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I personally can't see babies going to heaven if they die unless they were chosen from the beginning. I think the question is a red herring question that keeps cropping up in our culture, because we really can't see the sin nature in babies. Our concept of sin is based generally on works related things that we can see. When in reality, God looks beyond what we can see and sees the heart. And if you look hard enough you see that the Bible says we are born with a sinful heart, we inherit the sinful heart of Adam. We are born with it. So saying that with out any scriptural support at this moment. I'll say why should God judge babies any differently, they too have a sinful heart too. Just because they look cute doesn’t mean they are without sin. Mice are cute too, but that doesn’t mean we love them and cuddle them too. No we try to kill them too in our mousetraps. Well anyway I’m getting away from making my comments on the verses mentioned.

Matthew 19:13-14 Children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these."

The miss interruptions I see most people making is they interrupt the verse to say as these and ignore the such. To rephrase the verse it might be easier to understand the verse if we said "like these", but I really don't think it would make much different in a culture that has already predetermined in their mind that babies go to heaven. We think of Babies going to hell as something ungodly of God, even though they are not any better then grownups as far as the heart goes. Remember the heart is what condemms us, not our works, because our works are dependent on our heart. That why Jesus says some where else in scripture I never knew you,(basically I never knew your heart). God the father never gave me your guys heart to change.

The other verse mentioned

Matthew 18:1-5 The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

The emphasis should be on the you and whoever not the Children. In other wise you should be as_______(fill in the blank) Children. I think Jesus is referring to the simplicity of a childs faith.

Again like I said at the beginning of my rant, I believe the question: “do babies go to heaven if they die? Is a red herring that Arminianists ask. I do believe if they really understood scripture they won’t be asking this question. The Arminianists spend to much time worshipping their babies instead of God. The only reason we should be having babies is because God instructed us as humans to go forth and populate the earth. Any other reason other then a reason that God gave us would be in sin. So I guess you can say a lot of babies are conceived out of sin since only about 50% or less are planned. But then again God doesn’t look at the works we do but at the heart. But not only is the idea that less 50% are conceived but that most women and some men want babies so that they can have something cuddly and cute. It’s like their ornament they put up on their tree of life to show others because that’s what is expected of them in their culture.

Well I’ve ranted and raved to much on this thread, I will bump it to Rnmomof7 to see if she wants to bump it to others, and I probably won’t response to any responses, but you can try to hook me though. I wasn’t planning on even getting this involved on any thread this week but you know they are contagious.

There are differing opinions on this subject within the Reform camp, most of them revolve around the verse in 2 Samuel 12:1-23 which I have no position on. I find it hard to take a position on just one verse or series of verses and like I said, I think you ought to be asking other questions in life concerning Scripture stuff, the depravity of the heart is a good starter.

I personally can't see babies going to heaven if they die unless they were chosen from the beginning.

I have a question for you, if you don't mind.

I think your argument falls flat here, with your comment above.

How can it be that anyone is saved, or born again, who doesn't believe? Are you assigning salvation to nothing more than God picking them?

It's a contradiction, do you see?

You are saying they would have to go to Hell because of their sin nature, yet the same would remain in place were they not born again.

Unless of course you consider Romans, where Paul says without the knowledge of the law, sin is not imputed.

But you don't consider that.

Thanks in advance for your reply.