Clint

I believe Pilgrim’s description is a great way to view the matter.
One way to look a the matter in a way that I find so simple that even a child could understand it, is to use the following analogy.
If someone is stoned cold dead and someone says to that dead person "stand up, don't just lie there". That dead person can not respond because they are dead.
In the same way no one can choose to come to Jesus to have their sins forgiven, because they are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:5) and unless God quickens (regenerates) them so that they naturally come to Jesus, they will remain dead in trespasses and sins.
If this fellow wants to call that "forced", then as far as I am concerned, I am sure glad the Lord did that to me and I can't understand why anyone would complain about that.

Tom