Do children who die under the age of accountability go to heaven?

Question

Then why did God only save Noah + his family and destroy the rest who were evil in His eyes (obviously this included babies and children)? Also, then wouldn't aborted babies be better off to getting a free ticket to heaven without going thru trials here on earth. A few yrs here isn't worth possibly losing your soul over.

Answer 1

No one goes to heaven when they die. Everyone that dies is dead. They are laying in their graves waiting for the day of resurrection. Why else have a day of resurrection if everyone is all ready in heaven or hell. Who is there to judge?

I am not saying that there were no children or babies when the flood came and swept all the evil away, but we were not there and the bible does not say that there were children present. Noah preached for years about the flood that was to come. Maybe God ceased babies being born at that time. Why didn't Noah's sons have any children before they went into the ark? The bible says that in the days of Noah, that there was much wickedness. The same is today as in Noah's time.

We were not present at that time to know if there were children present, but be certain that children and pregnant women will be around for the end times and the tribulation. Woe to them. It is up to the parents to make sure that the children know about God, so when they do become of age, they can choose for themselves.

Abortion is killing. God gave us a commandment to not kill. A baby is a life from conception. God says that he knows you even in your Mother's womb. No one has the right to take life but God.

Answer 2

The Bible doesn't say they children go to heaven, but it has shown that the children suffer the sins of the parents until they are of an age where they can make their own choices. Many assume this to mean puberty, but the human brain does not reach full maturity until age 24 in women and 30 in men. Puberty is only the "beginning" of the development of conceptual thought process. Though Christ was found in the Temple at age 12, he was much more advanced than we are, intellectually.

When you try to say that the children of Noah's time would have went to heaven, consider that would also have included the children of the fallen angels, who were like animals.

No, what happens to children is fully dependent on the lives led by the parents, one thing to consider when you think your sins only affect you.

When it comes down to it, the Bible says that only those born again of the spirit go to heaven. So where do they go. They go to the same place Christ went when he died, into the grave. Everything that made him up was recorded in the Book of Life. There he laid, unable to do anything, until his Father raised him from the dead by creating a new spirit body and downloading all that he was into it. Would babies be any more deserving than him?

Babies die, they go to the grave, and there they remain until the resurrection. At this point, it depends on whether the names of their parents were recorded in the Book of Life. If not, than they cease to exist, along with their parents.

No, they don't burn in Hell, a word that is not even found in the oldest scrolls. Along with all this in the old system, they will pass into what was, as all things will be made new. Of course, some people might not like the new system, as the Bible talks about children of 100 years of age. That might not be so bad, but than consider when they become teenagers for another hundred years.

Answer 3

Interesting question, Connie, not sure what your religious background is, but ti souns like you have some grounding ? email me if you have more questions.
Well, there is no 'age of accountability', per se. When someone feels the individual maturity and responsibility to accept the life of a Christian, they become baptised, possibly in their teen years, but I didn't choose to become bpatised until I was 31- I was as a child, bt that never happens once biblically, and how can a new baby know anything ? that whole practice is silly and backwards.
Anyway, a child or baby is saved or not as a result of the faith of their parents. It's that simple. No limbo.
In Noah's example, that's correct, only his family were believers on the whole planet. Everyone else perished, and I would imagine, would die twice, since they were not true believers.
The 'aborted baby' you mention ? Can someone who murders a baby be saved ? - especially their unborn baby ? If not, both would die twice- not be saved.

Answer 4

Children are Innocent until they understand what the difference is between right and wrong. God would have save all the people before the flood but none of them would believe. They were too busy partying and living in the moment. Aborted babies are again innocent. I don't understand your last remark about a few years here isn't worth possibly losing your soul over? Can you elaborate?

Answer 5

What a loaded question. There are MANY factors which go into this. First of which, what is your idea of grace? Is it conditional grace- you can go to heaven IF (you believe in Jesus, you repent, you do good works, etc, etc). Or is it radical grace- we are all saved, no ifs. Radical grace would say yes, of course. I'd even say conditional grace would say yes. I suppose it depends on what your idea of sin is. For me, it is not being compassionate, and infidelity to God; valueing the sense of self over the relationship. Children, especially very young children don't have that developed sense of seperateness from the world (and God) yet.

Even if were operating under the premise that you must believe in Jesus and repent to get into heaven, I would still say that children would go to heaven. God isn't unreasonable; he's the very essence of loving compassion, and do not allow them in would violate that essence.

As for the story of Noah, I would have to say that the Torah isn't a divine product. It's the creation story and history of the Jewish people, not the world. I'm a Christian myself, and I don't regard that story as true, simple a story that I can learn a lot from.

Answer 6

Age of accountability doctrine is not widely accepted by most Christian denominations.

That said, if you adopt a Calvinist approach to the Scriptures, the answer is quite satisfying. God's elect were chosen before the world began, and the elect will be gathered by God. The elect will not be able to resist God's grace.

In short, the whole notion of John 3:16 only applies to those God has foreordained to be saved. This means that Christ did not come to save everyone, only the elect chosen by God on whom he decided to have mercy. The five principles of Calvinism are easily remembered by the acronym, TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace
Perseverance of the saints.

Hence, IF the child was one of God's chosen elect, the child, or rather the person the child would have become, will be with Christ in heaven.

How does one know if he or she is one of the elect? We don't! Instead we are urged to keep God's commandments, live righteous lives seeking to please God, and pray continuously that His mercy falls upon us as one of His elect.

Some may say that a Calvinistic theology is unfair. But the counter to this is that God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. That is His right as the Creator of everything. "Shall the pot say to the potter, why have you made me thus?"

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Answer 7

Interesting question. Although God may have killed Innocent men women and children, those who he thought were sinners did not go to heaven. The innocent, and those who beliveth upon him and Jesus Christ the Lord went to heaven. God chose Noah to be the one continue life after the great flood, in return of Noah's loyalty and good faith God spaired him his life. You also have to remember that Noah tried to save the people by telling them that God was going to flood the earth but many people did not believe what he was saying.

Answer 8

Children are a gift sent from God--you abort a baby you insult God with his gift...and yes all babies and children go to heaven, for such IS the kingdom of heaven.

Answer 9

Let me just answer you question and save your details for another time.

There is no greater lost to a parent than the death of his/her child. It causes pain that just doesn't go away.

Children who die under the age of accountability are dead waiting for the resurrection. There are dead with the rest of the dead.

Heaven is where God is and hell is where God is not. Earth is where we are and earth is where the dead are.

Who goes to heaven is determined by God and God alone. God, not man, judges.

Answer 10

A variation of this question has been asked before. Children who die younger than the age of accountability are covered by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In the case of the people killed by the flood in Noah's day, I have read Bible scholars who were Mormon who indicated that what was probably going on to justify destroying the entire civilization was truly depraved fertility worship (try looking up Baal and Ashtoreth sometime), which included involving even small children in very gross practices. In our day and age, we have psychologists and counselors of all kinds to treat sexual abuse, but in that day and age, people were not trained to handle all of the effects of child abuse. Besides, I believe the people were given hundreds of years to repent and they still did not.
As for your second question - there is more to abortion than meets the eye, but for the spirits of those who have yet to be born, they are still anxious to learn about physical and spiritual laws down here on earth. It is part of why the earth was created in the first place, and it is part of God's plan for His children to learn and grow and mature. So abortion actually slows down the spiritual progress of God's children. Learning what we need to learn in mortality is actually a very important part of our spiritual education.