God has predestined before the foundation of the world who would be saved (Calvinistic Soteriology).

Okay, thank you for your well thought out response. Your concerns with Calvinism I believe come from a good heart, but, as your probably assumed, I think they are wrong. You said a lot in your response. However, as I was reading it, I seen two major themes in your response: 1. The totality of the Bible contradicts Calvinism. 2. God didn't die for everyone. I well address those 2 points and then offer some additional commentary. 1. I believe the totality of the Bible does line up with Calvinism. Take the old testament. God chose the nation of Israel. Even under the old covenant, we see a very involved and sovereign God. God choosing the nation of Israel meant that there were nations that he didn't choose. Also, remember, Romans 9 (the great Calvinistic chapter if you will) makes many references to the Old Testament. For example, God choosing Jacob and Esau before they had done anything good or bad and God raising up Pharaoh that he might show his wrath in him. When you go to Ephesians, you see God choosing us before the foundation of the world. You see God predestining us for adoption as sons. I don't think that it could be any more clearer. The doctrine of predestination/election is spread throughout the entire Bible. 2. Jesus' death was sufficient for all but efficient for some. You accuse me of limiting the atonement, but I think you limit the atonement. In your theology it's as almost as if Jesus is saying, "I'm going to go 90% of the way and then you have to go the other 10% of the way." In your theology of the cross, it's almost as if the last words of Jesus would've been, "It has began." However, we know that is not true. That last words of Jesus on the cross should form and shape the way we think of the atonement: It is finished. If Jesus would've died for all, all would've come. That is how effective his work was. He really did pay the penalty for our sins. However, if he paid the penalty for everyone's sins and then some go to hell, their sins are being paid for twice, once on the cross and once with them in hell. That is injustice and that can't be true. Jesus really did pay for our sins. In your theology of the atonement, the cross is so weak that faith needs to be added to it to make it effective. In a Calvinist view of the atonement, the cross is so effective that faith flows from it. In your theology of the atonement, we have faith therefore the cross is made effective. In a Calvinistic view of the atonement, the cross is effective therefore we believe. In other words, the difference between your theology and my theology is that in your theology your belief is the center of your salvation, in my theology the cross is the center of salvation. Jesus said at the last supper, "My blood will be poured at for many." That word many is not a universal word. The question is this, did Jesus pay for the sins of everyone and all the sins of everyone? If so, you should stop being a molinist or an Armenian and become a universalist. Now, on to some other things you said: "Calvinism takes away the choosing factor." Ephesians 1 says we are dead in our sins. 2 Corinthians 4 says we are blind. Romans 1-3 says we are haters of God and we don't seek after him, we don't want anything to do with him. John 3 says we are not even born. It's not that Calvinism takes away the choosing factor. It's more like sin takes away the choosing factor. The question is this, how does a dead, blind, hater of God, and not even born yet person CHOOSE. He doesn't UNLESS the spirit draws him to believe. We don't believe unless the Spirit makes us alive to believe. We don't believe unless the spirit opens up our eyes to believe. Here is scripture to support this: 2 Corinthians 4:6, "For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness.' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." - So just as sovereignly as God said, "Let there be light" in Genesis 1, so he said let there be light in your life and you believed. Read that verse and ask yourself, what did you do? You did nothing to help yourself see. Acts 16:14 has this to say about the conversion of Lydia (a real life example), "The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul." Why did the Lord need to open her heart? Because she was dead, blind, hater of God, and not even born yet, and the reason for those things was sin. If Paul or a real life example is not enough, maybe you will believe Jesus. Jesus said in John 6:44, "No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him." Recognize that, "no one can." The reason no can is because they are held captive to sin. You said a lot and I can't address it all, but hopefully this helps. I will address one last thing. You said in your understanding of Calvinism that God removes our free will. That could not be any further from the truth. God gave Adam and Eve free will. They sinned. Now our wills are not free any longer because they are a slave to sin. Now, to be clear, we are not victims of Adam's sin, we are partakers of his sin. It is made clear throughout the whole Bible, especially in the New Testament in Paul's epistles that we are, "dead in our trespasses and sin." Sin is the reason we were or are spiritually dead. God didn't enslave our will, Sin did. Jesus came to free it. Sin enslaves our will, God gives us a freed will and then we WILL believe. Read Romans 6, we were a slave to sin. Sin is the reason our wills are not free. We have no one to blame but ourselves. In conclusion, I will say this, Calvinism can be summed up like this: If we go to hell, it is our fault. But if we go to Heaven, it is because of Jesus. Now, I responded to a lot, if not everything that you said. I would like for you to answer just one simple question for me somewhere in your response: Why are you saved but other people aren't? By the way, I wrote this in a hurry. Beware of grammatical errors.