From Joel McWaters

Romans 11
How often times do you look at the modern world and think "Am I really in that much of a minority? Are there so few?" I get very frustrated sometimes at the individuals in our country that want freedom in all aspects of life, for all people... except when it comes to me having my faith. It's not enough for them to not believe, but they also want to make it wrong for me to believe what I believe. And yet, it isn't as bad as what Elijah had to endure. How much has changed in the 2500+ years since Elijah? How often to we hear of someone "worshipping in their own way?" I think of Esther. She was the queen chosen by the king, to the kings pleasure, and yet she took her life into her hands approaching the King when he had not asked for her.

From Wes Seymour

i have such mixed feelings and opinions on the topic of god "hardening" people and their hearts, and what that really means. question 3 asks if god hardens righteous people. my first thought has always been that this has something to do with god manipulating the mind or choice a person has, but does that mean god has taken away the individuals free will at that point? at first i really didnt like the idea of that perspective, but maybe he has. maybe he actually did descend a spirit upon pharoah or the Israelites during the example with elijah. a spirit that didnt allow them to see, or hear, or feel god. maybe at that point god no longer gave them a choice, he had just had enough. there are examples of him striking people dead for only one lie. why couldnt he just make the decision that this person no longer gets a choice, im done with them.

does god harden righteous people? this chapter (11) gives an example where he reserved a group of 7000 that must have been pretty righteous to be chosen, but he hardened king saul a few times i think. and he was a righteous man. for a while anyway.