Quote Originally Posted by mrskurtsprincess View Post
I, too, was raised in the Calvinist style of religion .... hence my aversion to religion. I don't adhere to the premise that one man's (John Calvin) intepretation is gospel.

My major point of disagreement is that I don't believe "God" divided humans into two groups (the elected and the excluded) - basically I don't believe in predestination. I believe each one of us is responsible for our own salvation based upon our actions and choices in life. And each choice sends us down a different path with new options and choices to be made.
Of course he didn't. You're right on the money.

To understand how this works we have to make a couple assumptions. Firstly, God is outside of Time, and the constraints thereof. Because of that, there is no future or past where He is - it's one big Galactic NOW.

Okay then - To those God KNOWS will accept him (because he's all-knowing, because he's already there (at the end of things) right "now"), he's set into motion those events which will cause them to, or lead them to Him.

Get it? Because God is right there at the end of times, so to speak, he already knows who has accepted Him because he can see us. So - God works in our lives to bring to Him those people whom are already there where He is, outside of time.

It helps if you watch a lot of Science Fiction...But in my heart of hearts that's what scripture means to me. That's how it makes sense.

Now - the bible implies there will be those who elect not to choose Him.

It's written...."God is not WILLING that any should perish"

Now...if Calvinists are correct, that scripture is a big fat lie, or not accurate. Because - see - if GOD dictates who receives him, the verse might read "God will not allow any to perish" - because that's his will. Right? Make sense? The other choice is God IS willing that some should perish. One or the other.