Is Calvinism compatible with Catholicism?

[trliber8]

Someone tried to explain Calvinism to me and it made sense. I don’t want to believe it because it just doesn’t seem right but it makes sense that God knows who is going to join him and who isn’t. Can you enlighten me on this?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

As omniscience (i.e., total knowledge) is one of the divine attributes, it is indeed true that God knows who will go to heaven and who will not. The difference between Catholicism and Calvinism on this issue is the Catholic belief that God’s omniscience does not interfere with human free will to choose. God knows what our ultimate choice for heaven or hell will be but he does not determine that choice. As an analogy, if you have seen the movie Titanic, you know what choice the hero of the story makes at the end of the film. However, your knowledge of his choice does not determine the choice that he made. In a far more mysterious way, God knows how we will live our lives but he does not compel us against our will to do anything. Our choices are our own.

For a comparison and contrast of Catholic and Calvinistic beliefs, please see the resources linked below.

Recommended resources:

Is the Church “Arminian” in its teaching?
A Tiptoe Through TULIP by Jimmy Akin
The Salvation Controversy by Jimmy Akin
The Bible Answer Man Debate by Jimmy Akin and James White