Christian's Were Either Destined For An Eternity Of Salvation Or Damnation?

John Calvin believed that we as Christian’s were either destined for an eternity of salvation or damnation. Calvin’s contention was that when the word was preached not all received it in the same manor if at all. He felt that this was evidence of God’s judgements. He acknowledged that if salvation was offered to some but refused to others, this would raise a lot of hard questions that can only be answered by a proper understanding for predestination and election. Calvin contends that we cannot be persuaded that our salvation comes of God’s will until we come to see his election, which illuminates God’s grace. He indicates that “he does not indiscriminately adopt to all to the hope of salvation, but gives to some what he denies to others’ (McGrath 2011, pg. 375). In the reader it describes predestination indicating “We call predestination God’s eternal decree, by which God determined what God willed to become of each human being. For all are not created in equal condition… but eternal life is foreordained for some, and eternal damnation for others” (McGrath 2011, pg. 375). Ultimately each of us are

The idea that God decided ahead of time who would be saved and who would burn for all eternity in painful punishment paints God in a negative and somewhat cruel light. I think the biggest quote that bothered me in this reading assignment was “for all are not created in equal condition” (McGrath 2011, pg. 375). I feel this severely undermines that the notion of free will and puts the entirely of creation in question. If we aren’t created equal, why even both creating those who were damned from the beginning. I would rather to have never existed than to spend all of eternity in torment by God’s choice. If we are predestined from before our birth to either be saved or not be saved, why live our lives? We either are or are not chosen and if we are not chosen nothing we ever try will be good