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Original poster

A "quick" question to the Christians - do babies go to heaven?

46 replies

CarGirl · 16/01/2008 20:29

Yes I've always been taught that they do because they are not old enough to seek God and reject him IYSWIM but which scritpure(s) back that up or any good websites where I can get the theological reasoning behind.

The joys of helping out on a youth discipleship group when we have no Pastor to ask the tricky questions to......

OP posts:
ilove8pm · 16/01/2008 21:07

Cant give anything too weighty in the way of theological reasoning, but just cant believe such a merciful and loving God wouldnt want precious babies right on His own lap really. x

Original poster
CarGirl · 16/01/2008 21:08

yes I know, it's just hard when you have to back it up with "evidence"

OP posts:
ilove8pm · 16/01/2008 22:04

yes. hmmm. sorry got a weary brain and thats no help to you right now is it. ahh the joys of youth discipleship, you have my prayers! ok putting thinking cap on.. if i get inspiration will type a msg asap .... in mean time offering up quick prayer on your behalf x

jorange5 · 16/01/2008 22:11

Isn't there a place called limbo that babies go to if they aren't christened? Or did I imagine that?

colditz · 16/01/2008 22:14

God may not want them to but did Jesus not ask the little children to come to him? He didn't specify that they should be baptised.

TheYoungVisiter · 16/01/2008 22:14

Yup, Limbo is a Catholic belief, but I think they abolished it recently - or were about to...?

jorange5 · 16/01/2008 22:17

They abolished it? So where did all the occupants go? Heaven I hope

TheYoungVisiter · 16/01/2008 22:20

ah, you'll have to ask the Pope that I'm afraid...

nelliesmum · 16/01/2008 22:20

I had a miscarriage at 8 weeks and it nearly broke my heart, when I got pregnant again I knew that it was somehow the same baby trying again. She must have been waiting somewhere in the meantime.

TheYoungVisiter · 16/01/2008 22:21

about limbo

twelveyeargap · 16/01/2008 22:22

Yes, they abolished the idea of limbo. The occupants went wherever they were supposed to go.

Babies go to heaven because they are without sin.

TheYoungVisiter · 16/01/2008 22:22

sorry, cross-posted with you Nellie, so sorry for your loss and so pleased you found each other again

Original poster
CarGirl · 16/01/2008 22:23

only baptism in the bible is believers baptism so tis nothing to do with that. Only those that know Him (Jesus) can go to heaven, but babies are too young to accept or reject Jesus as the son of God, repent and follow him so what does happen. I "know" that they do go to heaven but I want the biblical references that the theologins(sp?) use to substantiate that argument.

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Original poster
CarGirl · 16/01/2008 22:24

so where in the bible does it say babies are without sin, as all men (women) are born sinful IYSWIM

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Original poster
CarGirl · 16/01/2008 22:26

Or do you go down the they will be judge on their hearts and their hearts are pretty pure until they are of an older age at which part they would have the capability to discern/choose?

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jorange5 · 16/01/2008 22:26

So it seems that if limbo can be created and abolished by man, then could it be extended that the whole construct of afterlife is also man-made and therefore babies go wherever we wish them to go? I hope so, that seems nice.

Original poster
CarGirl · 16/01/2008 22:28

Heaven is eternity spent with God, Hell is eternity spent without God

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TheYoungVisiter · 16/01/2008 22:31

wikepedia has some good biblical references in this article discussing the question. Might be helpful to you...?

TBH though, since theologians have been arguing about this for several centuries I think it may be hard to find a concrete answer - perhaps it's just one of those things where you have to believe what your heart tells you is right?

procrastinatingparent · 16/01/2008 22:32

2 Samuel 12:23 implies that David will be with his baby son after death, if that helps you, Cargirl.

I guess I would rather focus on the character of God - if you are confident that someone is ultimately good and kind, you can trust them to do the right thing rather than have to know all the details.

Peachy · 16/01/2008 22:35

think if you accept jesus as merciful and benevolent, and loving there is now ay He could ever reject a child from heaven. Suffer the little children after all; and to be a christian you should be like the children- which rather implies that the children go to heaven doesn't it?

jorange5 · 16/01/2008 22:38

An all-knowing God would be able to see what a person deserves, would be able to see the person they would have become perhaps.

But then that brings the question of why a Good God would create an inherently bad person... Oh I give up!

Original poster
CarGirl · 16/01/2008 22:44

2 Samuel 12:23, absolutely fab. yes absolutely we are concentrating on the character of God but when you are talking to Youth who don't know much about the character of God a bit of back up of is good to prove what you are saying!

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procrastinatingparent · 16/01/2008 22:51

Agree, Cargirl, just don't want them to think that they can always understand the decisions of God; there are lots of things about which they will end up having to trust his character. And when it becomes very personal - 'why did God let this happen to me?' - that personal relationship and confidence in what God is like will be the thing they will have to fall back on in the absence of clear answers.

Sorry, not trying to undermine your approach - hit them with 2 Sam 12:23!

SueBaroo · 17/01/2008 11:04

yes, all babies go to heaven. Not because they're perfect, but because they are innocent in terms of deeds. God saves by grace, not by our good works or inherent goodness.

Scripture talks a lot about God's view of children - Jesus used them as an example of the Kingdom, the children that the wicked Israelites sacrficed to Baal were said to belong to God, and the passage about David's son.

Anyway, http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/80-242.htm this might help you CarGirl, if you have time to read a whole article about it.

SueBaroo · 17/01/2008 11:05

poo, working link