Stephen M. Adams wrote:

[...]

> But we are not Pelagian, "semi-" or otherwise. We do NOT believe that
> each individual is in the same state as Adam in the garden, which is the
> fundamental pre-supposition of Pelageus.
>

So what is the state of mankind after Eden?

[...]

> >> Well, since God says it is a gift and man cannot receive it, then
> >> there is no salvation. Congratulations - you just emptied heaven
> >> and sent every single person who ever lived or will live to hell.
> >>
> >Again, I encourage you to seek understanding. You're explaination is
> >semi-Pelagian in that you equate faith with an action of the will.
> >Faith is not an action of the will but rather faith has an element of
> >contraint. I've written on this elsewhere of late. No need to go into
> >it again.
>
> There's that cussword again. But alas, YOUR view makes make a mere
> robot, a puppet who has his strings pulled by God. Somehow you
> think "God is love" and "Christ died for our sins, but not only ours,
> but those of the whole world" is compatible with God intentionally
> withholding Grace from some, and them damning them because of it!
>
> It's like a doctor who diagnoses a fatal disease, but refuses to
> provdie the antidote.
>

As Bart so eloquently put it, your way is no better. I'll repeat it in
it's entirety:

| I note here the internal contradiction of your view. You
| can't believe in a God who would damn His own creatures,
| yet you insist that He gave them free will so that they
| have the tool to get damned.
|
| You call this a "God of love", but He doesn't display
| even the love a human parent towards His children. If
| my kids were in mortal danger, I sure wouldn't leave
| their safety up in the air by refusing to help them
| until they asked for it, or showed some sign that they
| wanted help from me, or showed some sign that they
| trusted my judgement. I'm not waiting around for their
| exercise of free will and some sort of reaching out to
| me. I'm just going to save them.
|
| If my toddler is walking toward a cliff, do I just say
| "If you keep going, you're going to break your neck" and
| then leave it up to him? Is my policy to let
| him exercise his free will a loving policy? After he falls
| and kills himself, do I say "Oh well, it was his choice"?
|
| The God you describe is a monster, who creates billions of
| people and lets wander off in their ignorance. When they
| all end up in Hell, He just shrugs His shoulders and says
| "Oh, well, it was their choice".
|
| There is no comfort in "free will" doctrine.