Both. One evidence is that the timing of events as they happen just cannot be by coincidence. It's TOO perfect to randomly happen by chance events controlled by a myriad of humans. God is not just a spectator, He's actually in the game.
Your explanation makes it sound like it is God's plan that man sins, and that God ENSURES that man does it so that His plan is fulfilled.
God put the tree in the Garden and then He let the serpent in. He also did not give Adam and Eve the wisdom to know how to combat the serpent. What do you suppose God was thinking when He did this?
If man is worthless and has no free will - ...
If man was worthless, then I can't imagine why God would have created him. We don't say man is worthless.
When the Bible says that "man will be judged based on his deeds", does the Bible actually mean that God will be, because HE has "ordained" it and ensured that man sins - and man cannot do anything BUT sin?
No, when we are judged for reward it will be based on our deeds. In addition, only the lost are trapped in sin. The elect have been set free and are free to do good. God, of course, ordains what that good is going to be.
In your attempt to overstate God's sovereignty, you end up accusing God of planning and ordaining sin...
I didn't know it was possible to overstate God's sovereignty. We know already that you limit it by having man be in control of his own destiny, and that man performs many of the functions reserved only to God. Are there other ways God's sovereignty is limited according to Roman Catholicism?
You responded: Both. One evidence is that the timing of events as they happen just cannot be by coincidence.
It certainly sounds like you are saying God is the author of sin, since man cannot do anything without upseting "God's Sovereignty". Regarding the "timing", you are putting God within time again.
God put the tree in the Garden and then He let the serpent in. He also did not give Adam and Eve the wisdom to know how to combat the serpent. What do you suppose God was thinking when He did this?
What makes you say that man didn't have the wisdom to combat the serpent? They understood God's command to them - Eve wasn't confused. The problem was they fell to temptation.
when we are judged for reward it will be based on our deeds. In addition, only the lost are trapped in sin. The elect have been set free and are free to do good. God, of course, ordains what that good is going to be.
And what about all the times where judgment is seen as a decision between heaven and hell? Again, you are ignoring the Scripture's own words on this subject. Clearly, we have covered this and for whatever reason, you refuse to see the existence of these verses. They won't go away, FK. ALL judgment is not spoken of as a "rewards" vs. "lesser rewards". As a matter of fact, there are more verses that speak otherwise, that the decision is one of hell or heaven.
I didn't know it was possible to overstate God's sovereignty.
It is if it ignores what God Himself has ordained. Clearly, God does not find it necessary to crush man, to annihilate him, just so God does not have any "competition". Again, you are looking at only part of the Scriptures and forming your theological beliefs.
Regards
If man was worthless, then I can’t imagine why God would have created him. We don’t say man is worthless.
With respect, sir, yes you do.
http://www.tulip.org/ccr/reformed.htm says that:
“While Calvinism holds that man is saved by unconditional and efficacious grace, Arminians teach conditional and resistable grace. Reformers taught that man was worthless and needed God’s Spirit to make them alive and give them faith, and that regeneration was limited to the elect...
Reformed churches today still work hard to hold to scriptural views regarding God’s greatness and man’s depravity...”