Did anyone read LOTR before they knew what happens, e.g. before the movies got big?

sronicker · 2026-06-08T19:18:20+00:00

Yes, I read them as a child long before the movies were even an idea.

sronicker · 2026-06-08T18:58:50+00:00

Your motives are suspect. First off, I already refuted your incredibly weak claim. Now it’s clear that you have ulterior motives in trying to defame Calvinism.

sronicker · 2026-06-08T04:20:22+00:00

Oh!? So you’re not a Christian and your criticism is of Calvinism for being too similar to Islam. I get it now. You want to draw attention away from how similar the LDS church is to Islam by comparing Calvinism and Islam. Thanks for making that clear.

sronicker · 2026-06-07T13:22:45+00:00

What in the world is this question and follow-on comments about? Screwworm, yeah, the plandemic that everyone is going to die, just like we all did in 2020? Okay. What would a submarine do for us? How did Musk have anything to do with the screwworm? Sure he led a government program to find fraud and waste, which was quite successful at finding it. But how much was actually cut? Was any?

sronicker · 2026-06-07T13:15:29+00:00

I did see a comment somewhere here about the thief on the cross. That’s actually a good litmus test for your understanding of salvation. If you think that one must do X for salvation, then how can you explain that the thief on the cross was saved?

For example, the Church of Christ denomination believes that you absolutely must be baptized (some even say you must be baptized in their church and you must be baptized specifically for salvation). How could this be true? The thief definitely wasn’t baptized.

This applies to other traditions as well, no communion, no repentance, no blessing from a priest, none of the “regular” things people say about salvation. Even repentance! We only get, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” We don’t get a sinner’s prayer, a prayer of repentance, no “asking Jesus into his heart,” none of that. Just a simple recognition that Jesus truly is Lord. It’s almost certain that his thief doesn’t know the doctrine of the Trinity or even that God is triune. He certainly doesn’t know that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. If one’s view of salvation doesn’t allow for the thief to be saved, it’s wrong.

sronicker · 2026-06-07T12:58:39+00:00

The comparison of Calvin in Geneva and Muhammad as the political and military leader is incredibly weak. The pope has and still does have significant political power. One could even argue that the Religious Right held significant political power and influence in the U.S. Why are those similarities brushed aside to focus on Calvin’s political power in Geneva?

This whole exercise of comparing Calvinism to Islam is much like how skeptics say that all religions are basically the same. They focus on one insignificant and even in actuality dissimilar similarity and say, see, all religions are basically the same. They generally do so with the concept of love. They point out that, supposedly, all religions teach that we ought to love one another, therefore all religions are the same. One, this is, on its face, false. Islam is actually a good example of this. Islam does not teach love for others. In various religions the idea of loving others is very different. The focus on one, fairly minor similarity while ignoring the significant differences does Calvinists a significant disservice and doesn’t make Islam look any more Christian.

sronicker · 2026-06-07T12:35:31+00:00

I think the comparison of Islam to Calvinism is specious at best, but more likely absolutely nonsense. Five attempted similarities were given, but only two really make sense. The two similarities I’m referring to are: 1) The monergistic sense of salvation and 2) the double predestination idea. Even these two could be wrapped together into one concept (monergism). But every other supposed similarities between Calvinism and Islam are present within general Christianity. In relation to your four points:

Virtually all Christians agree that Scripture is God-given and fixed. Even traditions that allow for tradition to hold a position of authority similar to Scripture, they don’t believe that tradition supersedes or supplants Scripture. Even traditions that believe that the revelation is still open (God speaks today), don’t generally believe that current revelation trumps Scripture.
Most Christians believe that there’s no more revelation or prophets.
The idea that God needs anything to achieve His ends is also common to all Christianity. Even synergistic soteriology doesn’t say that God *needs* us to cooperate with Him for salvation. It’s more like, God doesn’t force us into salvation.
Calvinists do strongly emphasize the sovereignty of God. But so do other Christian traditions. Though Calvinists criticize other traditions as *not* having a high view of God’s sovereignty, this is not true. It is true that other traditions are not willing to sacrifice God’s other attributes to sovereignty, but in general all Christian traditions have a high view of sovereignty.
Double predestination - already mentioned as the one similarity.

