Why I hate John Calvin’s Doctrine of Unconditional Election

I was in Dr. Grant’s theology class today, and we were talking about a section of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. In this section, he discusses the matter of God’s grace. Calvin believed that God’s grace is a free gift, but that only a few people are chosen to receive this gift. This involves Calvin’s doctrine of unconditional election. God chose certain individuals before they were even born. God is merciful to them, and chooses them to saved. God’s choice to save them has nothing to do with someone’s works. One must have a strong faith, that comes from the belief in Jesus, the Son of God. Through this belief, the Holy Spirit possesses those individuals and lets God work through them. Those that do not believe or have a strong faith, are left to suffer the consequences of their sins. All of us have sin, and without God’s help, all of us would be forced to deal with the justice of God.

Basically what I want to say, is that I hate John Calvin’s doctrine of unconditional election. The doctrine says that God has a few people of the world that he chooses to save, while the others perish. So…those people are just gone? Even if those people we doing good, and honest things with their lives, and never heard the word of God?
I despise this notion the predestination. The fact that I have no choice in what happens in my future gives my existence no purpose. If I didn’t have at least some choice, then I might as well be in a movie, watching events unfold, only to suffer the consequences of what happens to me in the end. It’s as if I was pulling a result from a paper bag that will determine what happens to me in eternity. It is also said that God loves everyone, regardless of who they are. If this is true, and that God loves everyone the same, then why would God choose to send some of his creation to an eternal suffering? No one, regardless of the sins they have committed in this lifetime, deserves an eternal damnation. Can you even comprehend that kind of punishment? I’m not talking about the version of Hell with flames and demons that was glamorized by Dante’s propaganda that is the Divine Comedy. I’m talking about an eternal separation from all that is good, and forced isolation. The complete notion of “Hell” is so backwards, it infuriates me. Grace is something that we, as humans, all desire. Everyone wants their mistakes to be forgiven. What makes one person’s desire to be forgiven stronger than another? Didn’t Jesus preach that God’s grace was free for all who wanted it?

What I really want is YOUR  input. Respond,  voice your opinion, etc. I’m still wrestling with this issue. I’d really like your comments to see what other people think of this issue.