Posted on 04/29/2014 2:55:24 PM PDT by NYer
Washington, DC (LiveActionNews) — Heaven is for Real is a new movie based on a book by pastor and father Todd Burpo. Burpo wrote the book after his 4-year-old son Colton had a near-death experience that lead to a heavenly encounter. After Colton recovered, he began telling his parents remarkable stories, like meeting the sister he never knew in heaven. Although Colton had no knowledge of his mom’s miscarriage, he told his parents he met a girl who told him she died in his mother’s tummy. The bestselling book and film have inspired countless people, giving them hope that heaven is a real place.
The subject of heaven has come up a number of times as I’ve worked in the pro-life movement. The two questions that I’ve heard asked by post-abortive moms and moms considering abortion are: 1) Do aborted babies go to heaven? and 2) If aborted babies will go right to heaven, why is it wrong to abort them?
Let’s start with the first question. Do aborted babies go to heaven? Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill church has a great article titled “What happens to babies when they die.” In the article, Mark addresses the pain his family has faced through his wife’s miscarriage. He says the eternal fate of unborn children and infants is a mystery that has always haunted the church. He shares quotes from respected Bible teachers who believe that unborn children and infants go straight to heaven after death because they’ve not made decisions about following God or performed good or evil acts. Driscoll shares a quote from former Bible teacher Charles Spurgeon: “I cannot conceive it possible of him [Jesus] as the loving and tender one, that when he shall sit to judge all nations, he should put the little ones on the left hand, and should banish them for ever from his presence.”
Pastor John Piper, an outspoken pro-life minister and adoptive father, wrote an article on infants’ eternal future. He believes that babies, like all humans, are brought into the world with a sinful nature because of the original sin of Adam and Eve. However, he believes that God has a way to cover their sin even before they are born. Piper wrote: “The way I see it is that God ordains, for his own wise purposes, that at the judgment day all the children who died in infancy will be covered by the blood of Jesus. And they will come to faith, either in heaven immediately or later in the resurrection. And God will not condemn them because he wants to manifest openly and publicly that he does not condemn those who did not have the mental capacities to put their faith in him.”
Question #2: If aborted babies will go right to heaven, why is it wrong to abort them? I had a woman ask me this in front of an abortion clinic once. Some women fear bringing their unborn babies into a world of chaos and confusion. They have emotional issues or financial problems, and they don’t think they can afford another child. Some people who believe in heaven justify their choice to abort because they think their baby will be in a “better place.”
Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministry. He is also the author of the book Why Pro-Life and Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Questions. In a video interview, Alcorn directly answers the question of whether aborted children are better off because they’ll go straight to heaven. Alcorn has sadly been asked this question by two pastors, who asked him, “Why are you trying to do all this stuff to prevent abortions? ‘Children are better off dying’, they said. ‘They’re going to be in Heaven forever.’” Alcorn was deeply bothered by that question and shares his honest thoughts on the subject here.
Regardless of what you believe, the possibility of an afterlife is a thought worth pondering. As for me, I believe that children go into the arms of a loving and gracious heavenly Father, although I know that aborting them is not an acceptable way to get them there faster. If it isn’t right to take the life of a born child outside the womb, it shouldn’t be right to do the same for one inside the womb.
I am convinced that heaven is a glorious place. It’s comforting to know their is a home for every child who passes from this world to the next.
LifeNews Note: Christinia Martin writes for Live Action News. Martin has been a pro-life voice for eight years. Her work began after her mother confessed she paid a doctor to abort her, but walked out before he could. Knowing she was saved from death, she wanted to fight for others.
We are not “all God’s children”, rather, we are all sons of the devil. We only become God’s children when we believe on the one he sent.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5
The parallels between the coming of Moses and the coming of Christ are striking. The slaughter of innocent children precede both events in salvation history. In our day we have another massive slaughter of innocents. What does this precede in our future?
Babies don't hate God, and God doesn't hate babies, and all our babies don't belong to the devil.
Thank you, Lord God Almighty, for your lovingkindness to us.
Galations 3 ... the law was our guardian until Christ came ... etc.”
Paul condemns the Galatians for trying to be justified by the law. The law being referred to was the Mosaic law. The Mosaic law does not procure righteousness anymore since Jesus came. The Galatian Christians were being misled by some Jewish Christians who were expecting them to keep the Mosiac law (circumcision, etc.) in order to be saved. St. Paul as their Bishop is setting them straight.
As it says in scripture, faith without works is dead. Paul was talking ONLY about the Mosaic law here in Galatians, the laws that were no longer required. The new wine of the New Testament replaces the old.
Christ brought us new commandments, including the requirement for faith in Him as one of the new “works” - love one another and the beatitudes, are two examples; and He also told us He was not here to do away with the Commandments. This means He still expects us to follow them - these are the new works for Christians, not the old dead works of the Jews. The Mosaic law has been replaced; The new laws instituted by Christ himself are to be acted upon as in worked out; there are new “laws” to follow that Christ gave us.
Christ expects his new instructions to be carried out by Christians: James 2:14 What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works?
This long list of scripture, althoug scripture is always profitable to read, do not somehow prove that works ar not needed; becuase scripture tells us that works are needed as well as faith. Sola fide is not found in the bible.
“Unfortunately I agree with you...”
Yes - it is the only logical conclusion that preserves the principal of non-contradiction, i.e., contradictory statments cannot both be true. You must be baptized to get into heaven and unbaptized babies go to heaven. Although God can do anything and is not bound by our laws, at the same time as our Father the instructions He gave (through His Son) us in scripture are to be adhered to and the Father is logical when dealing with mankind because our intellects are dim.
Also - God clearly makes other states than two. Paradise was perfect happiness and Adam and Eve were thrilled with it. John 14:2 In my Father’s hosue are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you.
meant to ping you for post #144 also
Well said!
1 John 3:2: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52: Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
And how does this differ from a resurrection body? How is this ‘Christian mythology’? Perhaps you can list all the Scripture that is ‘Christian mythology’ as opposed to 2 Timothy 3:16 (ALL scripture is God breathed...)
You may recall I was referring to the belief that we become angels.
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