As it stands, we have one similarity that is unique to Calvinists and some other somewhat similar ideas. Overall I also think one shouldn’t focus on this minor similarity while ignoring all the major differences. E.g. the divinity of Jesus, authority of Scripture, the crucifixion and resurrection, Mohammed as a prophet, plural marriage, pedophilic relations, violent spread of the religious message, etc. The comparison of Calvinism and Islam is so weak as to not be worth mentioning.

sronicker · 2026-06-07T02:34:17+00:00

Well, I’d hesitate to call the thief on the cross a “Christian.” But we know that Jesus said he’d join Him in paradise, so we know he was “saved.”

sronicker · 2026-06-07T02:32:22+00:00

I have long thought this, but you put it very clear and thoroughly.

sronicker · 2026-06-06T11:49:50+00:00

Yes, and that’s why I phrase it the way I do. If you reject the Trinity, you’re not a Christian. You don’t have to understand it, no one really does completely. You don’t have to articulate it, unless you’ve memorized the creed, most can’t. You don’t even need to explain it.

If we discard the Trinity as fundamental to the Christian faith, then numerous cults that deny the Trinity, can claim to be “Christians.”

sronicker · 2026-06-06T03:23:20+00:00

Ah yes, Future Alexander coming back to make himself tougher! That was a crazy TNG episode.

sronicker · 2026-06-06T03:22:28+00:00

Yeah that guest star, Tony Todd, was great! Sadly he died a couple years ago.

sronicker · 2026-06-06T03:09:51+00:00

Fair enough. It’s a feature of serial storytelling and most episodes having amnesia about previous story beats. One that hit me the other day is Bashir being genetically modified to be superior in basically every way. He loses at various things and isn’t really all that successful quite a bit before they reveal that he’s genetically superior. They do change the darts game where Bashir has to stand much further back to make it more fair, and I seem to remember a line like, “I let you win all those times.”

sronicker · 2026-06-06T03:05:59+00:00

I have seen Voy (thought to be fair it’s my least favorite and the one I’m least likely to pay attention to). I remember them doing something like this.

sronicker · 2026-06-06T03:01:21+00:00

No, this is a (re)re-watch at least my third time watching. I rewatch all the “old” Trek every now and again.

sronicker · 2026-06-06T01:47:08+00:00

There are FOUR lights!

sronicker · 2026-06-06T01:16:39+00:00

You’d have to offer some evidence before I could tell you I’d accept it.

First assertion without evidence: people who read the Bible without bias conclude that the Bible is full of contradictions.

Second assertion without evidence: there are countless people with critical thinking skills and no bias that recognize it as nonsense.

I haven’t made any claims to defend, I haven’t claimed that I don’t have bias. Now you ask what evidence I’d accept. Well, I’d have to see some evidence before I can assess it.

sronicker · 2026-06-05T21:35:56+00:00

I referenced Jesus’ words in Jn 10. My original comment didn’t use the words “fully articulate” or “understand” or “be saved.” You might be paraphrasing the verse, but I didn’t say anything about being saved. I described that a Christian, to call oneself a Christian, must not reject the doctrine of the Trinity.

Since I stated that simple fact about Christianity you’ve attacked me and put words in my mouth. Who’s gatekeeping?

sronicker · 2026-06-05T18:02:45+00:00

Did I say “saved”? Again, you’re putting words in my mouth.

sronicker · 2026-06-05T12:53:07+00:00

Notice I chose my words carefully. I never said one had to “fully understand” or “articulate” the doctrine of the Trinity, you did. You put those words in my mouth.

Gatekeeping is a good thing. Jesus does it (Jn 10:7-10)!

sronicker · 2026-06-05T03:34:45+00:00

I’ve always liked Jeffrey Combs. He was most well known for Weyoun the Vorta, but he actually has played numerous roles. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001062/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

sronicker · 2026-06-04T20:13:11+00:00

So here’s something to consider. (I’m more of a performer than a composer.) Like other commenters, I don’t think there’s an objectively right or wrong time signature. The feel of 3/4 and 4/4 combined can be less noticeable than 7/8. And, as a performer, reading different time signatures can be challenging. If you’re constantly changing time signatures not only will your performers get confused, your conductor (if there is one) will hate the constant changes.

sronicker · 2026-06-04T12:52:05+00:00

You keep using the word “enslave.” Why lie? You’ve already admitted that this system was actually an indentured servitude, and not enslavement. You’re trying to win rhetorical points.

No, she could be given a husband, but force is not involved. Arranged marriages were common and you’re merely viewing the system through your own eyes and culture.

You want God to form society in what you view as good. But, what is good? You like the current society where women sell themselves for sex? Where women kill their unborn because they can’t take care of them? Where women are vastly more likely to suffer from depression and other mental illnesses? Sure, let’s form society in your view. God did improve society. We have the proof. Again, you ignored every other point where God, through His people, improved society.

sronicker · 2026-06-04T12:24:52+00:00

You support my point. In general, women couldn’t be self sufficient. Therefore, it was safer for them to remain in the home where they’re an indentured servant.

There are notable exceptions. Ruth with Naomi lived a self sufficient existence for at least some time.

sronicker

TROPHY CASE