Where do babies go when they die? Heaven?? Hell! ? NO! -Wrong on both counts -so says the Bible: (*)

* Theological Position Paper - Published: Friday, 22 January 2010 **
* Updated Today, Thursday, 05 December 2013 - This Position Paper has been overhauled; so, if you've read it before, you might want to re-read it again. Among other things, at 03:22 P.M., Tuesday, 03-22-2011, Jesus appeared to me in a dream, pointing out Scripture passages which are examples of both the prophet Jeremiah and also King David speaking metaphorically, not literally, so as to show that *other* passages written by David were NOT necessarily literal, but still true. For example, people think that when King David said that he would go to his son (2 Sam 12:23), this meant his son was in heaven. Right? NOT NECESSARILY TRUE: David might mean the grave (and not heaven) is where he would go. (Use the "literal" translation when reading the Bible!)

Furthermore, David was often metaphorical (and wrong!), as Psalm 13:1-4 proves: God did NOT abandon him! So, we must turn to other Scriptures to see the actual truth of this matter. In short, the Millennium features children (ISAIAH 11:6b,8), people who live in mortal bodies and die (ISAIAH 65:20b) and Free Will (as proven by the rebellion at the end of the millennium in Revelation 20:9), so the Bible does NOT prohibit nor preclude the Millennium from offering these children such Free Will choice: if God offered angels Free Will (proven by one-third having fallen) and humans free will, why would it be contrary to his character to offer babies free will?" Besides, The Holy Spirit is a gentleman: He will NOT 'force' ANYONE to believe -and that includes the babies: Faith required to be saved, is, then, a Free Will choice: If God forced you to believe, that would be rape, and God is NOT a rapist: He is a gentleman.

Children WILL be in the millennium; where do you think they’ll come from…? “Things that make you go ‘hmm…’.”

NOTE: I thought I had added those passages, but, while they were in another paper on a related subject, they were missing from this paper, so, finding that the dream was both true AND Scriptural, I concluded that it really WAS a cameo appearance by Jesus, Himself in that dream! - The 'Big Guy' Himself approves of my research.

Summary: There are at least nine (9) major positions on the end-fate of babies who die before the age of accountability (which includes both unborn babies killed via abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, or even Early Infant Death -AND ALSO persons born with mental disabilities who subsequently die --and by extension, this may possibly include: Peoples who have never heard of the Gospel of Christ -such as remote tribes of the world:

* Position 1: Babies who die before the age of accountability go to heaven. God's "grace" and "mercy" is the argument most commonly used -God would not send them to hell if they had not heard the Gospel and understood it.
* Position 2: Babies who die before the age of accountability go to hell (or are destroyed -or experience permanent 'Soul sleep': All the same difference). God's "holiness" and "justice" is the argument most commonly used -God could not send them to heaven if they were born into sin.
* Position 3: Babies who die before the age of accountability go to purgatory. This is a Catholic belief(#), and the argument most commonly used -God would have to be "fair" and not do 1 or 2 above -and allow these children to work out their sins.
* Position 4: Babies who die before the age of accountability go to heaven for the time being ("absent from the body" but "present with the Lord" -2nd Corinthians 5:8), but they eventually end up in the 1000-Year Millennium Reign of Christ Jesus (Rev. 20:4) --and are afforded an opportunity to hear the gospel. Since they never had an opportunity, this is not a "2nd chance": This is those children's *first* chance & opportunity to hear the Gospel of Christ Jesus -and to be raised with their family -from youth up to adulthood. In fact, Jesus may have been referring to them in John 10:16 (KJV), which reads: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." It is this 4th position here that I take -and defend with exegetical support from the Bible -and using commonly accepted hermeneutic principles of scriptural interpretation.
* Position 5: Babies who die before the age of accountability "lived not again until the thousand years were finished." (Rev. 20:5), and would presumably get a chance to accept Christ at that time. I believe that Position 4 above is more likely, but this position has its supporters, and this option, while more 'abbreviated' would still not contradict either God's nature or known Scripture -and it discussed in more detail in APPENDIX-D below.
* Position 6: ONLY baptised babies who die before the age of accountability make it to heaven. This is not true, because it denies the doctrine of faith. See e.g., APPENDIX-G below for further discussion.
* Position 7: ONLY 'foreknown' or 'predestined' or 'elect' babies who die before the age of accountability make it to heaven. This doctrine says that only those infants whom God 'elected' or 'foreknew' wold be saved, since God, being omniscient (that is, "all-knowing") knows if they would have been saved had they lived long enough. This, also, is not true, since it deprives a person of free-will and does not require faith to be saved. See e.g., APPENDIX-G below for further discussion.
* Position 8: ONLY babies of Christian parents make it to heaven if these infants die before the age of accountability. This mandates that the children of unsaved parents must go to hell, but this doctrine is not true: God has determined that the children shall NOT pay for the sins of their parents: See e.g., APPENDIX-G below for further discussion.
* Position 9: Infants, babies, and toddlers who die before the age of accountability were able to express faith in Jesus, just like adults, before they died. This is the position expressed by author, Rich Lusk, in his new book, 'Paedofaith' (ISBN-10: 0975391429; ISBN-13: 978-0975391426, Paperback: 171 pages; Publisher: Athanasius Press, November 16, 2005). He relies upon Psalm 22: 9-10, which he reads as infant faith, but this is an incorrect exegesis of that passage. Proper hermeneutic principles tell a different story. See e.g., APPENDIX-G below for further discussion.

