Children in hell?

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k5thbeatle

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I was watching the local news the other day and as we unfortunately seem to see more and more the lead story was of a homicide involving juevenilles.

As we watched the person I was watching with brought up an interesting question. That being; are there children in hell? Is there any official doctrine or teaching of the church on the idea of how young one can be and fall into eternal damnation?
 
It depends somewhat on how you define ‘children.’

First, you cannot commit a mortal sin before the age of reason, so a Baptized child who has not attained the age of reason cannot commit sin, and therefore cannot go to hell (original sin having been washed away in their Baptism).

The church has not definitively taught what happens to an unbaptized child, and some have asserted that they end up in hell, but the Catechism says that we have hope that God will not condemn an innocent child. Personally, I have a hard time believing that God would condemn a child who has not attained the age of reason because their parents never had them Baptized. So my inclination is to believe that no child who dies before the age of reason goes to hell, but I want to be clear that the Church has left the question of unbaptized children somewhat open.

Now, once a child has attained the age of reason (and the exact age may differ from child to child), they then have the ability to commit mortal sin. The same rules apply as apply to adults - a sin is mortal if it involves grave matter, is committed with full knowledge, and is committed with full consent of the will.

So it is definitely possible for an older child to commit mortal sin, and if they never repent before their death, they may end up in hell. Legally speaking a sixteen year old (for example) may be a juvenile, but they are capable of making moral decisions and of committing mortal sin, and are culpable for their actions (assuming grave matter, full knowledge, and full consent).

God bless!
 
Pope Gregory the Great mentioned, if I am not mistaken, that there was a five year old who’s father wasn’t strict at all and he was allowed to do many things other parents would forbid. That boy,if I am not mistaken, often spoke blasphemies. One day boy saw demons coming to him and went to his father for protection. Finally, he told blapshemy again and demons carried him to hell…
Sorry for bad english!
 
lifesoldier said:
Pope Gregory the Great mentioned, if I am not mistaken, that there was a five year old who’s father wasn’t strict at all and he was allowed to do many things other parents would forbid. That boy,if I am not mistaken, often spoke blasphemies. One day boy saw demons coming to him and went to his father for protection. Finally, he told blapshemy again and demons carried him to hell…
Sorry for bad english!
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Interesting story but I have to admit I have some doubts about it. How do we know the demons carried the boy to Hell?
 
At Easter we should be overcome by God’s infinite love for all of us and not speculating about whether anyone, let alone children, goes to Hell. It is unrealistic to suggest that even though Jesus willingly sacrificed His life **for all of us **on the Cross He was unable to save most of mankind from a fate far worse than death.

There is far too much preoccupation with Hell and very little thought about Heaven because it is easier to be negative than positive… Or it because evil is fascinating and love is taken for granted?
 
tonyrey said:
At Easter we should be overcome by God’s infinite love for all of us and not speculating about whether anyone, let alone children, goes to Hell. It is unrealistic to suggest that even though Jesus willingly sacrificed His life **for all of us **on the Cross He was unable to save most of mankind from a fate far worse than death.

There is far too much preoccupation with Hell and very little thought about Heaven because it is easier to be negative than positive… Or it because evil is fascinating and love is taken for granted?
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Or is it possible that three people, all strong Catholics imo, were just innocently watching the news, noted a story involving a 13 year old as a murder suspect, which triggered a conversation regarding how many young people are involved in crimes these days which in turn spun into the question posed out of simple curiosity with no “sinister” preoccupation" with Hell that none of the three could completely answer?
 
k5thbeatle said:
Or is it possible that three people, all strong Catholics imo, were just innocently watching the news, noted a story involving a 13 year old as a murder suspect, which triggered a conversation regarding how many young people are involved in crimes these days which in turn spun into the question posed out of simple curiosity with no “sinister” preoccupation" with Hell that none of the three could completely answer?
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It has nothing to do with being “sinister” but seeing evil in its proper context. Curiosity is innocent enough yet like everything else it is taken too far if Hell dominates our attention at Easter. There is no doubt the media thrive on sensational stories about crimes at the expense of all the kindness in the world. In our secular society good news fades into the background…
 
tonyrey said:
It has nothing to do with being “sinister” but seeing evil in its proper context. Curiosity is innocent enough yet like everything else it is taken too far if Hell dominates our attention at Easter. There is no doubt the media thrive on sensational stories about crimes at the expense of all the kindness in the world. In our secular society good news fades into the background…
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Oh, oh Tony…I totally agree with you, even though Easter is not important to me. Every media source dwells far too much on negativity…all the time.

John
 
littlestsouls2 said:
Good link!
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Yes good link, Like the author I’m not convinced that the “parable” related by Pope Gregory was actual fact or used as a story to teach people the consequences of blaspheming. There would be no infallibility attached to it in any event. Like the parable of the good Samaritan it was just used as a story to make a point and to teach. We don’t know if there ever was a Good Samaritan as depicted in the parable but the lesson still teaches truth.
 
oldcelt said:
Oh, oh Tony…I totally agree with you, even though Easter is not important to me. Every media source dwells far too much on negativity…all the time.

John
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Thanks, John. We’re on the right track in spite of our differences. Scaremongering is another of their favourite tricks even though it doesn’t include Hell. 😉
 
tonyrey said:
It has nothing to do with being “sinister” but seeing evil in its proper context. Curiosity is innocent enough yet like everything else it is taken too far if Hell dominates our attention at Easter. There is no doubt the media thrive on sensational stories about crimes at the expense of all the kindness in the world. In our secular society good news fades into the background…/QUOTE

:confused::rolleyes::banghead:
Never mind…
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tonyrey said:
It has nothing to do with being “sinister” but seeing evil in its proper context. Curiosity is innocent enough yet like everything else it is taken too far if Hell dominates our attention at Easter. There is no doubt the media thrive on sensational stories about crimes at the expense of all the kindness in the world. In our secular society good news fades into the background…
Click to expand...
Wait…do you understand that this was not a sensationalized news story for Easter? And that it was purely coincidental that I just asked about it now?

