When this happens to Republicans, they laugh their asses off

[Carl]

I sort of started this side track even though that wasn`t the intent,

It is easy to reconcile in my mind in believing that God being omniscient is aware from all eternity of who will and who won`t accept the work of the cross.
That doesn`t mean He condemned anyone beforehand,just that He knows what decisions each one will make.

If personal Salvation was determined on Gods part then there would have been no need for His sacrifice on the cross...God could simply redeem those He chose and let the rest languish.

He didn`t do that though,He set up a choice for humans to redeem themselves or elect not to.
The fact that he already knows who will and who won`t is irrelevant to that...it is still our individual choices and perhaps that makes it more meaningful.

My views and perhaps this is all more fitting for a thread in the religion forum here.
Sorry to have accidently hijacked this one.

[USA4ME]

I sort of started this side track even though that wasn`t the intent,...

My views and perhaps this is all more fitting for a thread in the religion forum here.
Sorry to have accidently hijacked this one.

No big deal.

I hope my answer helped.  Sounds like the primitive has run into some of those whom I have also encountered and decided to apply a broad-brush in order to place themselves on a pedestal.  Primitives are always looking for ways to group people they don't like into the same box, that being the path of least resistance and simpleminded thing to do.

.

[franksolich]

Primitives are always looking for ways to group people they don't like into the same box.....

Oh yes, another prominent characteristic of the primitives.

[Sam Adams]

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

That's great verse. But have you considered what it really means?

You have made the mistake of thinking that "any" means any human being who has ever lived or whoever will live in the future. And you have made the mistake of thinking that "all" means everyone who has ever lived or whoever will live. If God intended to bring everyone to repentance, God is a massive failure. But, instead, the Bible teaches that God is infinite in power and in control of everything.

Who is Peter addressing? Christians. Who is the "us" in the verse? Christians.  Who is God longsuffering toward? His elect. God is not willing that "any" of his elect should perish. He wants "all" His elect to "come to repentance." And since this repentance is a gift of God (Acts 11:18), God achieves what God desires. (He always does!)