Quote Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr View Post
God never works in the lives of people to damn them, there's no need to, they'll do that themselves. He only ever works in people's lives to save them. Yes God created them, but it is purely the nature of their being that damns people, with no extra influence from God once they are created. Hyper-Calvinism suggests that there is, but this is incorrect.
It's a binary. If God does not save he damns. The arguement runs thus.

God is all powerful.

Only God has the power to save, this comes only from God, salvation is determined by him alone.

God saves some and not others, those he does not save are damned for all eternity.

As I said before, you said God's grace was irresistable. If that is so then only those he forsakes could possibly resist him.

His refusal to save would be an act of damnation under that system.

You also said it is people's own nature that damn them, but their nature is detemined ultimately by God.

You also say that he works in their lives to save them, without which they could not be saved (so you have previously written). So then how can people have free will? How can anyone be saved if they are not free to choose? Worse, how could adam have sinned and condemned humanity without free will.

Disobediance requires choice. Calvinism removes choice. In effect it removes sin.

I'm pretty sure I didn't hear it at church, however no person/group of people on earth has the ability or right to say with absolute authority that any one person is in Heaven. And no I don't believe that anyone thinks priests are granted special powers from God, I've never heard anything on the matter. I would presume Catholics consider priests to be human just like the rest of us, and that the church hierarchy was mainly for practical rather than spiritual reasons. At least till you get to the top, then its dodgy.
Maybe it's these Christian forums you use. A lot of the rhetoric you use is very much in the vein of the Evangelical Churches.

Link?

I thought that as well, that is would be wrong for me to be sure in anything that I felt. Human beings are completely inferior to the power of God and Satan, I know well that one could easily trick us into thinking he was the other. I just believe that when God gives us understanding, it lifts us to a level above doubt, when we know it cannot be Satan, because God lets us know. And I know it doesn't make sense when you look back reflecting on it (you think how can I have been sure it was God), but that is beause you're on a different level, its like you're looking straight across when what you just experienced was above you. You can never understand it except when you're there.

So I suppose I can never explain it properly.
Satan is pretty pathetic really. I've reffered to it before, but read the Book of Job (all of it) for a demonstration od just how powerless he ultimately is. Having said that, consider this:

If you had been decieved you would still have written the same passage as the one I am quoting. How do you know that the assurence you feel is not false pride?

Faith in God is not the same as faith in yourself.