Pelagianism

The old saying “God helps those who help themselves” sums up what may be the prevailing perspective on the human relationship with God in the world today. In practice, this notion spans almost all religions. In Christianity, it is called Semi-Pelagianism, which refers to a British monk named Pelagius, who implicitly denied the doctrine of original sin, affirming instead the ability of humans to be righteous by the exercise of their free will. He essentially believed that we choose God as opposed to Him choosing us, a conviction consequently termed Pelagianism. His teachings were condemned as heresy by the Roman Catholic Church in 418 AD.

See also: Semi-Pelagianism