I need a response on this one from everyone who reads this post. It don't really care if you have anything to base your opinion on, but it's better if you do. Ok, here goes.
I've been taught my whole life that there is such a thing called the "Age of Accountability". This is basically the school of thought that says children, until a certain age, will go to Heaven if they die before they are able to grasp the concept of Heaven, God, salvation, etc. And I love this idea because it seems right that God would not punish those who have not the capability of understanding such things and are unable to accept Jesus' ministry and follow his teachings. But there is also another, more scripture supported, idea that seems to be in direct conflict with this Age of Accountability.
It is well known by all of us who have grown up in church that all of us are sinners and that we are born this way into sin because of Adam and Eve's ridiculous mistake in the garden. My problem is with the statement that everyone is born into sin and there is nothing we can do about it. While I fully agree to this statement it is in opposition to the Age of Accountability. How can a person be permitted into Heaven without accepting Jesus as Lord of their life? I don't recall reading any scripture that says the blood of Jesus will cover you until a certain time then it is removed. I want so badly to believe in the Age of Accountability, but it is this speed bump that I am having trouble with. Please post and provide some insight.
9 golden ticket(s):
It's not concrete. It's a dynamic point, different for each individual. It's a matter of intellectual maturity. Big J knows when each person reaches that point that he or she can understand who we are, who He is, and what He did.
Quote: P.S. I want to incorporate Britney into every post from now on. I love you Britney.
Did you really just do that? I mean, really? C'mon Cliffypoo... tell me: How bad did castration hurt? Youch.
I think all babies burn (not counting Brody and my aunt and uncles baby of course). Oh and by the way Clifton...don't post anything about Britney anymore, that only drives home the fact that she has your nuts in a ziplock bag under her pillow.
Clifton,
Here are some verses I think you might find enlightening...I'm at work now, so I can't elaborate more, but I'll post further whenever I get home this evening (or maybe tomorrow)...
Deu 1:39:
"Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it."
Isa 7:16:
"For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings."
(emphasis mine)
These verses seem to augur well for a form of "age of accountability" as you believe. I think they suggest that, indeed, children are in a state of "innocence." But there are, unfortunately, compelling arguments against the age of accountability doctrine. I tend to believe that the Bible is rather ambiguous on this topic, so I doubt we will reach a uniform consensus. The most troubling thing about the "age of accountability", to me at least, is that it seems to be a very human belief not necessarily borne from God's revelation. Of course it seems compassionate, of course it seems reasonable, of course it seems so very very human. But is it divine? Further thoughts, anyone?
-Garret
In all seriousness, I'm not 100% sure what I think about this, but I at least have a theory. I've done zero research and only have what I hear others say to go off of...which is lazy on my part. I don't like to express my opinions unless I have something to back it up with, which I have nothing...lol, but I will anyway.
After reading Garret's post, it makes me feel a little better about what I've been thinking. I mean I've always thought that God would have compassion on the ones who are not capable of understanding what it means to be saved. I'm going to say that because I'm human and I don't think that God would send helpless babies to hell. I think there probably is an age of accountability...now as to what age it is...I would say that it differs for everyone. To me thats the thing that bothers me the most. At what point do you become accountable? How mentally challenged must you be to have a free ride? I mean I know people that were "saved" when they were 8, but I would say that they had no clue what they were doing at the time. I think the best stand is to say...I don't know..lol.
Please keep the thoughts coming.
Clifton,
Well let me see now…as in Kevin, I have never done an extreme study in the subject manner but I have asked such questions myself. Here was what I can remember from this:
In Numbers (I’m at work so I can’t look the exact scriptures so I think somewhere between 12 and 14) It speaks of how punishment of the Jews wont be held to those who are of a child’s age which is considered under the age of 20. This would seem that the author believes that God finds children in this matter to not be held accountable to something they were not in understanding of.
Now my comfort of this subject was drawn to the story of David. (Reading the book by Chuck Swindoll) He tells of the story when David committed adultery and a child was conceived. The prophet came and told David that the life of his son would be taken so David fasted and wept over the matter before God until the day of the child’s death. Then right after the death, David rose and started to eat. His servants were troubled by such a turn so they questioned David about the matter…In which he responded (and keep in mind I am adlibbing…this is in II Samuel I believe…don’t quote me) “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept for him in hopes that the Lord would not take him from me. Now that the child is gone why should I still do such things? I can go to the child but I can not bring the child back to me.” This really spoke to me in saying that I felt that God gave David peace of mind that the child was with God and though he couldn’t bring him back to earth to be with David, he would one day be reunited.
I would love to detail more but I do not have my resources…I hope brings some light to this matter.
I think we have the doctrine of the age of accountability because it seems in keeping with what we think is characteristic of God. There are scriptures that seem to allude to the innocence of children, such as those that have been referenced in other's comments, but none of these REALLY set out an actual doctrine of a specific age where a child will all of a sudden become "accountable" for his or her sins.
We also have accounts of Jesus saying things like "let the little children come to me because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (paraphrase)
While these passages in scripture are helpful in describing general qualities of most children (that of being naive and innocent), they are not sufficient to build an entire doctrine upon because they were not written to address this subject. This was not a concern to the ancient world.
There are other "versions" of the age of accountability in other denominations. Before the age of accountability was infant baptism. Lutherans, Catholics, Episcopalians, etc. share this practice and attribute salvific implications with it. This shows that mainstream evangelicals share a concern with their more liturgical brothers and sisters: the desire to be assured of small children's eternal destination.
As I said at the beginning, it is more in keeping with our image of God that children would not be held accountable for their sins before they can comprehend the means of salvation attainable through Christ. However, God was not made our my image, we were made in his!
I just thought about this.....
IF you are a Calvinist and hold to the doctrine of pre-destination (which I am not), you could justify the death of a child be asserting that if he/she was "chosen," then he/she is in Heaven.
This probably doesn't help anyone posting here though because if any of us did hold to this doctrine, then I'm sure that the "age of accountability" would be a non-issue.
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