Do the mentally incapacitated go to hell?

Question

Since most do not have the mental capability to voluntarily believe in Jesus as a lord and saviour.

Also, since babies cannot do the same, do they go to hell? Considering the concept of original sin and there is no age of accountability specified in christianity.

If this has been asked before, go ahead and drink up folks. :-)

Wow, some of you folks really don't get it, huh? Touchy, touchy.

This question was directed towards CHRISTIANS (read carefully), most of which believe in original sin and hell.
I was asking for an explanation as to what they believe happens to certain people who are not able to decide by free will, according to the scriptures.

I hope that was clarified. :-)

Buckshot, you made me laugh so hard I'm aching now. :-D

Eti... most, not all, say that non-believers go to hell. I don't generalize, but have just about come to the conclusion that I will not recieve a satisfactory answer (from a christian) that doesn't contradict scriptures.

Whether I agree or not, thanks to all who have answered. :-)

Father...religion itself is consistent of doctrines/idealogy, therefore, one must be able to understand its ideals/beliefs and voluntarily choose to believe in them, which require the use of some form of reason, the mind.

Based on that, I don't find a commonality between spirituality and religion.

Swcc...how do you know what god thinks, where did you get this information, is that based on what you were taught from man? Where in the bible does it state that there are exceptions for babies and people who are not able to choose?
Nowhere.

Victor...I was expecting the "god works in mysterious ways" line, which demonstrates that it all comes down to FAITH.
Using the same verse: "...for whoever believes in him (god) shall not perish but have everlasting life". Again, believing requires the faculty of reason, its a choice.

Once again, thank you all for your answers. :-)

Not of the christians answered the question.

Little & Fishers...I don't want to repeat myself, but please demonstrate through scripture where it says that people who do not have the ability to choose (to believe in Jesus) can still go to heaven.
For it seems that you are stating assumptions based on humanized doctrines.

Hecate...I second your comment. Agreed!

Shugga...Thank you for being just about the only christian here who has admitted that its an opinion.

Lastly, for those who have chosen to feel offended by this question, let me remind you that it was not intended to mock any person who is mentally disabled or a child...it was meant for christians to discuss their take on why some can be "saved" and others cannot (when the bible clearly states that you must believe in order to make it to heaven).

Thanks all. :-)

Answer 1

I believe the only thing that goes to hell is flesh/sin. If a mentally handicapped person can grab onto the spirit, he can ride free of Hell's damnation. And I believe Jesus when he said that GOD will not give us anything we can't handle. So, I believe that mentally disabled people will have the same opportunity as others - To let go of the sinful flesh and grab hold of the righteous spirit and ride the glory train to the kingdom of heaven

Answer 2

Why assume hell is our default destination? How can we judge another's response to God's invitation. As long as we respond to God in whatever way we are capable, we will be acceptable to him. We actually have to reject God to miss out on salvation which is our natural and intended state. In the catholic church, seven is the age of discernment when a child is expected to have a good idea of right and wrong; before that they are not to be held accountable for their actions. This is the age children receive the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) for the first time.

Your question is about our perception of another person's ability to respond and communicate with the outside world. Eternal salvation is in the hands of God and he knows a person's heart and I believe if we do not reject him in a fundamental fashion, we will be welcomed into eternal happiness. There we will see indeed that we are all mentally and in many other ways incapacitated.

Answer 3

All babies go to Heaven, every person born mentally incapacitated goes to Heaven, God is a God of Love, In the Gospel of John, chapter 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who soever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The only people who go to Hell are the ones who refuse to believe after he has showed them that he is real. God works in mysterious ways.

Answer 4

Hi....Jesus had stated that Children are without sin. Children/babies don't have the concept of what sin is all about so naturally they would be without sin. Not like adults since we know what sin is. As to the Mentally disabled I would think they would be without sin also since their knowledge of sin does not exist since they don't have the capabilities to understand what sin is depending on the severity of their mental ability. They don't understand the concept of what sin is or what it means. Neither the children or the individuals that have a severe mental disability would go to hell. This is my opinion. Have a great day!

Answer 5

No, those who have never heard the Gospel are not condemned to hell. As for the original sin and age of accountability...it is really a matter of when you were exposed to the Word. God knows the very moment that we each came to know who He is..and He knows whether we rejected Him. For my daughter, though she was saved as a child of 9, as she became a teen she began to question the reality of God. She reaffirmed her faith at 16 once it was clear by her own Will, that she was choosing God. Parents often mistake that because they had their child get baptised at 4 years old that they are saved. We all have to accept Him freely of our own will and mind. Whatever that age is..is the age you need to do it.

Answer 6

Assuming you are an American, let me ask you this:

Look at the mentally incapacitated that run your administration, look at that ridiculous senator who ended up playing footsies with an undercover cop in the men's toilets and giving an even more ridiculous excuse for doing so. Do they go to hell? No.....they just keep running for public office and get a big fat retirement plan when they leave! Hell, sorry just venting today - guess I didn't even begin to address your question.

Answer 7

People with the ability to make the choice between right and wrong and understand the rewards and consequences are at the age of accountability. There is no age limit to Christianity
salvation is simply giving everything you know and understand about yourself to everything you know and understand about God. With age this becomes a deeper relationship, thats why you hear Christians talking about daily surrender....daily giving everything you know and understand about yourself to everything you know and understand about God.

God Bless

Answer 8

babies are not old enough to sin or to be held accountable for sin. the bible says it is those that are like children that will enter heaven, so children are fine. and mentally retarded people are pretty much like little children as well...and god reveals himself to all in one way or another, how do you know that god hasn't shown himself to a mental person, and in their own way have accepted him. if i were you i wouldn't be worrying about babies and mentally challenged people, they are already going to heaven, you need to worry about YOU. WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

Answer 9

No. They were not in a position to make a choice between God and the devil. God knows that. I believe during Christ's millienal reign, that those who didn't have a choice will have their choice then. The devil will be released from his prison to tempt those people and many will follow.

Answer 10

No as long as they are baptized before they die then they got to Heaven.
Babies and the people you mentioned if they are not baptized go to a place called limbo. it is where the souls of the just go. People who do not deserve to go to Hell,, cause they never comitted sin, and people who can't go to heaven because the original sin from there brith ws not wipped out by baptizm\