I accpet God's election. I don't accept that God damns any. And I don't accept that free will is an illusion.
I would rather confess that God chooses some for salvation and that our free will choices mysteriously work out God's predetermined plan than I would confess that God doesn't love the reprobate and that He denies them grace and selection and chooses them for eternal damnation.
When something bad happens, a child dies, do you find more comfort in knowing that God grieves and suffers with you, or with knowing that God knows what He's doing? According to my thoughts, it can be both. God can be our Friend and Father and feel the pain and loss we feel. And He can be the one who is in control and who promises that it can all make sense in the end.
I don't see the comfort in Calvinism. In the last few days I have had the idea of friendship with God denied, and the idea of God griveing over His peoples' choices and their consequences is nonsense to the Calvin "That's just what I wanted" God.
I'll take some mystery, please.
SD