trini_girl:

David, are you contending that I am over spiritualizing the so called "age of accountability"? It's quite simple.

Consider that only 2 entered because only 2 were found in obedience to the law instituted at that time.

Only 2 over 20yrs of age entered the promised land. But all those below 20 entered the promised land. Would you assume that all those under 20 were found in obedience to the law?

trini_girl:

As I said adamic/imputed sin's penalty which was atoned for by the levitican priesthood, carried a penalty of physical death regardless of age. But under the new covenant of grace, as long as even a child understands the message of salvation he can be saved.

However, we cannot take a firm stance and say that babies go to heaven, since we are all born separated from God. We can hope and expect that the nature of God allows it.

Yep i firmly believe that God's nature of mercy allows infants and little children to go to heaven since they do not yet have the cognitive abilities to respond to the gospel.

ok, I have heard a lot about this age of accountability thing and to be sincere, it will be a great relief to agree with it but there are so many exceptions. Take three instances in the bible such as in Genesis when God destroyed sodom and Gomorrah, He spared no children; take another instance when God destroyed the world with flood, He spared no children; Take the case in 2 kings 2:23 & 24 where elosha cursed kids, he spared no children, can u then explain it?

@ Trini _ gurl,
Thanx for leadinmg me here. It was ur trail that brought me here and I don't regret.

What about people who are born disabled or suffer terrible accidents? As a result are pretty upset with God and thus cannot see truth from fact.

What about Adults who are slightly retarded. Their brains are unable to understand the concept of faith. Hence the view that a jew died for their sins 2000 years ago may be difficult to comprehend.

@Topic.
Although I did'nt go through the whole thread but I will just want to make this little contribution. God is a just God and so I beleive He will judge everybody according to the light received. Somewhere in the Bible(sorry cant remember the place now) says that God has written His laws in our Hearts and this is what we know as conscience. There is no Human beign without a conscience irrespective of your beleif or religion. It is the conscience that enables us to differentiate b/w wrong and right And so if for some reasons you did not hear or receive the Gospel of Christ, God will not condemn you rather He will judge you according to how you kept the law of your conscience.

Read Romans chapter 2. verses12 - 16 says
"For as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the Law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another".

Why is it taking forever for the Bible quoters to answer the questions posed here?  I thought ya'll were God's PA that know who enters heaven or not.  Funny people.

KDK:

ok, I have heard a lot about this age of accountability thing and to be sincere, it will be a great relief to agree with it but there are so many exceptions. Take three instances in the bible such as in Genesis when God destroyed sodom and Gomorrah, He spared no children; take another instance when God destroyed the world with flood, He spared no children; Take the case in 2 kings 2:23 & 24 where elosha cursed kids, he spared no children, can u then explain it?

To the best of my understanding, this age of acountability stuff is only applicable on the judgement day.  The fact that God did not spare any children here on earth, doesn't mean He'll allow them rot in hell forever.

I have noticed that a lot of people see God as unfair whenever He allows "innocent people" die "for no just cause".  But one thing they fail to realise is that their death on earth here is just as inconsequential.  Afterall, we'll all die some day and whether some peeps die very early in the lifetime, or in an excruciating manner, or in an unjust way or he allows poverty to kill them, that does not make Him unfair.  Far from it; because those are just the way we see them as humans that we are.  I believe God has only taken them away from where He placed them initialy, for reasons best known to Him, and in the way best appealing to Him.  What really matters is where they end up eternally, and that is where we can begin to rate the fairness of God. .  again, as humans.

Grouppoint:

What about people who are born disabled or suffer terrible accidents? As a result are pretty upset with God and thus cannot see truth from fact.

What about Adults who are slightly retarded. Their brains are unable to understand the concept of faith. Hence the view that a jew died for their sins 2000 years ago may be difficult to comprehend.

Yeah, I was wondering what happens to the imbeciles as well?

goodguy:

Yeah, I was wondering what happens to the imbeciles as well?

And what do you think happens to them?

Good points by all.

So do we then reluctantly agree that there are different kinds of unbelievers, and as such we cannot use our earthly scales of judgement to determine who gets in and who stays out, afterall it was Christ Himself who said things like:

The last shall be first.
Again,
- To enter into the kingdom, you must be like these little ones.

- No one is good except God.

And many other statements, many of which we cannot humanly claim to agree with or genuinely understand.

This thread is more raw than beef btw Arsenal n Man. U!