My reasons for writing this position paper -and taking position #4 above:

1- *Save Lives* Many mothers (and fathers) think they can 'send their children to heaven' by killing them. (This applies to both 'unborn' children parents might want to kill via abortion -and killing of 'born handicapped' kids. Yes, this happens! -- See e.g., "APPENDIX-A" news reports if you don't believe 'baby killing' is running rampant here!) While the kids will go to heaven "for the time being" ("absent from the body" but "present with the Lord" -2nd Corinthians 5:8), the parents CAN NOT force their eternal state in this fashion, and thus I write to show the fallacy of this so-called logic -and save some kids' lives in the process. In fact, the senior pastor preacher of a local mega-church, a well-respected local church leader, when I asked him about this, confirmed that parents can NOT twist God's arm and make The Maker do anything --it is God's choice, and, I add: Scripture says it depends ONLY on whether or not a person BELIEVES on Jesus --something a baby is incapable of doing. NOTE: When I asked another leader in this church what he thought of my Position Paper, while he was uncertain it was appropriate for Sunday School (since it is a controversial subject), he agreed with my premise that we should try to save lives by addressing parents who kill their children thinking they are 'sending them to heaven.' Ironically, my very conservative friend suggested that the parents who do this are under pressure, and chose a 'liberal' method of asking what pressures they were under to cause them to do this. While the 'liberal' method of lightening the load DOES have Scriptural support ("Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." -Galatians 6:2), nonetheless, THIS position paper relies on the 'conservative method of helping strengthen the person --instead of lightening the load ("Study to shew thyself approved unto God..." -2nd Timothy 2:15) --of teaching the person to fish -instead of GIVING them a fish. Both methods are Scriptural, but lightening the load *without* helping the person study Scripture will only get you so far --so LET's STUDY.

2- *Comfort Parents* Some parents have lost children -and wonder about their fate. Here are solid, Biblically scriptural answers -from the Word Of God.

3- *Interesting Subject* This is a genuinely interesting point of theology -and a good spiritual (and mental) exercise. YOU need the exercise -and will enjoy reading the 'back story.'

4- *Clear up CONFUSION on this subject* See the newly-added "Appendix F" which shows how many religions & prominent preachers (shepherds) contradict THEMSELVES, and so it's no wonder that the average citizen (sheep) are led astray & confused! – 1st Timothy 4:1: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" It's not what it may seem - it's what the Word says: You have been warned...

