steveorino

straw man. bad analaogy. Few of our choices are 50/50. Do you know "most" theist?? I doubt it. Do you even know the differenece between Arminian and Calvinist in their theology? I have no stats but I'd say a good portion of Christian theologians are Arminian, and believe in man's free will. This is where I disagree with you. I can exercise my free will to shoot you and someone can exercise their free will to shoot me first. The fact that the second guy stopped me from shooting didn't infringe upon my free will to choose to shoot, he only changed the outcome by exercising his free will to stop me. History tells us God does not intervene in our world as much as we like to think He does. When a tornado hits Tulsa and the Christians thank God for sparing them, I'm left to wonder what the Christians who lost a child to the tornado think? While it may not be popular in the buckle of the Bible Belt (Tulsa, OK) I don't think God works that way. I use prayer to align myself with God's will rather than ask Him to give me something. steveOrino

You must have a problem with raeding. I said God knows all possible futures. He gives man free will. Knowing the infinite # of choices man may make does not equal making those choices for him. Man is free to make any choice he wants. I do not believe God will intervene in those choices. I believe God's miracles do not violate man's free will. The examples JC gives us show that. I said man has 99.99999% free will but I'm not so sure he doesn't have 100%. I guess I left the one in a million billion time for an almighty God to do whatever he wants to do. As far as why God didn't save these people (name your tragedy I do not believe you will find an answer anymore than Job did. steveOrino

I found a script to use with telemarketers. I think I found it here, but I'm too lazy to search for it. It was hilarious. I kept asking the guy all these crazy questions I had on a piece of paper. Finally, he just said, "Ya yanking my chain, aren't ya?" "Yep!" We both laughed before he hung up. steveOrino

I agree with Jimmy "Congratulations on your own accomplishment. " The other guy gets a rating he did not earn. Pity the student that has him as an instructor. steveOrino

Jone's Embodying Forgiveness It pointed me to two other books I need to read. I can't remember them now. But one was about the holoucast, I think it was called "The Sunflower"? steveOrino

I moved there from Santa Maria, CA where temporarily I was a A's fan (remember the 89 World series earthquake -- I felt it in while coaching a football game at St. Joseph High School) I immediatley fell in love withe Mariners because as their pastor people were always taking me to games. Somehow that failed to impress me when I watched the Seahwaks in the Kingdome though. Still a Cowboys fan back then. The only bad thing I remember about the Mariners was their uniforms when I first moved up in 1990. Blue/gold with a big Safeway "S" on the cap. I liked the trident better. steveOrino

Scott, just for the record, no criticism is aimed you. We all know that hollywood does crazy things to extreme sports in TV/Movies. I guess a plain old main malfunction wouldn't be as scary as nothing out. (frozen pin?) So glad Jonas could swoop down to save him. My biggest pet peave was the flailing the dude did when he couldn't get the main out. He looked more like a AFF 1st jump student than a Special Forces guy. I remember watching "Cliffhanger" years ago with my rock climbing buddy. We almost got kicked out when we threw popcorn at the screen when Stallone was free climbing in big old boots -- using almost every dynamic move known to exist. steveOrino

yep, been a fan since I moved there in 1990. '95 was a great year! steveOrino

Sexon always hit pretty well when he was with the Indians. What'd you guys do to him?? Spezzio hit with his former team too. Something about the NW. steveOrino

I always thought there was something special about you. steveOrino

Who made that scenario, a whuffo script writer? steveOrino

HaHA! Mee too! Born and raised in Texas I could never get myself to follow the perrenial losers, Texas Rangers. I moved to Seattle in 1990 and I too left in the fall of '95. I became a Mariner's fan while I was there. I loved Griffey, Buhner, ALex and Edgar! I have followed them every since. However, this was going to be my make it or break it year. If they tanked again, I was going to quit paying to watch them. We'll see. I'm not confident they can win with their pitching. And what is it about Seattle that takes .300 hitters from other teams and makes them a .150 hitter? How do you stay a starting first baseman and hit as poorly as Sexon does? steveOrino

