Perhaps you should look at the context where you site the above verses, noting that you underlined that verse. Your point was that God actively reprobates, being pleased to do so. I still contend that your initial post makes God out to be sadistic.
The idea of double predestination (God elects some and others He doesn’t) isn’t all that far fetched or sadistic
That's not my idea of what double predestination is. We agree on predestination, in that God actively chooses His elect. But regarding the reprobate, God does NOT actively choose the condemned - the Church says that God ALLOWS them to be reprobated. Thus, the huge difference between the Catholic and Calvinist idea of predestination.
I would content that God hate evil and cannot stand the sight of it. The greater the evil the more repugnant it is to Him. He tolerates it and uses man’s evil simply so He can carry forth His divine plan.
Fair enough. I can agree with that. I doubt that you or I will ever figure out God's ways while we are alive on this earth.
Is John actually saying Christians do not sin? Not at all. John clarifies what he means: “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1Jo 3:9
Christians cannot PRACTICE sin because they are born of God. They are now slaves to righteousness (Rom 6). That does not mean that we have no sin. It simply means that we will no longer sin without great conviction and chastisement
Christians cannot PRACTICE sin because they are born of God.
But they DO sin. John is telling us what he EXPECTS of the Christian, not what we actually DO. If we take it literally, there is confusion, as my previous post points out. When one sins, they are from the devil. When one believes, they are from Christ. Apparently, John did not believe that a person remained "in Christ" throughout their Christian walk. The NT over and over discusses that Christians can and DO return to the "vomit" of their former lives. Even committed Christians at times falter in their walk, either abiding in Christ, or abiding in the devil by doing their own will. Do we remain in Christ when we are sinning? I believe you are confusing the OUGHT with what Christians sometimes DO. "My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just" (1 John 2:1)
And yet the Roman Catholic Church finds a lot in common with the Orthodox Church who denies original sin?!?
Orthodoxy does not deny the fall of man and the lack of grace found in the post-Adam man preceding Baptism. If I am not mistaken, the only difference is that the Orthodox do not place a guilt upon the inheritor of original sin. The condition of man before Baptism is not one of sin, but one of a lack of God's grace, which, by the way, is the same viewpoint of Catholicism. Catholics believe that man is born without sanctifying grace, without the life of God within them - thus, we can say they are born in sin.
Paul is talking about the wicked. We are all wicked in God sight. Or would you say there are some who are better than others.
You didn't read all of Psalm 14, did you. Paul is not saying that ALL men are wicked. ONLY the WICKED will not turn to God. This makes sense, as a person who has been so blinded by habitual sin will not turn to God without some sort of divine intervention of grace. They will not seek out God on their own. Also, consider Psalm 5, which again, Paul is quoting to discuss the wicked. But as the last verses of Psalm 14, and better yet, Psalm 5 show, the righteous DO seek out God:
"But as for me in the multitude of thy mercy, I will come into thy house; I will worship towards thy holy temple, in thy fear. Conduct me, O Lord, in thy justice: because of my enemies, direct my way in thy sight. for there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an open sepulchre: they dealt deceitfully with their tongues: judge them, O God. Let them fall from their devices: according to the multitude of their wickedness cast them out: for they have provoked thee, O Lord. But let all them be glad that hope in thee: they shall rejoice for ever, and thou shalt dwell in them. And all they that love thy name shall glory in thee: For thou wilt bless the just. O Lord, thou hast crowned us, as with a shield of thy good will. Psalm 5: 7-12
Unfortunately, many Protestants read Romans 3 without understanding the context that Paul draws upon to make their incorrect conclusions.
Regards
You should quit lecturing us until we think you have it right. Then go for it by all means.
Why don't you show us the "official" Roman Catholic Systematic Theological doctrinal statements in regard to the interpretation of Romans Chapter 3.
Do you even have one? I suspect that most Reformed Protestants would point to Calvin's Commentaries. You keep talking about what Roman Catholics believe and how protestants misunderstand these things, and you claim that the Catholic Church holds the singular keys to the understanding of all scripture, but where is your infallible statement on the correct interpretation of Romans Chapter 3?
Where is your official inerrant Catholic systematic theology?
Or are you once again simply giving us all the official doctrine according to jo kus?
Maybe you should state that you are merely speaking for yourself when you are merely speaking for yourself.
When you come on here lecturing Protestants on how we misinterpret scripture, I suggest that you should be prepared to give us the official infallible Roman Catholic interpretation or admit that you don't know what it is.
If you are going to speak for the Catholic Church, I'd suggest that you provide us with evidence that what you are saying is the infallible official position of the Roman Catholic Church.
Can you do that?
The problem most people have (be they Catholics, Orthodox, or many Protestants) is that they start man out in a "neutral" position. This is a false start. Man is dead in sin. Man doesn't choose whether he will go to heaven or hell. If given that true choice what do you think man will choose?
All men are dead to sin and already destined for hell. You beleive God extends His grace to everyone but yet cannot explain the conversion of Paul, John the Baptist, Jeremiah, on and on and on. Like Abraham God comes to us and rescues us. Paul was bent on destroy the early church and God zapped him. If He wanted everyone to be saved He would zap us all.
The trouble is your perspective of being born of God. You feel like you have to maintain this born again nature. This is false. Our Lord Jesus keeps you.
I'm being dragged off the computer so I'll have to get back to the rest later if I remember.
If your interpretation was correct (which I don't believe it is) then that would also confirm my fact that God created the righteous and wicked and there ARE slaves to sin and slaves to righteousness as described in Romans 6. There are two groups or "cities" as Augustine refers to them as. You only prove this point no matter how you interpret the passage.
This is further bore out in the following passage:
And here’s the kicker WE WERE ONCE LIKE THEM. Paul makes a distinction between them and us:
Children of wrath. Children of God. Slaves to sin. Slaves to righteousness. Two sets of group as designated by God.
To the praise of His glory. Amen.