THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF "THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY"

[Eddie Ramos]

It's interesting that this is another widely held doctrine by Christians, yet no one has ever put forth an actual age from the scriptures where children are not accountable for their sins. The fact is that when God looks at a human being, he looks at their heart and sees either righteousness or unrighteousness. If righteousness, then that means that Christ's atoning work has been applied to your life. At which point he has given that person a new and perfect heart that is free from sin, and has raised their dead soul to eternal life. If God sees unrighteousness in their heart, then it means that Christ's atoning work has not (or not yet) been applied to that individual and that individual is still in his or her sins. This applies from the moment of conception.

Psalm 51:5 (KJV 1900)
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Can something conceived in sin be pure and clean in the eyes of God? The Bible says, no.

Job 14:4 (KJV 1900)
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

So, how does God view a child conceived and still unsaved? The same way he views a grown up who is still unsaved, as wicked.

Psalm 58:3 (KJV 1900)
The wicked are estranged from the womb:
They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

Most will say, "babies can't speak, so this can't be referring to babies". Yet this is parabolic language (as is the whole Bible) which is speaking of the spiritual condition (as viewed by God) of mankind who was yet in his sins.

When the Bible as a whole is taken into acount, it absolutely contradicts and therefore rejects such doctrine of any age of accountability. But why then was it invented? Because it was build upon another false doctrine, the free will doctrine which states that a person must make an informed choice if he is going to accept Christ. And since babies can't do that, they had to find a way to make them exempt. But this goes to show what happpens when someone tries to build upon a crooked foundation, everything else they build on that foundation will also be crooked.

My question for anyone who hold to this doctrine is, can you show me how the scriptures you use to support such doctrine agree witht he above Bible verses provided? Because if we isolate passages from the Bible as a whole, then we can make them say anything we want.

[onewithhim]

The Bible is clear. A child that is under the care of a faithful believing parent is holy. Clean and protected by God. However, children are not just free and clear because they are a child. Eph 6:1 clear on that. We can either accept the scriptures or don't.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

So children are not free and clear, unless they are under the care of a believing parent -- in which case they are clean and protected by God.

That's clear as dirt.

Little Johnny is a devil.

But the little demon is under the care of believing parents.

Therefore, the holy little monster is clean and protected by God.

JEHOVAH IS LOVING AND MERCIFUL. He is not going to condemn anyone who doesn't deserve it. That means anyone who will not act against Him willfully. Everyone deserves that chance to make a decision along those lines. A baby can't make a decision like that. Only when the child can choose between what is right and what is wrong will he be held accountable. That's it in a nutshell. The little demon will stand on his own before God.

Interesting Scripture: "A son will bear nothing because of the error of the father, and a father will bear nothing because of the error of the son. Upon his own self the righteousness of the righteous one will come to be, and upon his own self the very wickedness of a wicked one will come to be." (Ezekiel 18:20)

[myth-one.com]

The Bible is clear. A child that is under the care of a faithful believing parent is holy. Clean and protected by God. However, children are not just free and clear because they are a child. Eph 6:1 clear on that. We can either accept the scriptures or don't.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

So children are not free and clear, unless they are under the care of a believing parent -- in which case they are clean and protected by God.

That's clear as dirt.

Little Johnny is a devil.

But the little demon is under the care of believing parents.

Therefore, the holy little monster is clean and protected by God.

JEHOVAH IS LOVING AND MERCIFUL. He is not going to condemn anyone who doesn't deserve it. That means anyone who will not act against Him willfully. Everyone deserves that chance to make a decision along those lines. A baby can't make a decision like that. Only when the child can choose between what is right and what is wrong will he be held accountable. That's it in a nutshell. The little demon will stand on his own before God.

Interesting Scripture: "A son will bear nothing because of the error of the father, and a father will bear nothing because of the error of the son. Upon his own self the righteousness of the righteous one will come to be, and upon his own self the very wickedness of a wicked one will come to be." (Ezekiel 18:20)

JEHOVAH set the rules when He created the New Testament Covenant. Under that Covenant between God and mankind, man may become an heir unto everlasting life by believing in Jesus as his or her Savior. In a nutshell:

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God is bound by His everlasting covenants because God cannot lie:

Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Whosoever believeth in Jesus shall have everlasting life, whether or not they act willfully against God. The New Testament Covenant eliminates the requirement of remaining sinless to gain everlasting life. So sin no longer controls our salvation:

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

The little monster simply has to believe in Jesus to be saved. And the requirement is the same for children under the care of a faithful believing parent.