And a dang good one at that. That describes my thoughts exactly.! Stay safe! Come home soon! De Opresso Liber, buddy! steveOrino

I did not "officially" join as I feared I publically humiliate myself. But since February I have gone from 243 to 221. My goal is 199. I haven't been there since I was 35. That is 17 years I've been over 200lbs. I hope to make it by the end of summer. steveOrino

Again, so I don't know ... so what? However, when God goes against the natural laws of the universe, I have a good idea. You are not understanding what I am writing about free will. Perhaps you could read a book about Arminianism. IMHO God knowing ALL POSSIBLE choices of man is a step above just knowing what man will choose. God remains omniscient. Does man have 100% free will? No, God does intervene with miracles. But I'm not one who entertains the "find me a parking space" miracle. Most cases in the bible were JC performs a miracle he is not violating someone's free will unless the wedding guest wanted to have nothing to drink, the blind wanted to remain blind, the lame wanted to remain lame, etc. steveOrino

Yes, I believe God violates our free will at times. Times of his choosing. Again, so what. steveOrino

Yeah, I know. I didn't count incidents where there were no injuries, or they were very minor. For that matter, if they didn't say "tandem" in the thread I didn't find count them either. No way I was looking though every thread that said "skydiver injured", or "accident at yada yad yada " steveOrino

Duh! He wasn't from the tribe of Levi. Plus, he declared JC (after his ascension) was enthroned next to the Father. And he was a priest/king much like Melchesidec, not like the Aaron and the Levites. So what? steveOrino

Who wrote this for us to believe in anyway? I wonder what would happen if there were no religions! Hey, maybe no reasons to start wars? Paul wrote that to the Christians living in Rome in the beginning throws of persecution from the Roman state. Yes, many wars have been fought in the name of religion. Are serious in your query that if there were no religions there would be no wars? If so, you have a more generous view of the nature of man than I do. steveOrino

I try to make it "memorable'. My 1000th was because I videoed my wife's first (and only, so far) tandem. Maybe for my 2000th I'll take her. I have other income besides skydiving, but it is money I need to live on. steveOrino

Not all Christians hold the same theology on the free will of man. They are divided into two positions: Calvinism & Arminianism. Wesleyian Arminianism holds that God knows all POSSIBLE futures as mankind has freewill. steveOrino

I'm not sure how my statement is a contradiction. I simply believe we have free will. God knows the infinite possibilities of choices we make. For 99.9999999999999999% of the time God leaves us alone. I believe in miracles, but I believe they are VERY rare. I do not pretend to believe I understand the rationale God makes upon intervention. I think JC tells us it is not so easily figured out or explained. So many think God should intervene to stop the actions of evil men, and calamities only happen to those who are outside God's will. This is not so. JC tells us this in Luke 13:4. He also predicts the suffering of his disciples in many places specifically because they were in the will of God. Like it or not, God almost always leaves us to our own devices. Question why? Yes, you may. Don't be surprised if the answers you may or may not receive fail to satisfy. Again I say, IF God intervened every time evil took place we would balk against God's intervention. Free will is a double edged sword, but Id prefer that to being a marionette puppet steveOrino

I did a brief look at our incident forums for "tandem" incidents with injuries or fatalities. If the thread didn't say "tandem" I didn't make note of it. A cursory examination lets me believe it is that I'm more aware rather than more of them. 2003 - 5 2004 - 2 2005 - 4 2006 - 7 2007 - 4 Again, this is a cursory review of threads that had "tandem" in the thread title. I guess I'm just more aware now.

You know how when you buy a new car you think is unique, then after you buy it you see them everywhere, is that what is going on with tandem accidents? I became a tandem master last summer and I don't remember reading very many tandem incidents. Now it seems there is a plethora of them. Is something up or is it me just simply being more aware of them when I see them? steveOrino

12 months?? I was jumping one week after mine 6 years ago and one week after my "touch up" in February. Who told you twelve months? I'm talking about lasik. Maybe you're talking about something else? steveOrino