Subject: Saved with Baptism? |
Bible Note: Dear Raven: You ask if I can "surely" understand that if a child (or retarded) died unexpectedly, that he or she would go to heaven. I can only say that it is what I would hope. But different scenarios do come to mind. What about those who died prior to Christ's time? I assume they would have gone to heaven? What comes to mind are those who were killed by the Israelites, the destruction of the populations of the cities and killing of the enemies, including the children; or maybe even the ones who perished in the Flood, or in Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding countryside. Would they, too, have gone to heaven? And then there were the children of the "detested" Samaritans, and other various Gentile groups. As for the retarded, I see your point. I just don't know what the Bible actually says on this topic. Plus, add to the mix, the people who died who never had any kind of opportunity to know about God, much less Jesus. Ancient India and China come to mind. Would those people, never mind the children or retarded, have gone to heaven? In other words, is ignorance an excuse? The more I think about this, the more confusing it seems. But I'll keep reading to see if I can find the proper Bible information. Treadway |