I think now I see the differences between what we're saying. For the purpose of this conversation, let me define a term from my philosophy textbook:
Predestination--the belief that events are predetermined by some personal power (God)...if an event or action is predestined, it will happen
no matter what.Okay, so if the Bible says "God predestines whether or not we will be saved," and it also sends the message "You have the free will to become faithful--which will yield salvation (i.e. you have the free will to get salvation)," then there is a contradiction. We are either predestined to be saved or not saved,
or, we have the free will to affect our salvation. Many Christians believe that they have the choice to either accept God into their lives or to shun God. They believe that if they accept God into their lives (on account of their own free will), then they will be saved. However, the Bible says that God has already decided who would be saved and who would not be saved (that is, he predestined that a long time ago and no human choice is going to change his plan). To believe:
(1) God predestined salvation a long time ago and this cannot change, and
(2) Salvation is up for grabs through your own free will choice on whether or not you want to accept God
seems to be a logical contradiction.
The article is telling people that they don't really have the freedom to be saved. It doesn't touch on the freedom to pick one's nose or listen to certain music or whatever.
Once again I think you are not paying attention to the "at the same time and in the same respect" clause I mentioned before. This article is, indeed, telling people that they don't have the freedom to be saved--that salvation is already predestined. Yet people who accept this also attempt to accept the notion that they have the free will to get themselves saved. I've had a discussion with a student here on campus who accepts this and says "I don't know how it works... It's just the divine mystery of God and I take it on faith." The problem here is that you either have the free will to accept God into your life and get your salvation or you don't. The Bible seems to suggest both. So many people accept both, arguing that it doesn't matter if we don't understand it.
As a closing note, I'd like to re-emphasize that you cannot be predestined to do something yet still have the free will to either do or not do that thing. That's impossible, and I think we both know that. Therefore anybody who believes in a God that predestines us to either salvation or non-salvation yet gives us free will to attain our salvation or not attain our salvation is believing in a God that is logically impossible. There are Christians who believe in this type of God (like the one I mentioned--a friend of mine here) even though it is an impossible God.