[Eddie Ramos]

Psalm 51:5 (KJV 1900)
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Can something conceived in sin be pure and clean in the eyes of God? The Bible says, no.

I've looked at this post and others in response. I am fully aware this is the Theology, Doctrine, and Dogma section, where Bible verses constitute authority.
However, the debate here and the many contradictory views are the necessary result of the absurdity of accepting the Bible as truth. The utter nonsense of calling newborns, "conceived in sin" is obvious to anyone who uses logic instead of blind obedience to authority.

The very idea of calling the natural process of reproduction a sin is patently absurd on its face. Only religion can get otherwise rational people to believe such garbage. The result is endless debate based on the various absurdities "taken on faith" just because "the Bible says it's so." Rather than embrace these endless arguments about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or whether God can make a rock he can't lift, the wiser conclusion would be to chuck the whole thing.

Hello, the reason I stay only in the Theology,Doctrine part of this forum is specifically for the reason that those who participate here or bring an argument, do so with the understanding that the Bible is considered the authority by which we present and defend our doctrinal positions.

Therefore, while you and I can share our ideas about this subject, our ideas are meaningless since they are not the authority, the Bible is. And the many contradictory positions presented here thus far, bears no reflection on the truth of the Bible, but on the misunderstanding of finite people (including myself). This is the very reason we must humble ourselves to what the scriptures, as one cohesive truth, have to say. And while so many in this world consider the content of the scriptures to be "garbage", there are few who hold it as a treasure.

Matthew 22:14 (KJV 1900)
For many are called, but few are chosen.

[onewithhim]

The Bible is clear. A child that is under the care of a faithful believing parent is holy. Clean and protected by God. However, children are not just free and clear because they are a child. Eph 6:1 clear on that. We can either accept the scriptures or don't.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

So children are not free and clear, unless they are under the care of a believing parent -- in which case they are clean and protected by God.

That's clear as dirt.

Little Johnny is a devil.

But the little demon is under the care of believing parents.

Therefore, the holy little monster is clean and protected by God.

JEHOVAH IS LOVING AND MERCIFUL. He is not going to condemn anyone who doesn't deserve it. That means anyone who will not act against Him willfully. Everyone deserves that chance to make a decision along those lines. A baby can't make a decision like that. Only when the child can choose between what is right and what is wrong will he be held accountable. That's it in a nutshell. The little demon will stand on his own before God.

Interesting Scripture: "A son will bear nothing because of the error of the father, and a father will bear nothing because of the error of the son. Upon his own self the righteousness of the righteous one will come to be, and upon his own self the very wickedness of a wicked one will come to be." (Ezekiel 18:20)

JEHOVAH set the rules when He created the New Testament Covenant. Under that Covenant between God and mankind, man may become an heir unto everlasting life by believing in Jesus as his or her Savior. In a nutshell:

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God is bound by His everlasting covenants because God cannot lie:

Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Whosoever believeth in Jesus shall have everlasting life, whether or not they act willfully against God. The New Testament Covenant eliminates the requirement of remaining sinless to gain everlasting life. So sin no longer controls our salvation:

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

The little monster simply has to believe in Jesus to be saved. And the requirement is the same for children under the care of a faithful believing parent.

Yes, the kid has to know enough to compare his options, and he must believe in Jesus and then act in accordance with his belief. If he's too young to appreciate the truth about Jesus and the Father, he is not accountable at that age. When he grows up more and can understand what's going on, then he will be held accountable. Did you read my quote from Ezekiel? What do you think?

Yes, the requirement is the same for all children when they reach an age that they can fully understand the importance of believing in Jesus, whether they have believing parents or not.

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps." (I Peter 2:21, NASB)

How can a small child know enough to follow in Jesus' steps? They don't. That comes later when they can distinguish between right and wrong.

[2timothy316]

No. As I said in my post, Eph 6:1 says a child must be obedient to be righteous. Yet first a child must know what it means to be obedient.

Or do you expect God to kill 5 month old baby because to the parent, the baby is a 'devil' for crying too much? Or a 2 year old is denied God's protection because the day before Judgement Day they are throwing a fit in a grocery store?

I do not even associate those two opposing concepts with one another.

How do you?

Do you think righteousness saves anyone?

Why do you ask what I think? What does the Bible say?

If God declares a person righteous then, "The righteous will possess the earth, and they will live forever on it.”​—Psalm 37:29.

