How do you respond to the strict Calvinist belief that God has already chosen those who are to be saved and...

Question

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... all others are condemned to go to hell?

(In this view, Jesus didn't heal all the sick who came to him because he had already chosen those who would be healed, and neither will he save everyone because he's already chosen those whom he will save.)

Many evangelicals may think this is odd dogma, but it is the faith espoused by Jean Calvin in the 15th century and is still held by those who adhere strictly to his theology.

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Answer 1

Wow. People believe that and still claim that God is loving? What the (fill in the blank) kind of twisted logic is THAT?! Pardon me for being offensive, but how on earth can anybody with half a functioning brain in their head possibly believe that and still think God is good?!

You can lead a bigot to truth but you cannot make him think.

People need to understand that ours is a God of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, not fear. Until then, religion--and our whole world--will remain divided.

::EDIT::

I hate going onto R&S. I really do. It brings out the worst in me. When I answer and respond on here, I can be quite cruel and intolerant, and I hate it. That's one of two reason I created this account--so I would hopefully never let myself go onto R&S again. The other was to be myself on LGBT without Christian hate mail.

That having been said, I read a few of the previous answers...and I'm shocked and appalled that anybody could actually believe in this. I don't understand it--it simply defies all logic of a loving, merciful, forgiving God. So God loves us all, but He picks and chooses before we're even born who is saved and who is condemned? Why, then, does He even create people He knows He won't save in the first place? I don't understand it, and it upsets me to see that people believe this...this is the reason why this world is divided, because religions can't agree with each other and we have a twisted sense of morality and believe things because the Bible tells us so.

THIS is the reason why I don't come on R&S anymore and created a completely new account to get away from it. Everything about this section upsets and angers me.

Why can't we all just love each other and accept that we're all part of one race, sharing one planet, all under ONE God who loves us no matter what?

Answer 2

I side with Suzi and Dog Sneeze.

Predestination and Free Will are actually not conflicting concepts. It is a matter of perspective. Someone may know you're going to do something, but you still have the choice.

I was elected in the womb to be one of God's children and had many opportunities to accept that election during my lifetime. Thankfully, I finally chose to become on of the elect.

Calvinism is not generally popular, especially among Atheists, since it seems to indicate that Heaven will be some sort of exclusive "members only" club that you don't have any chance of being a part of.
From our perspective, that is simply not true. No one knows who will be saved and who will not be saved. And as Christians we are called to minister to and witness to the entire world. Not just parts of it, ALL the world. So from the human perspective, the only one that matters in this lifetime, everyone is a potential member of God's elect.

As for your example about Jesus, I would disagree with you. The rain falls upon the wicked as well as the righteous. The four accounts of the Gospel lead me to believe that Christ healed ALL who came to Him. It does not say that all were saved, however.
In fact, Christ mentions the fact that there were unbelievers in the crowd. You came to me to be fed, He says, (referring to the two mass feeding miracles) but I am living bread...

Answer 3

I don't see anything wrong with a loving God choosing from before the foundations of the world who will come to him, out of a human race that has long since fallen and, under a federal representation of Adam, does not have any fellowship at all with the Lord. In fact, man stands condemned before him, from birth onward. If you think that God "gives everyone an equal chance to come to him" the answer is no, because it is not man's prerogative to do so. Nor is it his ability. God is not required to beg his creation to come to him, crying on the sidelines when the sinner does not repent.

Answer 4

Predestination of the Calvinist is a false doctrine. Once saved always saved of the the fundies is also a false doctrine.

Answer 5

I always wondered why anyone would attempt to "save" themselves if there was really nothing that could be done to influence how they're "sorted" into their final destination.

Think about it... if they sin, they can say "God already knew I would do that, my destiny is predetermined, it's not like I could've saved myself, what does it matter?"

I think a lot of people would assume that they weren't one of the lucky ones and live according to the assumption that they had no "heaven" to shoot for.

Then again, that wouldn't make them "bad" people. I'm just saying that perhaps if this point of view were more prevalent, folks would simply try to make the best (or possibly the worst) out of this life.

Answer 6

It’s not a Calvinist belief, it’s a Biblical teaching. The Bible teaches that God, before the foundation of the world chose certain individuals to be the object of His grace. “Even as He has chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph. 1:4). See II Thes. 2:13, II Tim. 1:9, Rev. 13:8, I Thes. 1:4, and John 6:65.

In the case of those who are chosen, there is a divine intervention called regeneration. This is a sovereign work of God the Holy Spirit whereby a sinner who is spiritually dead is made alive. In other words, God works in those whom he has chosen to enable them to repent and believe. All the praise, credit and glory belong to God alone, not to the elect sinner who repents and believes.

In the case of those who are not chosen, there is no internal work of God. It is not God who makes them evil. They already are evil. In their case the Word of God only hardens them in their sin. And it is to them alone—and not to God—that the blame therefore must belong for their final reprobation.

“For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls,…“Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated’. …Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens…..Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” Romans 9:11,12,18,21

Answer 7

It is written, many are called, but few are chosen
to me that means He calls and then chooses out of that number those whom He can use to further His Kingdom those who will be faithful
I believe Matthew 8:16,17
Luke 6:19
John 3:16
1Timothy 2:4

Answer 8

Predetermination quashes the concept of Free Will, that is, one's birthright to have the freedom of choice.

If I ever come across such a list of the "chosen ones" according to the Calvinists, then I won't find my name in it. For sure.

I prefer to have my own free will. Thank you.

Peace be with you.

Answer 9

I respond the same way I do for all of the questions about "God"... The ideas of gods and supernatural beings is completely foolish and in this case the fools identified are apparently Calvinists, however that does not exclude others who are equally foolish enough to deny one falsehood while proping up another that is just as false.

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Answer 10

Jesus died to save whosoever ! Not a chosen few.People need to follow the word of God instead of some man.how to respond - i've tried for years!