Level_Seven_Paladin said:
Recently a person asked me "If a person never recieves the word of God, nor knew of a Christian God at all, would God be merciful to them?". My answer was that he would show the same mercy that "he would a child who dies at birth" and suddenly I am attacked for saying such being asked things like "Then why cant an Atheist who doesnt know that they have the wrong faith go to Heaven?". Help me on this
, I felt I handled it well.... but I want your input.... a believers input.
I don't know if you will care for this answer, but since you asked
I was asked a question at my ordination council about children dying and going to heaven. There is only 1 possible passage that this can even be implied from and that is King David's response when he was asked why, after his son with Bathsheba died that he stopped his grieving process that he had undergone since the child was born dying. His response was that he knew that he would see his son in heaven. One verse is not sufficient to base a doctrine upon. Just because David believed that he would see his dead child in heaven doesn't mean that he was correct. Even allowing for the possibility that the Lord had calmed David's heart in answer to his prayers that he would indeed see his son in heaven that doen't mean that every baby that dies automatically goes to heaven.
Many different denominations believe and teach an age-of-accountability which says that before a certain age God doesn't hold a person accountable for their sin or sin nature. If that age of accountability isn't less than age two then there is something wrong about the whole concept of the terrible twos. Because at a very young age children know that they are doing wrong and do it deliberately. Again there is no Scriptural basis for teaching that there is an age of accountability, before which one doesn't have to answer for sin. Otherwise abortion would be the surest way to ensure that your children go to heaven.
No man seeks after God, no, not one. No man comes to the Father save the Father draw him. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who supress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so the they are without excuse.
If a person, no matter where they live, no matter how isolated they are responds to the amount of truth that they are born with in a positive way God will get the message to them. Consider the Macedonian vision. I have read reports of Missionaries from Godless pagan countries that have reported that the first time they heard the story of Christ the natives they were speaking to responded with something like, "Oh we know all about Him, we didn't know His name, but we knew what He did, and that you would come."
The unsaved, whether they have heard or not are without excuse because God has revealed Himself inside us and in nature around us so that His invisible attributes, divine nature and eternal power should be known. So that they are without excuse.
That's exactly what the Catholic Church teaches as well.
