To: heyheyhey
Yes it does because I believe these passages to be true. The questions I had come up with regarding this had to do with people who believe in the 'elect' or the 144K or those that believe in original sin. Those sorta doctrines might be hard to reconcile with this belief. I have not heard this issue addressed in those terms and I am curious. Seeing we have so many Freepers of various faiths I thought this would be a great place to get an idea of what others believe.
5 posted on
12/29/2002 10:06:56 PM PST by
PFKEY
To: PFKEY
On the surface your question seems simple, but it is maybe more complex than one quickly realizes. Please read 2 Samuel 12:1-23 about the son that was born to David out of his adulterous affair/marriage with Bathsheba. The son died of an illness as an infant. David, who we know made it to heaven said in v23 "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." It appears that scripture supports infants going to heaven.
Note additionally that the "144k" of Revelation are followed by:
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; Revelation 7:9.
His mercy endures forever, Amen.
6 posted on
12/30/2002 12:26:32 AM PST by
kickme
To: PFKEY
It used to be, that Catholics believed that unbaptised infants could not go to heaven. Therefore, in the case of a risky birth, the infant was baptised during the labour. St Francis Xavier, when travelling in Japan, lamented when a young boy died that he could not enter heaven, as he had not yet been baptised. The souls of unbaptised infants, it was said, went to "limbo". Presumably, this doctrine of limbo was developed because it seems so unjust that they should be in hell.
But that is a view of former centuries, and in the 20th century, most people in the church came to believe that all innocent beings could enter heaven.
7 posted on
12/30/2002 1:19:30 AM PST by
BlackVeil
To: PFKEY
Just a point of information....
Those that believe in election do not believe only 144,000 will be saved.
That sort of nonsense is left to the cults like the JW's.
To: PFKEY
A few years back, I converted to God having been Baptized in the Orthodox Church as an infant. This more or less means that I started going to confession, receiving communion and practicing the faith. Interestingly enough a dear friend who I worked with played a big role in bringing this about. However, during our many conversations remember hearing a story about a woman who had lost a little child a very young boy, who was hit by a car. The mother shortly thereafter was a basket case, which was understandable, she went into the Church to speak with the Priest, screaming and crying uncontrollably asking God why and how could he let something like this happen. What happened next is that she had a vision. The vision was of when the Child was older, he would have been a drunk and would have lost his soul. So God took him when he was young. To answer your question, "Do babies go to heaven?." My answer is yes. Which further qualified by the teachings of the Church. Finally, there is an excellent book that you may want to read it is "The Soul After Death," by Seraphim Rose hopefully that book will clear up a lot of questions in this area.
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