Maize said:
Some things said this thread, I can't respond to them there, so I hope they don't mind me starting a new thread so that I and others can ask questions as well.
I find the belief that God won't let us know that babies will be spared eternal torment to be horrendous and borderline psychological abuse for mothers who believe in Heaven and Hell and have lost infants and children. Why wouldn't God give mothers the comfort to know that the little one they lost is safe in Heaven? How can God be so cruel?
I know, I hear you saying, but Amy you don't believe in these things anyway, why do you care? You're right I don't believe in the vengeful, jealous, wrathful Christian God and I don't believe in an afterlife based on reward and punishment or on the whim of God. But I feel I must say something when I see a belief being promoted that is potentially so harmful to anyone who does believe and has lost a child.
Imagine a woman, a believer, who has just lost her infant, she goes to her pastor and pleads, "Please tell me my baby is safe with Jesus in Heaven!" Her pastor responds, "I'm sorry we just can't know for sure." What extra torment does that put on that poor woman! How do you justify this form of torture?
Why wouldn't God give mothers the comfort to know that the little one they lost is safe in Heaven? How can God be so cruel?
God isn't cruel; we know that from Jesus' teachings.
The pastor needs educating; he also sounds as if he needs educating.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2005/001/11.15.html
Q. I have a friend who was taught that when babies die before they can be baptized, they go to hell. Are there any Bible verses about this? How can I help him?
Kerrie Clark, via e-mail
A. Kerrie, this idea was initially expounded by St. Augustine (d. 430), the most popular Church Father among Western Christians. He interpreted Romans 5:12 to mean that every human is born bearing the guilt of Adam's sin, and termed this "Original Sin." (Eastern Christians dispute this interpretation, and claim Augustine was using a bad translation.) Since Augustine believed that the guilt of Original Sin could only be removed by the sacrament of baptism, anyone who died unbaptized would face the unavoidable penalty: damnation.
Augustine examines John 3:36, contrasting believers and non-believers, and asks, Which category do infants belong to? If we include baptized infants with the faithful, then the unbaptized must be unbelievers. They "will have to encounter what is written concerning suchthey shall not have life, but the wrath of God abideth on them." Augustine added that they would face "the mildest condemnation of all," a proposed realm called "Limbo."
No one is required to accept these views of Augustine. The Holy Scriptures should be our final authority, and anyone who pushes beyond its boundaries in a quest for further understanding can make mistakes. That goes for the historic Church Fathers as well as for today's believers. Perhaps 2 Corinthians 5:10 is a good verse to consider on this issue.
In light of this teaching,
I think we can be assured that Christ's grace will be extended to babies in a special way.
There is no doubt in my mind that unbaptised infants will go straight into heaven; if I knew God would turn them away, I would turn away from God myself.