Posted on 04/29/2014 2:55:24 PM PDT by NYer
Washington, DC (LiveActionNews) — Heaven is for Real is a new movie based on a book by pastor and father Todd Burpo. Burpo wrote the book after his 4-year-old son Colton had a near-death experience that lead to a heavenly encounter. After Colton recovered, he began telling his parents remarkable stories, like meeting the sister he never knew in heaven. Although Colton had no knowledge of his mom’s miscarriage, he told his parents he met a girl who told him she died in his mother’s tummy. The bestselling book and film have inspired countless people, giving them hope that heaven is a real place.
The subject of heaven has come up a number of times as I’ve worked in the pro-life movement. The two questions that I’ve heard asked by post-abortive moms and moms considering abortion are: 1) Do aborted babies go to heaven? and 2) If aborted babies will go right to heaven, why is it wrong to abort them?
Let’s start with the first question. Do aborted babies go to heaven? Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill church has a great article titled “What happens to babies when they die.” In the article, Mark addresses the pain his family has faced through his wife’s miscarriage. He says the eternal fate of unborn children and infants is a mystery that has always haunted the church. He shares quotes from respected Bible teachers who believe that unborn children and infants go straight to heaven after death because they’ve not made decisions about following God or performed good or evil acts. Driscoll shares a quote from former Bible teacher Charles Spurgeon: “I cannot conceive it possible of him [Jesus] as the loving and tender one, that when he shall sit to judge all nations, he should put the little ones on the left hand, and should banish them for ever from his presence.”
Pastor John Piper, an outspoken pro-life minister and adoptive father, wrote an article on infants’ eternal future. He believes that babies, like all humans, are brought into the world with a sinful nature because of the original sin of Adam and Eve. However, he believes that God has a way to cover their sin even before they are born. Piper wrote: “The way I see it is that God ordains, for his own wise purposes, that at the judgment day all the children who died in infancy will be covered by the blood of Jesus. And they will come to faith, either in heaven immediately or later in the resurrection. And God will not condemn them because he wants to manifest openly and publicly that he does not condemn those who did not have the mental capacities to put their faith in him.”
Question #2: If aborted babies will go right to heaven, why is it wrong to abort them? I had a woman ask me this in front of an abortion clinic once. Some women fear bringing their unborn babies into a world of chaos and confusion. They have emotional issues or financial problems, and they don’t think they can afford another child. Some people who believe in heaven justify their choice to abort because they think their baby will be in a “better place.”
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministry. He is also the author of the book Why Pro-Life and Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Questions. In a video interview, Alcorn directly answers the question of whether aborted children are better off because they’ll go straight to heaven. Alcorn has sadly been asked this question by two pastors, who asked him, “Why are you trying to do all this stuff to prevent abortions? ‘Children are better off dying’, they said. ‘They’re going to be in Heaven forever.’” Alcorn was deeply bothered by that question and shares his honest thoughts on the subject here.
Regardless of what you believe, the possibility of an afterlife is a thought worth pondering. As for me, I believe that children go into the arms of a loving and gracious heavenly Father, although I know that aborting them is not an acceptable way to get them there faster. If it isn’t right to take the life of a born child outside the womb, it shouldn’t be right to do the same for one inside the womb.
I am convinced that heaven is a glorious place. It’s comforting to know their is a home for every child who passes from this world to the next.
LifeNews Note: Christinia Martin writes for Live Action News. Martin has been a pro-life voice for eight years. Her work began after her mother confessed she paid a doctor to abort her, but walked out before he could. Knowing she was saved from death, she wanted to fight for others.
In the book “Heaven is for Real”, the little boy saw his sister, who died before birth, in Heaven. Children murdered in the womb through abortion should also be in Heaven.
From the Bible: “Unless you are born of water and the spirit you shall not enter the Kingdom of God.”
http://biblehub.com/john/3-5.htm
This is the type of thing that I think is fine to speculate on, but the answer doesn’t really matter.
God is just, and that is all we can be sure of or need know.
I can see that (Baptism of desire) relating to an adult, like the thief on the cross. But it seems to me like a stretch to use to refer to unborn babies. Although I understand that nothing is impossible to God. What would be the difference between baptism of desire for an unborn baby or just calling it a special dispensation of God’s grace? Either way the baby would go to heaven, wouldn’t he?
Good point. It does get pretty deep when the 1st earth age prior to it's overthrow is considered.
Romans 9:11 "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him That calleth;"
Romans 9:12 "It was said unto her, "The elder shall serve the younger."
Romans 9:13 "As it is written "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."
Question No 1 (answer) ... they came from God, they go back to God.
Question No 2 (answer) ... it is murder, ‘Thou shall not kill’.
‘KISS’ is always good...’Keep it Simple...’
You are correct...
See my post this thread #86
And how many angels do dance on the head of a pin?
We really don’t know the exact answer to this.
But what we do know is God is far more merciful and gracious than we can comprehend.
It creates a false choice. Consider the case of a martyr. Just because they will go straight to Heaven as a martyr, is it right, just, or OK to kill them? Clearly, the answer is “No!”
It also doesn’t strain the intellect to presume God would welcome into His kingdom, those whom He created, who died/were killed prior to birth.
How so? Where is that suggested in the Bible?
Revelations describes us *looking* into open heaven, and passing to a new earth, with new bodies (rather than becoming angels, as is commonly referenced in Christian mythology).
I was sort of reading your comment from the bottom up and was thinking: My goodness, Mrs. Don-O's commentary is becoming radicalized to the degree I hadn't seen in the past. Most uncharacteristic of her and so different from the apologetics and ἀπολογία we typically see from her.
But I agree with most of what Annie says.
Yep, a new spiritual body that puts on immortality. But the souls of the unsaved still have a mortal soul, i.e. they are still liable to die.
I apologize for having become a source of confusion by quoting her, and I will tell you what I told my friend Dutchboy88:
Please give me a small penance (like, I could genuflect on my sore left knee) and then permit me back into the land of FR respectability, I beg you.
"The Sacraments are binding on us; they are not binding on God."
Whatever it is, it will be the right thing. Perhaps we are pointing in the same direction... the only possible direction --- which is the loving-kindness of God.
Well said!
I don't think you can always go to her safely for doctrine, since she tends to elide important complexities and go straight to the part that can be shouted. No footnotes.
That has its place. I still read her with respect and pleasure, and she never fails to challenge me in a good way.
But I read her with caution as well, because --- remember --- all the vices are wild virtues: virtues unlinked to those other truths by which they can be truly good and ordinate.
I'm tired. Must get up early for the 7:00 Mass - to pray for a deceased friend, not a Catholic, not even a Christian. Though perhaps, a woman whose faith is known to God alone.
Join me please: May the Lord graciously receive the soul of Sharon K, the Shape-Note singer.
Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta.
Judica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta.
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