Hello and welcome to Captain Gantz's Live. I'm Psych hell at your host. Thanks for being here with us on this Thursday afternoon. It's open form, two hours of open form with Jimmy Aiken.

The number to call 888-318-7884, triple eight, 318-7884. If you have a question about the Catholic faith, you've got a question about the Bible, you've got a question about Jesus. All of that is welcome, but when Jimmy's here, he'll talk to you about just about anything.

You've got a question for Jimmy Aiken, pick up that phone and call 888-318-7884. Jimmy, the author of The Bible is a Catholic book, a daily defense 365 days plus one to becoming a better apologist and a bunch of other stuff. Also, the proprietor of Jimmy Aiken's mysterious world and senior apologists more than 25 years under his belt here at Catholic answers.

Oh, man, that's right. The show is 25. You're 30 years here. Well, congratulations again on that. Welcome, Jimmy Aiken.

My pleasure, Psych hell it. And what's dropping tomorrow on Jimmy Aiken's mysterious world?

We're going to be looking at flying snakes. It's a cryptid hunt. Flying snakes are discussed by a variety of figures in the ancient world, including the Greek historian Herodotus, who actually said he saw a big pile of their bones.

And they're also mentioned by the prophet Isaiah and others as well. So we're going to be talking about flying snakes and what could be behind the reports of them.

All right. All right. Flying snakes tomorrow on Jimmy Aiken's mysterious world. I want to ask you about it, but I know you're going to be like, no, turn it in tomorrow and listen, because I have very specific questions.

But I won't do it. I'll listen. I'll get my I'll get my news on the flying snakes the same time as everybody. No, they were not native to the United States. So you don't have to worry.

Okay. All right. Or nor Ireland, I would assume. Is it true that does Ireland really not have snakes? Well, that's what they say. I've never actually looked to check. But maybe.

All right. Again, 8883187884. The number open form means open. And that means you can call. You don't have to worry about what you're right now. You don't have to worry about holding anybody up because there's three lines open.

But whatever your question, we would love to take it. 8883187884. Anonymous is in New York listening on the Catholic answers app. You're starting us off anonymous. Go ahead with your question for Jimmy.

Hi, good evening. Hi, Jimmy. So I recently read through your tips through Tulip article, which is a big read.

I'm having trouble reconciling how Catholics can hold to unconditional election. And I trust it because I see the quietness is comments and Augustin.

I don't see how that doesn't logically conclude with double predestination.

And then also, if it's possible, an additional step, how does that tie in with the catechism saying that God considers every person's for your response to his grace? Does that make sense to me? Thank you.

Yeah. So. So I should probably provide a little bit of background for listeners who may not be familiar with all of this in Calvinist Christianity.

Calvinist Christianity is known for having five distinctive teachings. And these are commonly remembered in English by an acronym, which is tulip, T-U-L-I-P.

And T stands for total depravity, U stands for unconditional election, L stands for limited atonement, I stands for irresistible grace and P stands for perseverance in the saints.

And back in the 1990s, right after I became a Catholic apologist, I wrote a paper exploring how close one could get to the Calvinist understanding of tulip and yet still be faithful to Catholic teaching.

And I, in particular, relied on the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, who in many, but not all respects, is close to tulip. Also, St. Augustine is similar in many, but not all respects to Calvinism.

And I've always meant to write a balance piece of how far away you could get from tulip and remain faithful to Catholic teaching. Unfortunately, I haven't yet done that, but hopefully at some point I will.

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