Religions of heaven and hell: What happens to Children who die?

Hell is a creation of a literary author named Dante. It isn't in the Bible.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
Hell is a creation of a literary author named Dante. It isn't in the Bible.

What about the verses where Jesus himself spoke of a literal hell? Example...

Mark 9: If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.

originally posted by: ketsuko
Just as the human justice system recognizes that children are not capable of taking full responsibility for their actions up to a certain point of maturity, so does God.

Children are children, childlike and innocent. This is why it is so important for them to have a pair of loving parents to raise them and prepare them to make those responsible decisions about life, the universe and everything.

A child who dies before he or she is ready and able to do this is innocent and the Bible indicates that God treats them as such.

From the Christian perspective, the above post is the best in the thread. Question answered.

a reply to: EveryUsernameWasTaken

TextSay for example I lost my 3 year old son who can barely speak or make decisions on his own. I mean they can't deserve hell because he's way to young to be conscious of what's right and wrong, but he also didn't live long enough to do good deeds and earn paradise. The religions I know of that believe in heaven and hell are Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam. What will happen to "my 3 year old son" according to those religions?

I can give you my own belief on this but it is strictly theology the same as all religions are theological.

My belief started with a man called Ditmas who was crucified by the side of Jesus and who asked Jesus to remember him in their deaths. (Luke 23:43) - Jesus replied to Ditmas that the very day they both shall die that he, Ditmas, would be with Jesus in paradise. Now with that in mind I then noted that paradise is mentioned only three times in the KJV bible. The second time it was mentioned was when Paul told us that paradise is not in the heart of the earth but has been taken up to the celestial realm which is in the third heaven and outside of this universe. (2nd Corinthians 12:3,4) - Paradise is then mentioned the third time in the Revelation of the Apostle John. John tells us that this paradise is located in the celestial kingdom of heaven and in the celestial city of New Jerusalem. Within this kingdom of Jesus is the tree and water of everlasting life and John describes all of this from Revelation the second chapter onto the end of his book. (Rev. 2:7) and (Rev. 22: 2-14)-- I then realized that Ditmas did not perish but lived in consciousness the very same day as when he died and was given his new name and his new body that same day. So Ditmas is in the city of New Jerusalem.

Where have I read of New Jerusalem? Of course it was in (Isaiah 65: 17-25) - Here the prophet of this book told me that this same celestial city, New Jerusalem, will be given to mankind one day and that the New Jerusalem will come down to a new heaven and new earth just like John told us in his book of Revelation. Outside of the city will be children who will live an expected one hundred years and then die. They will be judged and then allowed into the city proper if righteous.

Children? Flesh and blood children? Live one hundred years and then die? Who are these children? Are they the aborted or mentally challenged? Could they be the restored children that have met there untimely deaths without the chance of salvation? Where have the billions of children been kept? Were they in the same place as was Lazarus who was then restored? I believe they were in the bosom of the Christ Jesus as He told us that He is the resurrection and the Father has given Him life within Him. I also believe that these children that Isaiah tells us are flesh and bone and blood are those children who have never had the chance of accountability to be tried and judged the same as you and me.

Now with this said I invite you to read both Isaiah and Revelation and to then piece all of this together into one big picture of startling revelation. I don't understand why this revelation has not been taught in the religious circles to help us understand what Jesus truly is and where Ditmas went on the dreadful day of death. Ditmas lives today in a new glorified celestial body eating and drinking the food and water of life just as the unfortunate little ones will also have the chance to live the same.

consider this

1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

This verse does not give the unbelieving husband or wife any kind of salvation just that they are sanctified that is set apart from other men and women of the world. Now the children however it would seem they are made holy therefore saved, because no man in the church age is made holy except through the blood of Christ.

So Christ gives salvation to unaccountable children of believing parent or parents. It is part of his grace to the believer not to have to suffer a child to go to hell at an unaccountable age.

Sorry to say this but children of unsaved parents would be destined to hell with their unbelieving parents. imagine the added torment for a parent to hear the cries of their unaccountable children for all eternity, that added to the top of their own cries and the cries of their unbelieving parents and siblings, grandparents.

