What happens to Muslim children when they die?

[Grumpy Old Man]

As per the thread title - what happens to Muslim children (or any other faith for that matter) when they die? They are believing in the wrong God (according to Christians), so do they go to hell? Furthermore, where does it say in the Bible that any child goes to heaven when they die? Where did this doctrine come from because I, personally, have not read about it in scripture at all.

 

[drich0150]

As per the thread title - what happens to Muslim children (or any other faith for that matter) when they die? They are believing in the wrong God (according to Christians), so do they go to hell? Furthermore, where does it say in the Bible that any child goes to heaven when they die? Where did this doctrine come from because I, personally, have not read about it in scripture at all.

We need to define what a Child is.

The bible would identify a child a one before the age of 12/13. Is this an agreeable time frame?

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

We need to define what a Child is.

The bible would identify a child a one before the age of 12/13. Is this an agreeable time frame?

Yes. I was presuming the Jewish position of a child reaching adulthood at 13. That's correct isn't it?

 

[drich0150]

Yes. I was presuming the Jewish position of a child reaching adulthood at 13. That's correct isn't it?

Yes 13 is the traditional age of accountability.

Before then we do not have any biblical references as to what happens to children when they die. That said, 2sam 12 David wept, fasted and prayed for His Child's life, and when the child died David got up, cleaned himself off and went about the business of living life. Not because He was a monster but because he was comforted that the only being in existence that could love this child anymore than he could, was now in possession of that child that he loved so dearly.

So what happens when children die? They go home to be with their Father. Do they stay, or are they processed back into another body is a topic for much debate.

I would think that because this life is about making a choice as to where we are to spend eternity, the child's soul gets another chance to make that decision. That said there are verses that would indicate that Man only gets one go around.. My argument to that is if we don't get to go all the way around (To the age of accountability) then we get to go again. But their isn't anything that I know of to support that.

Either way, when a child dies He is present before the Lord. (Few will/can argue that scripturally) As we are all absent from the body present with the Lord. what happens next is up to a Righteous and Holy God.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Yes 13 is the traditional age of accountability.

Before then we do not have any biblical references as to what happens to children when they die. That said, 2sam 12 David wept, fasted and prayed for His Child's life, and when the child died David got up, cleaned himself off and went about the business of living life. Not because He was a monster but because he was comforted that the only being in existence that could love this child anymore than he could, was now in possession of that child that he loved so dearly.

So what happens when children die? They go home to be with their Father. Do they stay, or are they processed back into another body is a topic for much debate.

I would think that because this life is about making a choice as to where we are to spend eternity, the child's soul gets another chance to make that decision. That said there are verses that would indicate that Man only gets one go around.. My argument to that is if we don't get to go all the way around (To the age of accountability) then we get to go again. But their isn't anything that I know of to support that.

Either way, when a child dies He is present before the Lord. (Few will/can argue that scripturally) As we are all absent from the body present with the Lord. what happens next is up to a Righteous and Holy God.

Firstly, if I remember the story of David correctly, he wasn't comforted in the sense you describe. He wasn't comforted at all. When the child died David stopped praying and got on with life, and when someone asked him why he wasn't upset, David said something along the lines of him not being able to do anything for his son now that he was dead. The text mentions nothing about the child going to be with God (who made the child sick in the first place).

2 Samuel 12:14-15

New International Version (NIV)

14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the LORD, the son born to you will die.”
15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

If God is willing to make a child sick in this present life for the sins of their father, then why would we presume he have mercy on the sins of the child itself? You say yourself there is no scriptural evidence for God sending children to heaven when they die. So why do Christians preach this? Where did this doctrine come from?

 

[ebia]

Firstly, if I remember the story of David correctly, he wasn't comforted in the sense you describe. He wasn't comforted at all. When the child died David stopped praying and got on with life, and when someone asked him why he wasn't upset, David said something along the lines of him not being able to do anything for his son now that he was dead. The text mentions nothing about the child going to be with God (who made the child sick in the first place).

And in any case this is firmly back in the OT with no concept of life after death except Sheol for all.

 

[ebia]

As per the thread title - what happens to Muslim children (or any other faith for that matter) when they die? They are believing in the wrong God (according to Christians), so do they go to hell? Furthermore, where does it say in the Bible that any child goes to heaven when they die? Where did this doctrine come from because I, personally, have not read about it in scripture at all.

It doesn't. The bible doesn't say all that much about anyone going to heaven when they die.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

It doesn't. The bible doesn't say all that much about anyone going to heaven when they die.

So again, where did this doctrine come from? The Catholics? And if this doctrine isn't true, that children don't, in fact, go to heaven when they die, doesn't that mean Christians have to deal with the horrible notion that God throws children into hell? How exactly do you go about defending God then, and making him appeal to non-Christians?

 

[oi_antz]

So again, where did this doctrine come from? The Catholics? And if this doctrine isn't true, that children don't, in fact, go to heaven when they die, doesn't that mean Christians have to deal with the horrible notion that God throws children into hell? How exactly do you go about defending God then, and making him appeal to non-Christians?

In the wisdom of Gods eyes I am sure we appear childish well into old age.

 

[ebia]

So again, where did this doctrine come from? The Catholics? And if this doctrine isn't true, that children don't, in fact, go to heaven when they die, doesn't that mean Christians have to deal with the horrible notion that God throws children into hell? How exactly do you go about defending God then, and making him appeal to non-Christians?

I think you misunderstand. The bible isnt very interested in people going to heaven when they die or not, let alone cataloging who goes where.

