At what age can a child go to hell?

[Breathe]

I've heard a few times from adherents of both Islam and Christianity that children do not go to hell as they are too young to understand their message, and so if they die they go to Heaven.

So, at what age is one 'too old' to go to Heaven by default? At what age are children of the wrong religions going to hell as we speak? Does the adherence to another ("wrong") faith shorten the time a child has before they can go to Heaven?



And.. why this age?

Just wondering.

 

[sandandfoam]

Kids don't make the subject/object distinction that adults do.
If heaven is 'oneness' then seperation comes with the development of the subject/object divide implicit in objective thought hence at that point of development - the point where one must make efforts to return to heaven is reached.
[I've been pondering this myself recently - haven't reached a conclusion but the above is along the lines of my current thought]

 

[Breathe]

Excluding that kind of course, I'm more a fan of that style of thought of hell being a (temporary) separation from the Divine, but I mean the old fashioned fire and brimstone kind for this discussion.

 

[sandandfoam]

Excluding that kind of course, I'm more a fan of that style of thought of hell being a (temporary) separation from the Divine, but I mean the old fashioned fire and brimstone kind for this discussion.

Well then.
Putting on my Ian Paisley hat I'm going to suggest that Catholic children never get into heaven regardless and Protestant kids lose their pass as soon as they're old enough to do wrong and know better.
Edit- should have put a smiley in - just in case anyone takes me seriously

 

[blackout]

As soon as they're old enough to sneak a cookie.

burn baby burn....

 

[waitasec]

As soon as they're old enough to sneak a cookie.

burn baby burn....

maybe hell only exists in the minds of certain adults
children know nothing of such things until they are indoctrinated for the sake of submission

 

[eman resu]

i think it depends on the maturity level of the child. god would understand if the child is mature enough to make the right choices or not with his own will. until then its the parents responsibilty (or whoever is rasing/influencing the child) to try and "guide" the child

 

[sniper762]

its the age of accountability that some believe to be 8 years old

 

[sunsplash]

i think it depends on the maturity level of the child. god would understand if the child is mature enough to make the right choices or not with his own will. until then its the parents responsibilty (or whoever is rasing/influencing the child) to try and "guide" the child

And if the child is guided in the "wrong" direction (for the sake of the OP, assuming Christianity is the only right/correct path)? Children are blindly obedient towards parents and that obedience often grows into faith without question. A deep faith can exist in every religion, so that mature, intelligent 10 year old, who happens to be Kemetic or Hindu, is forever damned to be tortured because he was brought up to love and follow his religion, despite knowing the existance of others and choosing to keep his own? No matter the age...newborn to old hag...I am admittedly completely ignorant to that reasoning.

 

[Nerthus]

its the age of accountability that some believe to be 8 years old

I understand it to be Mormons who believe it is eight. Catholics believe it's younger than this I believe, but I know a chaplain once was talking about this and said that in general is is twelve. Which I think is more acceptable.

 

[Arav]

I would say about three years old...Just Kidding!!!!

If the child dies at any age dont they still go to hell because of the original sin and they didnt accept Christ? Even though they themselves didnt sin, the original sin is still there according to christianity.

 

[jmvizanko]

I personally always wondered as well, at what IQ level do people go to hell? Surely retarded people can't be headed there.

 

[sniper762]

jmv, your an atheist, do you even believe in hell?

 

[logician]

I've heard a few times from adherents of both Islam and Christianity that children do not go to hell as they are too young to understand their message, and so if they die they go to Heaven.

So, at what age is one 'too old' to go to Heaven by default? At what age are children of the wrong religions going to hell as we speak? Does the adherence to another ("wrong") faith shorten the time a child has before they can go to Heaven?



And.. why this age?

Just wondering.

So if I don't believe your stories, I will be tortured forever?

You might want to examine the logic of your beliefs.

 

[Breathe]

So if I don't believe your stories, I will be tortured forever?


You might want to examine the logic of your beliefs.

Perhaps before you prematurely begin to criticise me and my beliefs as illogical and that you will be tortured for not believing in them, you should take an actual look at what they actually are beforehand, at the very least read what I actually wrote.

To make it clear: I am a Hindu. I do not believe in a place of eternal torment for those who do not adhere to the same religion as me--I don't even believe in a place of eternal or temporary torment.



:slap:

 

[dust1n]

I personally always wondered as well, at what IQ level do people go to hell? Surely retarded people can't be headed there.

That's an excellent question.

 

[tomato1236]

its the age of accountability that some believe to be 8 years old

By way of elaboration, here are the LDS sources for this doctrine:

Moroni 8:
22 For behold that all little children are aalive in Christ, and also all they that are without the blaw. For the power of credemption cometh on all them that have dno law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing—
23 But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in adead works.

It was later revealed to a modern prophet the specific age when children should be accountable:

Doctrine and Covenants section 68:

27 And their children shall be abaptized for the bremission of their sins when ceight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands.

 

[tomato1236]

That's an excellent question.

Also, those with handicaps, injuries, etc., whose mentality is like that of a child, may never require baptism as determined by the bishops of the church. In the end, however, it will be Christ who judges the accountability of every person.

 

[jmvizanko]

jmv, your an atheist, do you even believe in hell?

Obviously I don't. In fact, its probably the single largest reason I am an atheist with respect to Islam and Christianity. I am merely posing a question about the hypothetical that hell exists. And the question, as well as the OP's question, in my mind make hell all that more ridiculous to believe in. God has these magic lines that just a shred after or under, you get an infinite of torture or an infinite of pleasure? Anybody that black and white in our world would be considered insane.

I hope you don't actually believe that secretly I actually believe in god and hell. If I remember correctly the Bible actually states that this is true of non-Christians. Of course, its not true at all. Because I am not joking or lying when I say that believing in both is, IMHO, patently ridiculous.

 

[eman resu]

And if the child is guided in the "wrong" direction (for the sake of the OP, assuming Christianity is the only right/correct path)? Children are blindly obedient towards parents and that obedience often grows into faith without question. A deep faith can exist in every religion, so that mature, intelligent 10 year old, who happens to be Kemetic or Hindu, is forever damned to be tortured because he was brought up to love and follow his religion, despite knowing the existance of others and choosing to keep his own? No matter the age...newborn to old hag...I am admittedly completely ignorant to that reasoning.

say there is one religion that god wants humans to follow. if a child is misguided away from that religion, the responsibility falls upon the parents/whoever is raising the child. once the child reaches a certain level of maturity (if he/she ever does lol), and no matter at what age they reach it, god will know whether the person is able to make the "right" choices or not. god will also understand if the person was never exposed to the one religion He wants people to follow