I suggest if you don't want your unaccountable child to go to hell you should get saved.

Do not fear Hell!!! The original Biblical words that have been translated as, "Hell", show that the conception of Hell is a farce propaganda; a fear tactic.

Do not fear Sheol, for it is nothing more than the common grave of like kin.

Do not fear Gen Hinnom, for it is nothing more than an ancient sacrificial valley and garbage dump on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Do not fear Hades or Tartaroo (Tartarus), unless you also fear the Deities and Monsters of Greco-Roman mythology.

Fear not, for Jesus has said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

originally posted by: EveryUsernameWasTaken
Say for example I lost my 3 year old son who can barely speak or make decisions on his own.
I mean they can't deserve hell because he's way to young to be conscious of what's right and wrong, but he also didn't live long enough to do good deeds and earn paradise. The religions I know of that believe in heaven and hell are Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam. What will happen to "my 3 year old son" according to those religions?

I can't speak for other religions, but in Christianity and Judaism a person's sins aren't counted toward them until they reach an age of accountability, meaning until they reach a mental maturity where they can understand concepts like good/evil, sin, repentance, et cetra. And it goes beyond children, mentally retarded people who have no ability to comprehend God, sin, their need for repentance and reconciliation aren't sinful either.

originally posted by: ChesterJohn


I suggest if you don't want your unaccountable child to go to hell you should get saved.

ChesterJohn, I seem to recall that you are a KJV loyalist, but consider a little linguistic evidence.

I checked my very authoritative Oxford English Dictionary, finding the usual definitions of “Hel,” “Hell,” and “Helle.” “Hel” was the name of the Norse godess/ogress of their under-world, as well as the name of her supposed underworld. Now, this is almost funny – “Hel” is pagan, but “Hell” is part of most Church Doctrine. Do you see the problem? Pagans will tell you that Christianity has “Pagan DNA,” and here it is all too clear to see.
The term “Hell’ was inserted into the Bible much later, as we see that the earliest date for “Helle” in the OED is 825 AD – long after Christian Britain had been overrun by the then-pagan Saxons.

Among these linguistic notes were some very old meanings, such as “literally, the coverer or hider,” and “to hide, conceal.” This ties in with Hell being also a verb.

Forms of Hell in various old languages:
Old English – hel
Old Frisian – helle, hille
Old Saxon – hellja, hella
Middle Dutch – helle
Old High German – helle
Old Norse – hel, heljar
Gothic – halja
Original Teutonic - halja

So again: "Hel" is pagan, but "Hell" is Christian?

a reply to: Lazarus Short

Maybe a AV loyalist. I say that so I don't fall into the same crowd as some who claim to be KJV only.

I don't care about men and their religions or their words.

I only care about God and his word's as found in the only English Bible that unequivocally has them all.

Remember things that are different are not the same. Even if the difference is one letter.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

Sorry to say this but children of unsaved parents would be destined to hell with their unbelieving parents. imagine the added torment for a parent to hear the cries of their unaccountable children for all eternity, that added to the top of their own cries and the cries of their unbelieving parents and siblings, grandparents.

Chester, how could that possibly be? Where would the purpose of judgment come into play if that were true. That would be
predestined for the lake of fire and second death would it not? How could one be responsible for their father's sins in the doctrine of Christ?

originally posted by: ChesterJohn
a reply to: Lazarus Short

Maybe a AV loyalist. I say that so I don't fall into the same crowd as some who claim to be KJV only.

I don't care about men and their religions or their words.

I only care about God and his word's as found in the only English Bible that unequivocally has them all.

Remember things that are different are not the same. Even if the difference is one letter.

By the same token, languages that are different are not the same...and translations are not the same as the text in the original language - unless you can do a one-for-one direct word substitution. It is easier to do for Hebrew than for Greek, or so I am told. What I said above, or hinted at, is that "Hell" was inserted into the text when other, less loaded, words would have done. It would not really matter, except for the theology which has accumulated around the word "hell" since Dante, Milton and Baxter - all of them writers of fiction.

a reply to: Seede

Sadly, this is how heartless and foolishly ignorant some modern christians are. Lucky for them, Jesus died to save them from this ignorance aka 'sin'.

