If we are all predestined, why not sin all the time it doesn't really matter.
Just because we're predestined doesn't mean we keep sinning. When we are truely called by God, He works through us to do good works. Christians still sin, it's part of our nature, and we even do terrible sins, but Christians do not stay in sin. Christians also realize that they are sinful, through God's help of course, which is why they are able to repent. Salvation and repentance are nothing on the part of man but fully on the work of God.
How can God choose one person over another? Isn't that favoritism?
Yes, it is favoritism, but not whether the person is; rich or poor, short or tall, it's all God's choice. How was God able to chose Jacob over Esau? Esau was the elder and had every right to the promise, but God predestined that the line would go through Jacob.
Well, that's fair for God to show favorites.
Well where did the term fair come from? The term that we call fair is just a human standard, and God is above human standards. God never called himself fair, he does call himself just. Just and fair are two different things. (Deuteronomy 32:4)
God lets us tell Him what we want.
Can we tell God what to do? No, He made us not we made him it's the same premise as He chose us not we chose Him. God can do what he wants with what He created because he made it. Who are we to tell God what He can and can't do??? That would be us controlling God(Isaiah 45:8-12). I cite the example of the potter and the clay. Can we, as the clay, complain about or alter God's, the potter's, plan for us. Before we were even formed in our mother's womb God knew us.
God gives us the free will to choose Him.
First off, we only have a limited ammount of "free will." In the sense we have the choice to choose what to wear, what to eat, raise our hand, or even come to this website. All this will is rooted in evil though. So technically we aren't free. We are either slaves to sin or slaves to God(Romans 6:6, 6:16-20, 6:22).
If we're slaves isn't that a bad thing?
Well it all depends from you point of view. To the sinner being a slave to sin isn't that bad. They get to do what they want. Granted the sinner has been blinded by there sinful nature. To a Christian being a slave to God shouldn't be a bad thing, because He saves His slaves. But haveing our sinful nature we think being slaves is bad. I'm personally thankful God enslaved me, because now I'm saved. I did nothing to merit God or choose Him. I would never have chosen God on my own. Sin is very tempting and once you in it you don't want to leave. So without God no one would be saved. So we should be thankful God chose us.
Don't we have a part in our salvation?
How can we? That is the question. Do we have the ability to save ourselves? No we don't have this ability to save ourselves. Wouldn't it be nice though not needing God. Well not really but that's OK. We need God to save us we can't do it on our own.
Do you believe God chooses where people will be born?
Yes, I do believe that.
So, God did plan out where everyone was to be born.
Yes, He did plan it out.
So, your saying that God planned out where everyone to be born. He planned for some to be born into a Buddhist family for example. Let's say that this child would never be able to hear the word of Christ because he's a Buddhist. Therefore, God planned out in advance that this child would be born in a Buddhist family and not hear the word of Christ. So, God predestined them to hell. Because He knew that they would not be able to come to a saving faith, then why would he let them be born in the first place. If they are just going to go to hell anyway.
I was a Christian, I had faith & works, and I still became an atheist. My current actions, IMHO, are infinitely better than those of some Christians I know, so how does that figure in?
Ok there are two types of faith in the christian chruch. And there always have been. There has been living faith and dead faith. Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17. Now this isnt saying that we need to do good works to have or keep faith. Its saying that you can tell if someone has faith by how they act. This is what the whole book of James is basically about. Testing to see if u actually have faith. The christians who fall away usually dont have the works. Therefore the faith they have is dead. And if u have a dead faith...well we all know what happens then. True christians are doers not hearers. All christians who fall away are just hearers not doers. And if they do, do something its usually for the wrong motives. I know from experiance. I used to have a dead faith. But thanks to the grace of God he grabbed me from the pit and saved me. I would have done nothing to save my self or even believe.
How is one "saved from sin" if he keeps the sin rather than allow Jesus to take it away?
what do u mean keeps the sin?!?!? Iif mean he continues to sin, yes that does happen. Although the believer does not habitually sin, unlike the world which lives in sin. We still sin it is in our nature but Jesus gives us forgiveness.