I know this is going to open a can of worms, but I just had a thought. Christians who are against abortions, I'm curious as to why you would rather a child suffer in this life, rather than being sent to heaven before enduring any suffering? As far as I can remember children are granted automatic entry into heaven until they can be held accountable. So why deny a child a chance to have a loving home with your heavenly father instead of being raised in foster care, or worse? I don't get it.
Most Christians would hold that we trust in God's overwhelming kindness. Not that "children are granted automatic entry into heaven", that isn't a Christian teaching; but that we trust that God is kind, loving, just, and merciful and so can rely on Him to be these things toward very young children, the mentally challenged, those who have never heard, and indeed even
all people. As St. Paul has said that God is the "Savior of all people, especially of those who believe".
The Christian position is that life is inherently itself good; this present life is a life of suffering on account of sin, but that does not make life itself bad. That's why we confess and teach Jesus Christ risen from the dead, and that when He returns the dead will be raised, and God will make all things new--there will be a restoration of all things in the Age to Come.
I don't believe "Heaven"
or "Hell" are automatic for anyone.
There is the beatific life of the Age to Come, when and where God has has renewed and healed all things, and there is life, peace, justice, and freedom. And there is
not that. It is God's will that all share in the salvation and life of the Age to Come; but we also confess there will, or may be, those--perhaps even many--who will refuse, reject, and oppose it even to the bitter end.
This isn't about rewards and punishments, this isn't about who is "good" and who is "bad". This is about redemption for creation, and God's loving compassion for His creatures to bring them out from death into life, the beatific life of what God is doing for all things. C.S. Lewis puts it very well when he says that in the end there are two sorts of people, those who say to God "Thy will be done." and those to whom God says, "Thy will be done." "Heaven" is the will of God for all. "Hell" is the will of man for himself.
There is no one in the Age to Come who deserves to be there.
And there is no one in "Hell" who does not himself will and desire to be there.
-CryptoLutheran