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

a reply to: EveryUsernameWasTaken

He would rest in peace and the next reality he would know is the coming of Jesus Christ. He would wake up to meet the Lord in the air and would forever know peace and happiness from then on

Double

Essentially according to heaven based theologies, children are to be considered "innocent" until an age of accountability. But this age is different according to different people and ranges between 8 & 16. Which also begs the question . . . If they are old enough to be accountable for their souls, should they not also be old enough to account for their legal actions too?

a reply to: Seede

You could have at least copied the verse I had because the whole crux of it is based in that verse.

1Cor 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

It is not that anyone is predestined to hell it is the actions of the parents that determine where a child goes if he dies before the age of accountability.

this modern world in its feel good generation are the only ones who could not accept that their children would go to hell because they denied Jesus, all who do not believe in Christ are unclean before God. This is why if one parent is saved the children are Holy. You are only made holy by the blood of Christ today, and if you are holy in the sight of God you are saved. so take up the verse with Paul when you see him.

But it is quite clear in what is says.

a reply to: ChesterJohn

You could have at least copied the verse I had because the whole crux of it is based in that verse.

1Cor 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

It is not that anyone is predestined to hell it is the actions of the parents that determine where a child goes if he dies before the age of accountability. this modern world in its feel good generation are the only ones who could not accept that their children would go to hell because they denied Jesus, all who do not believe in Christ are unclean before God. This is why if one parent is saved the children are Holy. You are only made holy by the blood of Christ today, and if you are holy in the sight of God you are saved. so take up the verse with Paul when you see him.

Yes I do agree and was not clear in my understanding you.

Not wanting to misunderstand your premise, I do respect you very much and also agree with much of what you post. I admit that I could be misunderstanding what you said and that is why I then asked you if the children are responsible (under the covenant of Jesus) for the sins of the Fathers?

I do not believe that any child who is not able to be accountable is automatically holy. Probably that is where I misunderstood you. My belief is that the Father is no respecter of any persons. Each and every person has to be judged by the deeds and thoughts in the body. That mentally challenged person regardless of age must stand in judgment in accountability. The aborted child must do the same. The children who suffer death by war or murder must all be judged the same. This is that message that Isaiah and John conveyed as they described the New Jerusalem.

Now I also realize that the KJV bible does not make it clear as to our ways of interpretation and perhaps I am overstepping the bounds of sensible interpretation but I have never met anyone that could satisfactorily explain Isaiah chapter 65 to me. I have researched Ibn Ezra and Rashi as well as some other rabbinical sources but they are so far removed from the old school of Christianity that the Judaic sources are not even on the same page.

The Apostle John agrees with the Isaiah author in that there are all sorts of sin and sinners in the new earth as he says
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

In my above post where I have said that all unaccountable people will be restored, given one hundred years of life and then die, will then be judged the same as you and I will be judged. That would negate any human being favored without a judgment. Otherwise there would be injustice in the Creator.

Didn’t mean to denigrate you, - with all respect--

It is absurd how the churches prefer to see an innocent child not in heaven, and an old repented sinner in heaven. It questions the very foundation of the religious doctrine that is not found in the Bible. We need to go back to the roots and forget all those elaborated theologians post-Constantine time who messed it all up.

originally posted by: Seede
a reply to: ChesterJohn

You could have at least copied the verse I had because the whole crux of it is based in that verse.

1Cor 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

It is not that anyone is predestined to hell it is the actions of the parents that determine where a child goes if he dies before the age of accountability. this modern world in its feel good generation are the only ones who could not accept that their children would go to hell because they denied Jesus, all who do not believe in Christ are unclean before God. This is why if one parent is saved the children are Holy. You are only made holy by the blood of Christ today, and if you are holy in the sight of God you are saved. so take up the verse with Paul when you see him.

Yes I do agree and was not clear in my understanding you.