The bible is interested in what God is doing to put the whole world to rights, beginning with his people. And so it has something to say about what will happen to God's people at the final resurrection, but the question "what happens to a child who dies never having had a chance to be part of that people" is not a question the bible has much interest in answering.

The question exists in a framework of thinking ("Christianity is about going to heaven rather than he'll when you die") that has absolutely nothing to do with the Old Testament's framework and very little to do with the New.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

In the wisdom of Gods eyes I am sure we appear childish well into old age.

Would you say that to a grieving parent?

 

[oi_antz]

Would you say that to a grieving parent?

To be honest I don't know what I would say to a grieving parent. I once had the opportunity to address one, I was dumbstruck.

 

[oi_antz]

Would you say that to a grieving parent?

Nice dodge by the way.

 

[ebia]

To be honest I don't know what I would say to a grieving parent. I once had the opportunity to address one, I was dumbstruck.

Probably the best, and certainly the safest, response.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

I think you misunderstand. The bible isnt very interested in people going to heaven when they die or not, let alone cataloging who goes where.

The entire New Testament begs to differ. It's basically about Jesus dying so people can avoid hell when they die and get to heaven instead. You've either read an entirely different New Testament from me, or you're seeing something in there that the vast majority of people who've read it have missed.

The bible is interested in what God is doing to put the whole world to rights, beginning with his people. And so it has something to say about what will happen to God's people at the final resurrection, but the question "what happens to a child who dies never having had a chance to be part of that people" is not a question the bible has much interest in answering.

The question exists in a framework of thinking ("Christianity is about going to heaven rather than he'll when you die") that has absolutely nothing to do with the Old Testament's framework and very little to do with the New.

From my reading of the Bible, I would agree with your interpretation on the Old Testament. God was seemingly more interested in the natural world and sorting it out, than in the spiritual one. However, in the New Testament, this changes. Jesus himself has no political designs and even says so to the disciples when they ask. Jesus was more concerned with our inner morality and thought life.

I agree that the Bible doesn't seem to differentiate between adult and child. God's mercy and violent wrath are extended to both equally. I suppose my question now is, how can one worship such a God? If your child dies today, you have no guarantee that he/she will be in heaven when your own time is up. This is essentially why I have trouble with the notion of hell and reconciling it to a supposedly loving God. As we've seen from the case of David, God himself is willing to make a child sick and let it suffer for days until it dies. David, for some reason, still worshipped this God, knowing it was God himself who killed the child. Why, therefore, (to go back to my original question) should any Christian believe God lets children into heaven if they die before this mythical "age of responsibility"?

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Nice dodge by the way.

I wasn't aware I was dodging a question, because no question was presented. I simply found your remark a bit out of context given the nature of my questions.

To be honest I don't know what I would say to a grieving parent.

As an atheist, neither would I. This is why I, in my own view, Christians started saying that God would let children under the age of accountability (whatever that means) into heaven if they die. There's clearly no scriptural basis for it, although I can see the comfort that such a message would give to a grieving parent.

 

[oi_antz]

I wasn't aware I was dodging a question, because no question was presented. I simply found your remark a bit out of context given the nature of my questions.

If really are an old man then you've proven my point. What you said to ebia:

"you're seeing something in there that the vast majority of people who've read it have missed"

You should take that comment seriously.

 

[IndieVisible]

As per the thread title - what happens to Muslim children (or any other faith for that matter) when they die? They are believing in the wrong God (according to Christians), so do they go to hell? Furthermore, where does it say in the Bible that any child goes to heaven when they die? Where did this doctrine come from because I, personally, have not read about it in scripture at all.

I believe all children are spared of doctrinal error.

The only hint regarding children in the NT is Jesus accepting them and warning any one to forbid them from coming to Him.

As for adults regarding doctrinal error, more involved.

Obviously not every one can be right, there are about 10,000 Protestant denominations world wide, this is what happens when there is no order or authority in place, then there are about a dozen Catholic variations. Even with order and authority in place, some will go their own way.

Then there are the thousands of non-Christian religions world wide as well.

We are mostly victim to our surroundings and how we are raised and what we are exposed to. If we were born in Iran, we would probably be Muslim. Even if we heard the Christian message, we probably would dismiss it as a in perfect version of Islam. Perhaps in our hearts we believed we were more faithful and truthful to God.

I don't believe when we die, God is going to say, sorry, you were in the wrong religion, bye!

I believe it is what is in our hearts that God will look at first. Religion is merely the clothing we wear now. In spirit, we will be seen as we really are.

That said there is still the issue of what if some one knew better but still went another way. I believe that will be judged as well. Along with faith, acts, and number one, what's in a person's heart.

So you see, I believe all roads lead to Rome eventually

 

[ebia]

I wasn't aware I was dodging a question, because no question was presented. I simply found your remark a bit out of context given the nature of my questions.

As an atheist, neither would I. This is why I, in my own view, Christians started saying that God would let children under the age of accountability (whatever that means) into heaven if they die. There's clearly no scriptural basis for it, although I can see the comfort that such a message would give to a grieving parent.

Are we talking about a grieving Christian parent or not?

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

Are we talking about a grieving Christian parent or not?

Does it matter? My OP question was specifically about Muslim children. A child is a child, regardless of their parent's faith. Personally, I believe most children, until they hit their teens, are simply too young to make an informed decision about God, death, sin, hell, heaven, etc, and they generally only believe what their parents and elder peers tell them. This is probably why most kids, once they hit their teens, tend to reject religious beliefs in the same way they reject their belief in Santa.