The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum A very telling article by an Atheist

So, where does Christianity stand today? Currently, those who openly advocate the doctrine that salvation comes only as a free gift, regardless of what you as a person do or believe, are much fewer in number than they used to be. They are much more common among Protestants, especially conservative, fundamentalist, and evangelical denominations. Some, like Calvinists and Reformed Theologians, continue to advocate the extreme predestination first hinted at in Augustine.

It is, however, important to remember that strains of this run strong through all forms of traditional, orthodox Christianity even if it remains unstated or undeveloped. If you ask a Christian if they really think that it is theoretically possible for a human to always choose to do good without the added assistance of their God's grace, you are very unlikely to get a positive response.

It is this which a progressive humanism not only rejects as a productive outlook but also opposes as an ultimately harmful ideology - much like Pelagius did almost sixteen centuries ago. Pelagius may not have been a humanist in the modern sense, but it is clear that he placed the welfare and actions of human beings much more to the center of his concerns than did Augustine and other church leaders. We, like Pelagius, must reject any sort of god which would make unfulfillable demands from human beings. We must also reject any idea that humans are inherently and irrevocably corrupt. It is certainly unlikely that anyone will ever manage to live a perfect life, but we should hold out the possibility and use that as a goal to strive for.

Pelagius may have been condemned and persecuted for his views, but they never entirely died. The idea that we can choose to do what is right is an essential part of humanism and could have been an essential part of Christianity. Their loss is our gain.