I have heard that, if a baby is going to die in a hospital, anyone can preform an emergency baptism on the baby so it can go to heaven. However, I assume no such ceremony would be done on an aborted baby, so does anyone know the OFFICIAL stance of the church on this?
2006-12-11 04:12:10 · 35 answers · asked by i hate hippies but love my Jesus 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved." (Mark 16:15-16)
For centuries, people have wondered about children who died before they were baptized.
Limbo was suggested as the place where unbaptized babies went when they died. This idea was never official Church doctrine and has be rejected.
The Church now says that it is not sure what happens to unbaptized babies when they die but she entrusts them to the mercy of God.
With love in Christ.
2006-12-11 16:23:26 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A baby goes to heaven no matter what. Baptism is something that makes the parents feel better. I do not know the official stance of the church on this however, I am sorry, this is just an opinion.
2006-12-11 04:15:32 · answer #2 · answered by The Pope 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Church has historically theorized that Limbo was the place for dead unbaptized babies - a place which is pleasant, but at the same time not rapturous like Heaven is.
Benedict XVI, however, has given formal support to the movement away from the theory of Limbo in recent times. The Church now officially "trusts to God's mercy," and simply hopes that unbaptized children go to Heaven. At the same time, however, it's just as important to have children baptized, to remove any doubt.
2006-12-11 04:20:50 · answer #3 · answered by thechivalrous 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Any "official" stance by any church on this issue is completely made up, so why bother asking?
There is no evidence of any kind that there is such a thing as "heaven." Or any kind of afterlife.
And even if you do illogically and irrationally believe in god and heaven, what kind of god would have such arcane, silly "rules" that would demand that *any* innocent child, no matter how old or how young, has to have certain rituals performed on it to get into "heaven?"
I really don't understand why you religious people spend so much time and energy debating the "rules" about getting into heaven. If you'd devote half of that energy instead to making the world, with the one life you have, be a better place -- there wouldn't be nearly so much hate and conflict in the world.
2006-12-11 04:18:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
The official stance is YES. Jesus said let the children come to me. Those with faith of a child will be saved. If anyone tries to bring up Limbo, don't believe it. The Catholic Church DOES NOT teach that Limbo is real. This was only a belief among people but never dogma.
2006-12-11 04:15:51 · answer #5 · answered by jonathan x 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The baby will go to "heaven" there is no need to baptise anyone who hasnt knowingly "sinned" I am not religious, but this is such a sad question. Think about this for a minute....would "god" really turn his back on an innocent precious child? This is not something logical to fear.
2006-12-11 04:16:43 · answer #6 · answered by tokenwhtgrl 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Of course they go to heaven. A child does not NEED to be baptized to go to heaven. An unborn child is given a spirit when God gives them life. Elizabeth's unborn baby, John the Baptist, leaped for joy in the womb when Elizabeth heard that Jesus was coming.
2006-12-11 04:18:28 · answer #7 · answered by blazenphoenix 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
These poor souls cry out for Vengence and God hears them. The official stance of the Catholic Church was that they went to limbo where there is peace, but they changed that position to I believe they go to purgatory.
2006-12-11 04:40:23 · answer #8 · answered by Gods child 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd say yes, they go to Heaven. I can not testify this statement (yet), but the way I know God He wouldn't send an aborted baby to Hell...since the baby wasn't even born into sin...It wouldn't be fair...and God's fair ergo the kid will go to Heaven
2006-12-11 04:19:00 · answer #9 · answered by Bazsa 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You do not need to be baptized to go to heaven.
Baptism is an act we do to show the world that we are being born again into a new life. It is a personal decision and sybolic only.
There are no such things as "Magic Wands" with God.
2006-12-11 04:18:18 · answer #10 · answered by ScottOttack 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