defenses of the truth, AND occasionally poetry.  I use writing (or used to anyway... I really am going to start writing more) as an outlet for personal thoughts, and blogging for those thoughts I desire to make (on one level or another) public.  But I go into

Technorati Tags: life , iPod , technology , music This past summer really was the Summer of iPod Hell... or maybe just iHell. I dunno. What I DO know is that currently right now Gabe is sitting there reading this, thinking "iPods suck." Well shut up. Hippie. Anyway. I have decided to recount the story of my iPod Hell. It actually goes back a ways back though... I have wanted an iPod probably since I graduated High School. However my requests and begs to my parental units received a well-heard NO. This does not come as a surprise. I mean the cheapest iPods were between $250 (for 4 gig) and $300 (for 20 gig). I asked many a Christmas for one, but my parents used the (good in this case) excuse that if they got me one, they would have to get my older bro one as well. While I disagreed (hehe) I saw where they were coming from. So I went without one. Meanwhile many of my friends are already i-Fanatics... a roommate (Stephan) frequently flash

"Lord, give what thou commandest, command what thou wilst." -- Augustine of Hippo "...the Arminian view of the atonement can be compared to a wide bridge that extends most of the way across a river." --Loraine Boettner "I had rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody..." --Charles Spurgeon "The nature of Christ's salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day evangelist. He announces a Savior from hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of Fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness." --Article entitled Saving Faith: Part 1 Signs of the Times by A.W. Pink, circa 1930

Doctrine Of Election Our salvation is secure to the end because our salvation was predestined in the very begining to be completed (Philippians 1:6) Romans 8:28-30 Election is disturbing for many-- they think the doctrine calls into question the goodness of God. This view, they say, makes God a tyrant, a monster; it resists evangelism and creates a small-hearted God, and makes us mere robots. They think somehow election is "unfair" and "unjust." BUT... God is NOT to be measured by our understanding on what is "just"! Our understanding of virtually everything is wrapped and affected ,in some way, by our sinfulness. Psalm 50:21 -- God is NOT like us. Isaiah 55:8 -- His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts higher than ours. God has thoughts that to us seem incomprehensible. God's nature is holy, is just, flawless, and is perfect. He IS perfection. So whatever he says is just is what justice is. What is behind his justice? -- His own f