This commentary by the gentle (and sometimes furry, but only in fictional settings) Ra, from her blog:

I must say, I am shamelessly addicted to feedback…I just enjoy hearing from people. … Except when people send me Calvinistic propaganda in e-mail. I received a note last night, informing me of the error of my ways and inviting me to "take up the challenge" to examine the beauties of Calvinism. I might perhaps have given this message a little more consideration had the author not dismissed Parkinson's The Faith of God's Elect as nothing more than a "rehashing of Pelagius and Arminius". Which, to me, proved that the author of said e-mail had not actually read the book at all, or if he had, it was with a mind so prejudiced that he didn't even notice what Parkinson was actually saying. … I might also have considered the e-mail more favourably had it not been couched in the kind of condescending and bullying tones (though fortunately, it stopped short of open insult) that I have regrettably come to expect from most Calvinists when addressing non-Calvinists. Evidently they regard it as their divine mission to convert evangelicals to Calvinism; I hope I may be pardoned for wondering where this particular version of the Great Commission is found in Scripture. I also wonder, if this doctrine truly deepens the believer's spiritual understanding, why are so many of its adherents so unChristlike? ===END QUOTED SECTION===

This type of commentary saddens me, as I am a Calvinist. I can give Rebecca an easy answer on one front. In spite of an appreciation of the necessity of Grace, I often behave in an unchristlike way because of this damned depravity that is in me and all through me. The powerful effect of this depravity is true of all Calvinists and all non-Calvinists.

However, I attended Bob Jones University and saw for myself what happened to many students who embraced Calvinism. (It happened to me, at first, until I repented.) They became combative, challenged authority, and stooped to the most vile criticisms, backbitings, and whisperings against godly men who disagreed with them that I have ever heard come out of anybody’s mouth.

At BJU we had a powerful clique that attended Faith Free Presbyterian church, and the members of this clique promptly condemned people right and left, convinced a girl to leave BJU over the Calvinism issue (and she was a needy young woman who would have benefited by staying, and that reproach has never left the individual who guided her into leaving. His ministry has been dry ever since then and always will be unless he repents of that gross sin of bending a weaker person to his will.)

Ultimately, I was ostracized by this group of self-appointed Calvinist heroes, and by then I did not care because my head was getting clear. I repented of my arrogance about Calvinism and returned to the true call of the Christian, which is to know and comprehend salvation in Christ and serve Christ. Yes, I am a 5-point Calvinist, and we certainly have not cornered the market on arrogance in Christianity, but I have observed what Rebecca has observed: the irony of these Calvinist crusaders is that if they really believed in the sovereignty of God’s grace, they could keep their mouths shut, serve cheerfully and with composure, and let the Spirit of God work. But they don’t. And their actions indicate a mind convinced of the doctrine, but a heart that is far from grace.

A few days ago, I was perusing my site meter to see where hits were coming from, and I ran across this amazing line in a browser tracker in the site meter:

ncf.ca IP Address 134.117.137.# (Various Registries) [snip] Browser: Default Ransom was here. In your face, free-willies!

So this guy who bills himself as Ransom and posts on the FFF, now goes through the web spouting defiance to those “free willies” (a slang term for a non-Calvinist). I’ve warned Ransom already that he’s a slave to hostility, and the current Mar-Uranus configuration will undo him. He, of course, is inflamed even further by these warnings (which is also sort of predictable, with or without the stars), yet he continues to provide me with abundant evidence that I am right.

His behavior, of course, is completely opposed to Grace. As is the behavior of so many in the IFB Reformation who have discovered the Doctrines of Grace and now use them to bash the brethren without mercy and without consideration of what these people have been through already at the hands of power-mad pastors, elders, and deacons.

I can only say here what I said to Rebecca in an open comment on her blog: There is one great beauty to the concept of salvation by sovereign grace, which calvinist and non-calvinist alike may agree on: that no matter how grievously we sin, Christ has purposed to save those that are His to the uttermost. He cannot fail in that divine purpose. What a relief (as one who has sinned grievously and---in spite of a genuine desire not to do so anymore---will continue to sin grievously) to know that He will not let go, will not be shocked, will not be deterred, and will surely be victorious because His Grace is greater than my will.

Bear in mind, that many who know *about* grace do not truly know grace, and I have seen many a Calvinist provide abundant evidence that the grace he argues about with such vehemence has never converted his soul.

Resting on the sovereignty of grace is given to those of us who have been overwhelmed by the truly rotten things we have done. He gives us this assurance, which can be defended from Scripture, that He has purposed to save us and conform us to His image, and He will be victorious. As for the mechanics of how that is done, even I, a five-point Calvinist, care little for the differences between believers on that agency.

Please don't lump us all together. In good conscience, I am a five-point Calvinist, but not just intellectually. When I am sick of myself, I find Him my Saviour every day of my life.  ¶ 8:22 AM