(*) To clarify: When babies die, they probably *do* go to heaven --at least for the time *being* -a place analogous to the Abraham's Bosom mentioned in Jesus' parable about the rich man and Lazarus. (Why, where else *would* dead babies go immediately after dying??) It is also possible -although less likely -that they enter into 'Soul Sleep.' When I ask 'Where do babies go when they die?' -and then say that they don't go to either Heaven *or* Hell, I am not talking about their destination and location *immediately* after dying; rather, I am talking about their eternal destiny -and there is a big difference here. Although I have had some people ask me where the babies go *immediately* after they die -and suspect it is some place in heaven -I honesty don't know -and this is a subject outside the scope of this paper -since it really is a moot point and does not make any difference regarding their 'eternal' destiny. Therefore, I shall stay on-topic and address only the 'eternal' destiny, not the 'proximal' one. In this paper, I am discussing the end-fate of both aborted babies and those who are killed as children -but before the age of accountability -and I suggest that they share the same fate. -- (#) Purgatory is a Roman Catholic Church doctrine, and the term comes from the Medieval Latin 'purgatorium,' and it means to cleanse or purge from sins. Purgatory is defined as a state or a place in which the souls of those who have died saved, i.e., in grace, must make amends or reparation for their sins -and thereby purge themselves from their sinful nature. Roman Catholics rely upon Revelation 21:27 to defend this doctrine, since Scripture states that nothing unclean shall enter Heaven -and that 'saved' people with character flaws must cleanse or purge themselves before entering heaven. This writer is Protestant and subscribes to the doctrine that those saved shall be changed (purged from sin) in a twinkling of an eye and raised incorruptible, as outlined in 1st Corinthians 15:52. This writer is aware of NO Scripture that clearly describes the existence of a place, such as Purgatory. However, as Scripture clearly says that we (saved people) are changed into the same image from glory to glory (2nd Corinthians 3:18), therefore, since we are not going to be static and stuck in a rut in Heaven, but always going "from glory to glory," even though there may not be a place specifically called 'Purgatory,' nonetheless, while here on earth (as well as possibly heaven), it might be possible that we continue to 'purge' ourselves of ignorance as we continue to learn and grow. Whether or not that is the case, however, is outside the scope of this paper, and I mention it solely to 'be fair' and offer "both sides" to the debate of the Roman Catholic Church's doctrine of Purgatory -to give depth and perspective to the issues here. - Permission is hereby granted to both link to, comment on, and even to and reproduce/copy this article unedited and in its entirety, as outlined here: Mirror 1 ; Mirror 2 ; Mirror 3

Before we get going here, I'd like to point out that on page 44 of the revised church constitution & bylaws for my church (First Baptist Church at the Mall, Lakeland, Fla., USA; dated: March 07, 2010), they claim that "There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord." Copyright © 1999-2009, Southern Baptist Convention, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp#iv --Quoted under Fair Use: US CODE TITLE 17, Chapter 1. CAVEAT: Neither the First Baptist Church at the Mall, in LAKELAND, Fla., nor their sponsoring organisation, the Southern Baptist Convention, holds any official position on the issue of 'Infant Salvation,' one elder has informed me, and so the views expressed in this paper, while quoting from their official theological position statements, do not necessarily express the views of anyone else but myself, although, for the pro-life reasons enunciated above, I think they should. Nonetheless, their views on 'faith in Jesus Christ,' are shared by myself -and should be shared by you. --Editor, Gordon Wayne Watts (And, I might add: All mainline Protestant and Catholic churches accept that faith is necessary for salvation.) The church is correct here: Hebrews 11:6 states: "Without faith it it IMPOSSIBLE to please God"; these same denominations raise the bar even higher, adding that faith without works is dead: James 2:14-17, and that not everyone will get to heaven, but ONLY "he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven": Matthew 7:21 --and so, we see: Both faith, and the resultant works are ONLY done through free will and choice: Things a baby is incapable of doing... [End of 'Fair Use' excerpt]

Dear Reader: If you've gotten to this point in my position paper and found that it is a lot shorter than it was previously, it is because I have made this book available on KINDLE by AMAZON, and after they reminded me of a recent contractual agreement I made, I, because I am an honest Chrsitan, had to comply with their request:

-----Original Message-----
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:24:07 +0000
From: Kindle Direct Publishing <title-submission@amazon.com>
To: "gww1210@aol.com" <gww1210@aol.com>
Subject: Your Amazon KDP Inquiry


Hello,
 
Thank you for your cooperation in providing the requested information regarding the following title:

When Babies Die: Where do they  go? (Full-color Edition) by Watts, Gordon Wayne (AUTHOR) (ID:  2741741)

We see you’ve chosen the KDP Select option for your book and would like to take this opportunity to remind you that books enrolled in KDP Select must be exclusive to Amazon in digital format while enrolled in the program.

