Does that mean you believe children and the retarded get a "free pass"?
If so, it's just a matter of semantics, isn't it? You don't believe children to be "guilty" of anything that would keep them fromt he kingdom, and neither do we. We say they have not actual sins and you say they do, but God doesn't really count them as such.
Seems the same at the end of the day to me.
SD
***"free pass"?***
Everyone who believes in Jesus gets a "free pass"
Rom 3
"There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are "justified freely" by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
***If so, it's just a matter of semantics, isn't it? You don't believe children to be "guilty" of anything that would keep them fromt he kingdom***
No, I do believe that children are born in a state of sinfulness that would render them unable to live with a holy God eternally - BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD.
***but God doesn't really count them as such.***
God counted their sinfulness not against them, but against Christ who payed the price of their "free pass" so to speak.
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them" - 2 Cor 5
***Seems the same at the end of the day to me.***
You say they have no sin. I say that the Bible says they have sin (Ps 51) and it is forgiven for Christ's sake. God does this for them because they don't posess the faculties to do it themselves.
I think we have a radically different idea of what sin is. I have never understood this before when talking with Catholics.