Predestination

A controversial doctrine promoted by John Calvin and other theologians, which states that God has divided humanity into two groups:

1. A small percentage of people who God will save and who will attain heaven.
2. A much larger group that God has decided to not save; they will spend eternity being tortured without mercy in Hell.

Calvinists argue that predestination implies determinism; that is, which all things have been decided in advance and that we have no free will; we are like actors saying our lines in a play.

The rest of the historic Church argues that since it is not God's will for anyone to be lost (Matthew 18:14), all people are predestined to live with God in His glory. However, since they have free will, some may choose not to realise their destiny and end up in hell.