In Christianity, do infants go to heaven or hell?

Question

Christians believe you need to accept Jesus into your life to go to heaven. Babies have never heard of Jesus. Do they go to heaven or hell?

Answer 1

King James of bible fame executed a Baptist for preaching that babies do not go to hell.

It depends on who you ask. If the doctrine of "original sin" (foundation of Christianity) is correct, babies go to hell. They are as evil as Adolf Hitler.

Comment:

I am an atheist in large part because the bible is a book of mythology and Christianity is nonsense. But, that does not alter the fact I am well versed in theology and bible history.

If there is no "original sin," then that is proof Christianity is nonsense because that is the very foundation upon which it rests.

Answer 2

Heaven

Answer 3

They would go to heaven because they are still innocent. However, once you become of age of knowing right from wrong (around 5 or 6) you should ask Jesus in your heart and become saved so you won't go hell.

Answer 4

They are still in the age of innocence( an age where they do not sin, or know the difference between good and bad) so they go to Heaven.

Answer 5

Heaven

Louise T.

How can you be an athiest and believe in original sin? How can you be an athiest and believe in Heaven and Hell? You are not an athiest and you are wrong about babies. Baptisem does not save you it is an obediance after we are saved by grace. Look into it.

Answer 6

both Jesus and god himself say a child is innocent Jesus says that the angel of a child see the fathers face in the face of the child if that not pure i don't know what is god himself say that he will not punish a child for they know not right from wrong
and as for the peeps that say will we are all born with the sin of Adam i say this go look up what that punishment was it was death not hell but death and those that still think that god would send an innocent child to hell then all i say is we have a different god

Answer 7

Of course they do:

Mat 18:3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
Mat 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Mat 18:10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus made the answer very clear

Answer 8

This cannot be said for agnostics nor atheists, as they have denied the existence of God.

According to Catholics, that has yet to be determined...

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

"As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them," (Mark 10:14, cf. 1 Tim. 2:4) allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism." (CCC 1261).

Limbo is not an official teaching of the Catholic Church, nor that unbaptized children go to limbo. The fate of unbaptized children has not been determined. The idea of limbo is a theological speculation about what happens to people who depart this life in original sin (1 Cor. 15:22) but without actual sin (Rom. 9:11). The only such people would be the unborn, babies, young children, severely retarded and a few others. They lack actual sin, so they would not be in hell, but they have original sin, so they would not be in heaven. It was speculated that they would be in a place of natural glory (limbo).

The basis for this speculation has been undercut by recent reflection on God's salvific will. The Second Vatican Council stated, "For since Christ died for all (Rom. 8:32) . . . we must hold that the Holy Spirit offers to all the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery". This includes the young and those severely retarded.

If, in whatever mysterious way the person receives the offer, he accepts it, then he has "baptism of desire" and goes to heaven. If the person rejects the offer, then he has committed mortal sin and goes to hell. Thus it can be argued that no one leaves this life with original sin but without actual sin. People die either in a state of grace or in a state of mortal sin.

Some have speculated about what form God's offer of salvation might take to children. One suggestion is that he might enlighten them at the moment of death and enable them to make a choice for or against him. This possibility was endorsed by the nineteenth-century Catholic theologian Heinrich Klee.

Another suggestion is that these persons may have a form of "baptism of desire" through the desire of their parents, of the Church, or of someone else. This would operate the way the faith of the Church suffices to allow infants to be baptized, even though they lack faith themselves. This idea ("vicarious baptism of desire") was endorsed by Cardinal Cajetan at the time of the Reformation.

Answer 9

They go to heaven. They are beyond comprehension of religion therefore they are innocent. Once they reach an age of knowing they are responsible for the choices they make.

Answer 10

Babies are born with original sin, they can't go to heaven unless they are baptised. One of the many reasons that I am an aethiest.