Not wanting to misunderstand your premise, I do respect you very much and also agree with much of what you post. I admit that I could be misunderstanding what you said and that is why I then asked you if the children are responsible (under the covenant of Jesus) for the sins of the Fathers?

I do not believe that any child who is not able to be accountable is automatically holy. Probably that is where I misunderstood you. My belief is that the Father is no respecter of any persons. Each and every person has to be judged by the deeds and thoughts in the body. That mentally challenged person regardless of age must stand in judgment in accountability. The aborted child must do the same. The children who suffer death by war or murder must all be judged the same. This is that message that Isaiah and John conveyed as they described the New Jerusalem.

Now I also realize that the KJV bible does not make it clear as to our ways of interpretation and perhaps I am overstepping the bounds of sensible interpretation but I have never met anyone that could satisfactorily explain Isaiah chapter 65 to me. I have researched Ibn Ezra and Rashi as well as some other rabbinical sources but they are so far removed from the old school of Christianity that the Judaic sources are not even on the same page.

The Apostle John agrees with the Isaiah author in that there are all sorts of sin and sinners in the new earth as he says
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

In my above post where I have said that all unaccountable people will be restored, given one hundred years of life and then die, will then be judged the same as you and I will be judged. That would negate any human being favored without a judgment. Otherwise there would be injustice in the Creator.

Didn’t mean to denigrate you, - with all respect--

It does seem to state in Isaiah 65 that those outside of new Jerusalem will live one-hundred years, die and face judgement in the new heaven and earth, however there are some problems I see with your interpretation of this scripture concerning the timeline of the judgment. Firstly, neither John nor Isaiah 65 states that the adopted sons of god, or the bride of Christ will face judgement. The great white throne of judgement is for all who are NOT of the bride of Christ. They, the unbelievers will be judged according to their works. Those who are not found in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire along with the rest of the filth that worshipped the beast, his image and took the mark in their forehead.

They, along with death and hell itself will cease to exist, as all will be cast into the lake of fire. So Isaiah says that those who are not of the bride of Christ outside of the new Jerusalem will die at one hundred years then be judged, but John says that the judgement occurs before the creation of the heavens and the earth, not after. In the new heaven and earth, sin and henceforth death itself will be no more. The whoremongers, the adulterer's, the sorcerer's, etc, will cease to exist in the new heavens, as they will all in fact have their place in the lake of fire, NOT to the tree of life in the kingdom of God like it says those listed in the book of life will in Revelation 22.

Interesting discussion. I think with regard to this question, and speaking about Christianity, it is very important to remember some attributes of God: He is righteous, He is omnipotent, He is omniscient, He is merciful, He is just. Within each of those, He is perfectly so - i.e. perfectly righteous, perfectly merciful, perfectly just, etc. Perfect mercy does not allow an innocent child to go to eternal torment.

He is not going to condemn innocents to eternal torment and separation from Him, period. I also have to disagree with the interpretation that it is the faith of the parents that determine whether a child is saved. As soon as you start getting into "well you have to do x or y to be saved" or worse yet "some other human has to do x or y for you to be saved" you immediately deviate from the doctrine that there is nothing WE can do to be saved - our salvation is dependent upon Jesus and what He did. If you claim that an innocent child's salvation is dependent upon what their parent or parents believe, you are now trying to qualify or amend what Jesus actually did on the Cross.

When considering God as completely perfect, it follows that those who are innocent will be spared, and those who have not heard will have the truth revealed and given an opportunity to accept or reject. How will this happen? Well, I refer to the story of the rich young ruler (In Matthew, Mark, and Luke - this reference is from Mark 10):

23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 But the disciples were astonished at His words. Again Jesus said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 So they were even more astonished, saying to one another, “Then who can be saved?”

27 Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.”

The point being, we don't know exactly how the innocent and those who have never heard of Jesus (or were born before His Advent) will be handled. But we know 1) God will handle it, and 2) however it is handled it will be done perfectly.

We have a much too small idea of God. Much too small; don't try to put God in a box. Your box will never be big enough.