The Pure Puritans

One topic present in The Crucible that we have discussed in class is religion.  More specifically, we have been focusing on the Puritans.  The Puritans are notorious for despising Catholics, so they do religious things in a completely opposite manner.  Evidence of this lies in the Conversion Experience.  This is where Puritans would sit before a congregation, who would decide if the Puritan partaking in the Conversion Experience was one of "God's Elect".  Long story short, God's Elect were people who were predestined to go to heaven.  This is where I have a problem.  If the congregation said you are not worthy of heaven, then you would live your life for no meaning, since you would be going to hell after death.  You would either live a sad life, depressed with the fact that the afterlife will not be pleasant, or you would live a frantic life, trying to save your soul by committing as many good deeds as humanly possible.  On the other hand, if one was chosen as God's Elect, he could live a carefree life.  No worries, no burdens, just live life for fun, since you know you'll end up in heaven.  But what if you took it a step too far?  You could say "Well, I'm already going to heaven, might as well steal, murder, and rape since there won't be any consequences."  Then the congregation would be stuck in a hole.  If they said "Okay, now you aren't going to heaven", then that would prove that their system is flawed, and most Puritans would lose their faith.  If the congregation, however, said that this villain would still go to heaven, everyone who was God's Elect might follow in the villain's footsteps, and create even more chaos.  I'm not trying to beat up on the Puritans here, since no religion is perfect, but i really see some major flaws in this system of choosing God's Elect.