Limbo's a less-than-adequate response to "what to do with unbaptized infants"? Can't put them in hell, since they never committed any actual sins.
But, limbo says they can't go to heaven either, substituting an absurd notion of a place of "natural happiness" for souls that were made for God.
More and more, theologians are adopting the notion that God gives every soul, at the end of its life, the "option" of choosing God or refusing him. They extend that to unbaptized infants and adults as well.
Ultimately, they have to be left to the mercy of God, and that is a very good and positive thing.
Then perhaps limbo isn't an actual state of being, only a theological Uncertainty Principle: "Where are they? Only God knows, we can't"
For something that isn't Catholic doctrine, it's suprising how ancient the idea is nevertheless.
That's incorrect, sinkspur. You can put them in Hell, beccause Hell is not *necessarily* a place of punishment and natural suffering.
But, limbo says they can't go to heaven either, substituting an absurd notion of a place of "natural happiness" for souls that were made for God.
Why is it absurd? Even the pagans believed as much.
That's closer to the LDS theology. Person who die before age 8 were never accountable for sin and have no need of baptism. Age 8 and up are considered capable of recognizing the good or evil nature of a decision. They can choose baptism as a "fresh start". If they die after age 8, but before baptism, they can be baptized "by proxy" in the Temple. They must still decide whether to accept that baptism done on their behalf and choose to follow God. Persons who never had a chance to hear the gospel are treated as unaccountable. The principle is, "where there is no law, there can be no transgression". That is the answer for what happens to all those people trapped in inaccessible places that will never be visited by anyone with the gospel message.
Origional Sin..