I’m late to this thread and not sure what to make of the discussion. I suppose the fact that even hardline calvinists can see how wrong and ungodly the idea of everlasting hell for children/mentally handicapped people is gives me some hope that they might see how wrong and ungodly it is for everybody else. If the deciding factor is to be one’s capacity to make an informed choice before death … surely from God’s perspective even the best trained human brains are only as capable as confused toddlers to make an informed choice.
That’s just what I was thinking Drew. And if as I’ve heard it’s medically true that we only use about 10-20% of our brain’s capabilities, then we are all extremely mentally retarded. Maybe that’s why Jesus when on the cross said, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” Of course, even the mentally retarded are held accountable to a greater or lesser degree for their actions. And if they are violent and mentally retarded they are jailed for their own protection as well as the protection of others until they can be cured.
The discussion also makes me think of the Calv. principle of the Total Depravity of man with which I very much agree. We have no power to choose God, except He draw (drag) us to Himself. Paul says that we are dead in our trespasses and sins, slaves to unrighteousness; and neither corpses or slaves have any “choice” in the matter. Only the living and free can make choices!
I think this argument is definitely something to challenge the traditional view with. I was taught as a Calvinist that God had secretly chosen only some babies to go to heaven. As a parent of four children I chose to listen to those theologians that would have said that all babies happen to be chosen. But of course as was already mentioned that begs the question of why abortion would not be one of the greatest vehicles of salvation…!
I just launched our new website challenging primarily (but not limited to) the Reformed camp of evangelicalism on the topic of the nature of hell and the evidence for UR. I have offered 150+ questions in over 25 categories challenging the traditional view. The above question is a good one. I invite anyone to contribute any additional questions not yet raised among the list…