steelbender, to your original post,
I have replied in such discussions that God does indeed force countless things on people: to exist at all, to die, to be Abraham's son instead of Pilate's son, to be located on earth instead of among the heavenly realm of elect angels, to be born in a particular century, or particular language group; as if the man in John 9 born blind could avoid Jesus coming to heal him; as if Pharaoh could avoid Moses altogether, as if Moses could never "stumble upon" a burning bush, as if Saul of Tarsus could never be blinded on the road to Damascus; as if Adam could opt out of giving away a rib, and opt out of having any kids at all, as if Eve could choose to be made before Adam;
2nd, a drowned man is forced into life if CPR is successful, the Lifeguard forces the body out of the water, and forces the water out of the lungs, and forces the ribs to compress to the heart; the same is true of defibrillator; A fireman forces things among those unconscious in burning houses; There is no logical connection to say: Force = unethical. or immoral. Lazarus could not say, "No, I will not come forth, thanks for the offer though." and the same is true of universal physical resurrection on the final day. When the dead man was thrown on Elisha's bones.
I always take such comments back to the alternatives of "Partial ability" or "Conditional Election"; even their invented concept of the Holy Spirit bringing someone to a "neutral state to choose" would be an act of force, when God would be in that case forcing a state of temporary neutrality without man's permission; and God would be forcing exposure to the gospel when maybe the reprobate does not want even to hear the gospel but the presentation is being forced before his "choice to be a aural recipient" etc.