It was actually a part of our local everyday regular news. The news wasn’t reporting on something special just because it was Easter or making any link to Easter (because it was actually a couple weeks prior anyway). It was the everyday normal local news. Local! “The weather today was such and such and in other news a homicide occurred where the suspect arrested was a 13 year old male blah blah blah.”

So watching the local news we started talking how young people seem to be more and more involved in crimes and serious crimes. We talked about that for some time. As our conversation went on one of us (I honestly can’t remember who now) brought up the idea of how these kids must be brought up likely without much of a knowledge of God. We kept talking and as the conversation went on the idea came up as to whether such kids were really responsible and whether they could be condemned?

So I don’t know where you are coming from in your reply (???) but there was nothing more behind the question than what I just stated.

Thank you to the others for your attempts at answering a reasonable question of pure curiosity (curiosity as to what our Church might teach on the subject).
 
k5thbeatle said:
tonyrey;12876687:
It has nothing to do with being “sinister” but seeing evil in its proper context. Curiosity is innocent enough yet like everything else it is taken too far if Hell dominates our attention at Easter. There is no doubt the media thrive on sensational stories about crimes at the expense of all the kindness in the world. In our secular society good news fades into the background…
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The facts remain:
  1. It has nothing to do with being “sinister” but seeing evil in its proper context.
  2. Curiosity is innocent enough yet like everything else it is taken too far** if Hell dominates our attention at Easter**.
3.There is no doubt the media thrive on sensational stories about crimes at the expense of all the kindness in the world. In our secular society good news fades into the background…
Click to expand...
 
k5thbeatle said:
Wait…do you understand that this was not a sensationalized news story for Easter? And that it was purely coincidental that I just asked about it now?

It was actually a part of our local everyday regular news. The news wasn’t reporting on something special just because it was Easter or making any link to Easter (because it was actually a couple weeks prior anyway). It was the everyday normal local news. Local! “The weather today was such and such and in other news a homicide occurred where the suspect arrested was a 13 year old male blah blah blah.”

So watching the local news we started talking how young people seem to be more and more involved in crimes and serious crimes. We talked about that for some time. As our conversation went on one of us (I honestly can’t remember who now) brought up the idea of how these kids must be brought up likely without much of a knowledge of God. We kept talking and as the conversation went on the idea came up as to whether such kids were really responsible and whether they could be condemned?

So I don’t know where you are coming from in your reply (???) but there was nothing more behind the question than what I just stated.

Thank you to the others for your attempts at answering a reasonable question of pure curiosity (curiosity as to what our Church might teach on the subject).
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Morbid curiosity that overlooks the infinite love of God expressed by Jesus on the Cross and forgets His words:

**But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. **Mat 19:14

At Easter we should be overcome by God’s infinite love for all of us and not speculating about whether anyone, let alone children, goes to Hell. It is absurd to think that although Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for everyone **He couldn’t save most of us - including children - from a fate far worse than death. :eek:
**
 
At the very least, it should make us very grateful for what God has done for us.
 
opusAquinas said:
At the very least, it should make us very grateful for what God has done for us.
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Indeed. Everything else becomes insignificant when we remember how much Our Lord suffered for us:

**For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. **
Romans 8:38-39

The dominant thought in our minds should be His words on the Cross:

Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.

All evil is ultimately due to ignorance and only God knows to what extent we are responsible for what we do…
 
We must trust in God. Many have posted that children being in hell is so disturbing a notion they can’t imagine a God who would allow such a thing. My sensibilities trend in that direction as well but in the end I figure God knows what he is doing, I trust Him, so I don’t lose much sleep over it.

That trust drives straight to the heart of the culpability question. Again, that really must be rooted in trusting God. Consider Romans 2: 14 - 16:

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

That seems to mean God has insights into the conscience, motivations, psycho-baggage, and true culpability beyond anything we pretend to possess. It is a rather terrifying idea, being tried and convicted where our own mental state, conscience, and standards are both the primary witnesses for the prosecution and are seated in the jury box, too!

God knows the truth! He knows it for adults and He knows it for children. He, alone, knows all inner motivations, what all are capable of, incapable of, and subsequently our level of accountability. I trust His judgement!
 
Beircheart said:
We must trust in God. Many have posted that children being in hell is so disturbing a notion they can’t imagine a God who would allow such a thing. My sensibilities trend in that direction as well but in the end I figure God knows what he is doing, I trust Him, so I don’t lose much sleep over it.

That trust drives straight to the heart of the culpability question. Again, that really must be rooted in trusting God. Consider Romans 2: 14 - 16:

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

That seems to mean God has insights into the conscience, motivations, psycho-baggage, and true culpability beyond anything we pretend to possess. It is a rather terrifying idea, being tried and convicted where our own mental state, conscience, and standards are both the primary witnesses for the prosecution and are seated in the jury box, too!

God knows the truth! He knows it for adults and He knows it for children. He, alone, knows all inner motivations, what all are capable of, incapable of, and subsequently our level of accountability. I trust His judgement!
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👍 To reject God with full knowledge of the consequences must be a very rare event. Hell is not an unexpected trap but a premeditated destiny…
 
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