You can offer a sample, excerpt, or teaser of your KDP Select-enrolled book on your website as long as it doesn’t include a substantial portion of your book’s content.  Since a sample of your book is available on the detail page of your book on Amazon, we welcome you to link to that detail page from other sites.     

Check out this page to learn more about the KDP Select guidelines:
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=200798990#overview 

If you have any questions about your book’s eligibility, please contact kdp-compliance@amazon.com

Once you have ensured that your book meets the KDP Select requirements, please re-submit it for publishing.

To resubmit a book for publishing:
1. Log in to your KDP account at http://kdp.amazon.com
2. In the "Your Book" section, click "Save and Continue.”   
3. You'll then be redirected to "Rights & Pricing" where you'll need to reconfirm Content Rights.
4. Click "Save and Publish" at the bottom of the screen.

If you have any questions regarding the review process, you can write to us at title-submission@amazon.com.

Thanks for publishing with KDP.

Best regards,

Aaron W.
Amazon.com
Your feedback is helping us build Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company.
http://www.amazon.com/your-account
______________________________
Connect with KDP and other Authors and Publishers:
Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/KindleDirectPublishing
Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AmazonKDP

Because of that, the paper is currently unavailable in electronic form (via website download, etc.).

But, as I want to make it available to as many people as possible, here are your options:

Full-colour version (Illustrated) USD $19.99 (plus or minus) available at: CreateSpace.com ~~ Amazon.com ~~ Barnes & Noble ~~ Books-a-Million Black & White (Illustrated) USD $8.99 (plus or minus) available at: CreateSpace.com ~~ Amazon.com ~~ Barnes & Noble ~~ Books-a-Million Kindle e-Book (Illustrated) USD $2.99 available at: Kindle via Amazon.com

VERY IMPORTANT:

If your copy has APPENDIX - J: "ANSWERING DR. AL MOHLER, DR. DAN AKIN, & MATT SLICK," then you have the most current edition in either print or KINDLE, and you may safely ignore the rest of this "update" notice.

If the 'About the Author' is on page 90, and you see a small photo of me in the top-right of the page, but there is no "Appendix-J" addressing Dr. Mohler, et al., then click on 1 of the mirrors below to get a copy of Apx-J to update your copy:
* Mirror 1 PDF version - Mirror 1 Microsoft Word *.doc version
* Mirror 2 PDF version - Mirror 2 Microsoft Word *.doc version
* Mirror 3 PDF version - Mirror 3 Microsoft Word *.doc version
* Mirror 4 PDF version - Mirror 4 TEXT *.txt version

If the 'About the Author' page is on page 80 without a thumbnail photo, then you got the 1st printing, and the corrections below apply to you. (Only like 5 or 10 of those printed, it appears on my end.) To update your copy, get both the updates below AND the Appendix-J above -- both:
* Mirror 1 PDF version - Mirror 1 Microsoft Word *.doc version
* Mirror 2 PDF version - Mirror 2 Microsoft Word *.doc version
* Mirror 3 PDF version - Mirror 3 Microsoft Word *.doc version
* Mirror 4 PDF version - Mirror 4 TEXT *.txt version

Lastly, there may still be small typos in either the print or the Kindle versions, but they do not change the meaning of the book, I assure you, as the author.

If you have problems with your order, shoot me an email: ~~Gordon
CONTACT:
 * MAIN e-mail:Gww1210@aol.com * Alt. e-mail:Gww12102002@yahoo.com * 
 * MAIN PH: 863-688-9880 * Alt. PH: 863-686-3411 * Alt. PH: 863-687-6141 * 
 / Gordon Wayne Watts, LAKELAND, Florida, U.S.A.

* www.GordonWAYNEWatts.com / www.GORDONWatts.com *

* http://FaceBook.com/GordonWayneWatts *

* http://YouTube.com/GordonWayneWatts *

* http://Gordon_Watts.Tripod.com/consumer.html *