Dead baby?

Question

Some of the Christians told me that in order to go to heaven, you have to believe in god or Jesus. They said that you have to no matter what the circumstances, otherwise, you'll go to hell. So what about a baby? Two years old or three years old that died before they can find out the existence of god or Jesus? Are they going straight to hell for not knowing such things?

I'm guessing that there would be some people that would say "god would forgive them". Only kids? Are there age restrictions? When Christians said god are equal to all, did they mean god is just as harsh on kids as he is to adults, or god is just as soft to adults as he is to kids?

Answer 1

I don't have Scripture & verse on this but....

I believe that there is an age of accountability for people.

God is just....and God is fair. We are all born into sin...this is true.......but a baby does not have the capacity to know that he or she is a sinner.

Answer 2

Many Christians believe in what we call the "age of accountability." This means that if a person dies before they're able to make a choice, they automatically go to heaven. In some branches of Catholicism, they would go to Purgatory.

My opinion is that children and the mentally handicapped automatically go to heaven. There is no scriptural basis to this, per se. But Jesus does say "suffer the little children." He LOVED kids. And since most Christians believe that Jesus is God, that means God loves children too, and He would want them to be in heaven with Him.

Answer 3

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." -- Matthew 18:3.

To me this indicates that children are innocent. It says to me that being converted and being a child are equal. You can also read old testiment scriptures, like dueteronomy 1:39 that talks about children not knowing the difference between right and wrong. There is surely an age of accountablilty and that age probably varies depending on the childs maturity and understanding. But a baby ... I do not believe that they will be punished for being innocent.

Answer 4

Children are under grace from God until they reach the age of accountability. This means that until they understand the difference between good and evil they cannot be held accountable for their sin. Therefore they go to heaven. The typical age for a child to realize this varies from age 7-12 depending on the child. Notice I said they need to understand the difference from good and evil. Not right and wrong. So children that are mentally handicapped go to heaven as well, not knowing good and evil. As far as those that have not heard of Jesus once they have reached the age of accountability, the bible says they are without excuse and are fully responsible for their sins before God. Romans 1:20

Answer 5

You should ask this question often.

It toasts my cookies when ever people claim to know the will of God.

God freely gives HIS mercy when ever HE wishes to.

None of us here on earth can know the how or why of it.

Anyone who tells you to do a, b and c and you'll get into heaven puts your immortal soul at risk. We must never EVER feel certain of our salvation because that's when we will certainly fall off the wagon.

Jesus tells the apostles that they will all follow him into martyrdom. All except John, the youngest of them. When they question - in fact Peter gets in a snit about it - Jesus tells them it's not for them to understand why. It just IS.

That is God's mercy. It is deep and unknowable to us.

God may have mercy on a tiny baby. All those aborted lives. God may have mercy on a hardened criminal. Any of us who want to get our knickers in a twist about it - are NOT going to make God happy. His desire is for all of us to show the SAME mercy.

As Jesus says - be holy as your father in heaven is holy.

Answer 6

The age of reason in a child is 7 yrs. old. In the Catholic faith, I know that prior to that age, they are considered angels and will go directly to heaven. After the age of reasoning,(when they understand the concept of right and wrong), God expects that they will exercise their "free will" in a faithful manner.

Answer 7

As there is no heaven, hell or anything else after death and we don't have eternal souls, the answer must be that like the rest of us. Their lives end, their bodies eventually return to elemental or compound state and they join the cycle of life again, unrecognizable from anything else.

Answer 8

They go to purgatory, just like all the others who have died and did not get to hear the gospel of Jesus or God...

God doesn't have to forgive them, for they did not know who Jesus is, they do not need to be forgiven. Not only kids, the Africans, Asians, Native Americans, etc...who did not get to hear the gospel, and lived a long life, will still go to purgatory and still get a second chance.

He is as soft to adults as he is to kids...because in His eyes, we're all children....His children.

Answer 9

I agree with primoa 1970..Children will go to heaven until they reach the age of accountability, and no one is real sure what that age is..

Answer 10

There are four views that define people’s convictions about this dilemma. They are:

1. All children (born and unborn), all who are mentally incapacitated, and all who die in the ignorance of unbelief are elected to perdition;

2. All children (born and unborn) under the "age of accountability," all mentally incapacitated--anyone, who does not meet the "condition of accountability" and all those who are frozen in the ignorance of unbelief are elected, without exception to eternal life;

3. God has elected some as vessels of mercy and others as vessels of wrath out of His own sovereign free will, being no respecter of persons and therefore not obligated by reason of someone's predisposed conditions regardless of age, mental incapacity or ignorance, but solely according to His own purpose, after the council of His own will, for the praise of His glory alone; and,

4. When Scripture is silent and/or non-dogmatic about any issue, then we must resign ourselves to God and His Sovereignty, for some things still remain to us a mystery and with that we must be content.

In response to number two, it seems in lack of biblical certainty, that it would be unloving to extend to someone "absolute assurance" where Scripture itself is not absolutely clear. What we can give unshakable assurance to, is that God is just and righteous desiring that none should perish; delighting not in the death of the wicked; and is at the same time both loving and holy, just and merciful, wrathful and full of grace. And in all that He does, He does with absolute perfection befitting His own righteous, holy character after the council of His will, to accomplish His purpose, for His own pleasure and for His glory alone (Cp, Ephesians 1:4-14). And it is there, that we must rest, find our resolve, and leave it with Him.