Do you think being declared unrighteousness saves anyone? What does the Bible say?
"the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment" - 2 Peter 2:9

Do you have a problem with God's Word? Because the Bible is clear, being declared righteous or unrighteous is a huge key point in the Bible and there is no third option. The scriptures above can't be clearer. A person can either accept those scriptures or deny them at their own peril.

The Bible says that those who do not believe in Christ will be resurrected a thousand years after the Second Coming. They will be preached the gospel and accept or reject Jesus as their Savior during this second period of human life for them. Deceased infants will be included in this group.

I'm not speaking of children after their death, I'm speaking of children at the time of God's judgement on mankind at Armageddon.

[myth-one.com]

I'm not speaking of children after their death, I'm speaking of children at the time of God's judgement on mankind at Armageddon.

Everyone coming out of judgment will have made their choice of accepting everlasting life or everlasting death and understand the consequences of their choice.

Their names will either be written into or omitted from the Book of Life.

[2timothy316]

I'm not speaking of children after their death, I'm speaking of children at the time of God's judgement on mankind at Armageddon.

Everyone coming out of judgment will have made their choice of accepting everlasting life or everlasting death and understand the consequences of their choice.

Their names will either be written into or omitted from the Book of Life.

Again, you're getting off the theme of the OP. Young children who don't know what word choice even means but their parents do. According to the Bible, parents that make the correct choice their children who do not understand are holy and protected.

[Diogenes]

Psalm 51:5 (KJV 1900)
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Can something conceived in sin be pure and clean in the eyes of God? The Bible says, no.

I've looked at this post and others in response. I am fully aware this is the Theology, Doctrine, and Dogma section, where Bible verses constitute authority.
However, the debate here and the many contradictory views are the necessary result of the absurdity of accepting the Bible as truth. The utter nonsense of calling newborns, "conceived in sin" is obvious to anyone who uses logic instead of blind obedience to authority.

The very idea of calling the natural process of reproduction a sin is patently absurd on its face. Only religion can get otherwise rational people to believe such garbage. The result is endless debate based on the various absurdities "taken on faith" just because "the Bible says it's so." Rather than embrace these endless arguments about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or whether God can make a rock he can't lift, the wiser conclusion would be to chuck the whole thing.

Hello, the reason I stay only in the Theology,Doctrine part of this forum is specifically for the reason that those who participate here or bring an argument, do so with the understanding that the Bible is considered the authority by which we present and defend our doctrinal positions.

Therefore, while you and I can share our ideas about this subject, our ideas are meaningless since they are not the authority, the Bible is.

Yes Eddie, I understand you and others choose authority over reason, faith over logic; therefore it is a 'fools errand' to attempt to reason with you. Those who accept the absolute authority of the Bible over facts and rationality must therefore accept God's appreciation of slavery, his love of drowning people and kittens, his view that One Tribe is his 'chosen one,' no matter how much they lie and steal.

Over and over this 'god' commands his chosen tribe to annihilate women and children, rape and enslave, and abandon all reason and goodness in pursuit of "God's Will." The logic and reason that leads one to the obvious conclusion the Bible was written by men who sought self serving excuses to legitimize their plunder, murder and genocide is entirely lost on those who appeal to authority over reason and love. I get it. I'll not try further efforts at reason where it is ignored in favor of 'authority.'

[myth-one.com]

I'm not speaking of children after their death, I'm speaking of children at the time of God's judgement on mankind at Armageddon.

Everyone coming out of judgment will have made their choice of accepting everlasting life or everlasting death and understand the consequences of their choice.

Their names will either be written into or omitted from the Book of Life.

Again, you're getting off the theme of the OP. Young children who don't know what word choice even means but their parents do. According to the Bible, parents that make the correct choice their children who do not understand are holy and protected.

So children of believers are also believers?

[2timothy316]

I'm not speaking of children after their death, I'm speaking of children at the time of God's judgement on mankind at Armageddon.

Everyone coming out of judgment will have made their choice of accepting everlasting life or everlasting death and understand the consequences of their choice.

Their names will either be written into or omitted from the Book of Life.

Again, you're getting off the theme of the OP. Young children who don't know what word choice even means but their parents do. According to the Bible, parents that make the correct choice their children who do not understand are holy and protected.

So children of believers are also believers?

No. Read the scripture, does it say they have to be believers? Can a 2 month old child be a believer? How about a 2 year old? 5?

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in relation to his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in relation to the brother; otherwise, your children would really be unclean, but now they are holy.”​—1 Cor. 7:14.