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If Jesus died for our sins, why do unbaptised babies not go to heaven?

Genuine question, if a baby dies before it has been baptised, it goes to purgatory right? Why is this if they are born without original sin?

Assume that it's the child of devout christian parents, if that makes a difference.

Update:

But what about the following quotes"

- Nothing impure enters Heaven (Rev. 21:27).

- Original sin is real, and even damnable. (Romans 5:12, Rom. 5:18-19, 1 Cor. 15:22)

- All of us (save Jesus Christ, and the Virgin Mary) are conceived with original sin.

- Baptism is the ordinary means of being cleansed from original sin, and being justified and sanctified before God. Put another way, Baptism saves us (1 Peter 3:21).

From wikipedia "The Limbo of Infants (Latin limbus infantium or limbus puerorum) is a hypothesis about the permanent status of the unbaptized who die in infancy, too young to have committed personal sins, but not having been freed from original sin."

Update 2:

@dewcoons - I didn't realise this was solely a Catholic thing. I read that the pope has recently changed this and stated "there are "serious" grounds to hope that children who die without being baptized can go to heaven."

@PaulCyp - how can you say this is incorrect when you've just stated that no one knows? Even the recent statement by the pope doesn't say for sure that they don't end up in Limbo.

@ ? and Cowboy - I'm the one asking the question, I agree if this is the case it is cruel but I didn't come up with the theory.

15 Answers

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  • 7 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    While that is a teaching of the Catholic church, it is not found anywhere in the Bible. The majority of Christians do NOT believe that unbaptized babies are restricted from heaven. Also the majority of Christians do not believe that purgatory exist. Again, there is no reference to it anywhere in the Bible.

    The Bible is actually silent on the issue of what happens to infants who dies. The main purpose of the writings of the New Testament were to teach us how to live in the world, not to answer questions about the after life. There is actually very little about the subject in the Bible compared to many of the other teachings.

    What it does indicate is that if a person is "with the law" - meaning never has a chance to hear the truth about God - they will be judged by their own conscience. As an infant is incapable of sinning or making a moral decision, they could not have done anything "against their conscience", so they would make it into heaven.

    Baptism has nothing to do with whether or not they are saved.

  • 7 years ago

    The bible show that Christian baptism is a request for a good relationship with God. So, a Christian should be baptized, not when a baby, but when he or she is old enough to learn about God and become a disciple of Jesus. (Acts 8:12; 1 Peter 3:21) So, you can rest assure that the baby is neither in hell nor in heaven. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 9:5,10 states "For the living know* that they will die, but the dead know nothing at all, nor do they have any more reward, because all memory of them is forgotten... Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might, for there is no work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave, where you are going". This is gives us hope. This shows us that they are not suffering, but instead are in a deep sleep where they can not feel nor suffer anything. The bible indeed gives us hope. For more information please visit www.jwl.org.

    Source(s): www.jw.org
  • 7 years ago

    The unnecessary practice of baptizing babies and children who are under the age of accountability, which is eight years old.

    The Lord condemns infant baptism (Moro. 8:10–21). Children are born innocent and without sin. Satan has no power to tempt children until they begin to become accountable (D&C 29:46–47) so they have no need to repent or be baptized. Children should be baptized at the age of eight (D&C 68:25–27).

    D&C 137:10. “All Children Who Die Before They Arrive at the Years of Accountability Are Saved in the Celestial Kingdom”

  • 7 years ago

    Why do babies die?

    Ps. 51:5, JB: “You know I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception.” (See also Job 14:4; Genesis 8:21.)

    Rom. 3:23; 6:23: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . . The wages sin pays is death.”

    God does not “take” children from their parents, as some have been told. Although the earth produces ample food, selfish political and commercial elements often hinder its distribution to those most in need, resulting in death due to malnutrition. Some children die in accidents, as adults do. But all of us have inherited sin; we are all imperfect. We were born in a system in which everyone—both the good and the bad—eventually dies. (Eccl. 9:5) But God ‘yearns’ to reunite children with their parents by means of the resurrection, and lovingly has made provision to do so.—John 5:28, 29; Job 14:14, 15; compare Jeremiah 31:15, 16; Mark 5:40-42

    What happens to us when we die?

    Why do we die?

    Find out here: http://m.wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e

  • GOD is just and righteous and full of love and mercy.

    I am sure that babies of devout Christian parents die before getting baptized can still go to Heaven. However, for those who are given a chance to come to Jesus Christ and baptize but refuse to do so can not go to Heaven.

    Even pets which being raised in a Christian family can go to Heaven, although, pets are not given a chance to be baptized.

    I saw my dog being guided and protected by 2 angels while going to Heaven the 3rd day after he died. After 3 months, my another dog died. Several days after my 2nd dog died, my sister saw my 2 dogs in a place my sister was not sure what and where it was.

    Both of my dogs were given a pair a small white wings, and one of them was wearing a white floral crown. She was awarded by GOD for what she had done in her life. Surprisingly, both looked really young, clean and with very smooth and tidy hair.

    I guess they were baptized by Jesus Christ at the Gate before entering Heaven, so they would not bring the sins into the Heaven.

    .

  • 7 years ago

    No that is not correct. Purgatory is for personal sin that has not been fully repented. Babies have no personal sin. The only thing the Church says about unbaptized babies is that what happens to them has not been specifically revealed, so we entrust them to the mercy of the God Who loves them.

    Source(s): Catholic deacon
  • ?
    Lv 5
    7 years ago

    If Jesus died for sins, then why is baptizing a baby even necessary?

    Also, if any baby or child dies, then it will be in heaven. The innocent have no sins; they are not mature, and therefore not judged for their actions while they were alive. Thinking that a baby or child that dies does not enter heaven is quite cruel, actually.

  • 7 years ago

    They do go to heaven.Do expect a baby to be responsible to balance a check book or a child to to fix your car when it is broken.Then how can God hold a infant responsible for something he knows nothing about. Sin ... there is a time of accountablity.God surly knows that as he knows men's (peoples) hearts.

  • 7 years ago

    When Colton Burpo went to Heaven during his emergency surgery, he met his miscarried sister (in Heaven). And only then did Colton learn that his mom had a baby die in her belly (miscarriage) as the miscarried sister (in Heaven) told him that she died before she was even born.

    Source(s): Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo.
  • ?
    Lv 7
    7 years ago

    None are lost. Especially the babies, Some are made cherub angles in heaven, their is even a nursery in heaven that watch over all children until they reach their adult stage, a secret you now know. That I have known all along.

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