Is it better to die as an infant?

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If baptized infants are surely saved, whereas a multitude of adults are damned despite having been baptized, is it better to die as an infant?
 
Only God knows this! Perhaps they have a greater mission than we can possibly understand…
 
I would love to die right after baptism. Here comes heavennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
 
Indeed the judgments of God are incomprehensible in this life. I know that God is good, and I know that He sets the length of our days for our good, but it troubles me that a child baptized in infancy and raised in the faith could nonetheless fail to persevere and be lost.
 
If I remember correctly, Paul wanted to be martyred as quickly as possible so that he could achieve his award. However, he chose instead to remain alive as long as possible for our benefit.

It may or may not be the personal best for someone to die as an infant. Regardless, in dying, all of us still alive are robbed of whatever contributions they could have made to ourselves and the Church.
 
Sort as a follow-up to the last paragraph in Thom18’s post, infants in heaven are far better off than those who live longer but die in mortal sin, i.e., those in hell. However, Jesus spoke of storing up treasure in heaven by doing good deeds, presumably, in a state of grace. Infants in heaven, though perfectly happy, were not capable of storing up such treasure in their short life on earth and so would be relatively poor in heaven when compared to those in heaven who lived longer and were able to store up such treasure. We should wish for everyone a long life full of good works done in a state of grace.
 
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That’s a horrible distortion of truth.

Life is a blessing. To have that attitude is to insult God.
 
And I do understand that actively or passively killing infants after baptism would scandalize unbelievers; indeed, it would make turn the ancient blood libel against the Church into truth. God rightly forbids us from doing such a thing because it transgresses the natural law, demonstrates a lack of hope in God’s grace and mercy, and undermines the Gospel by causing unbelievers to recoil in legitimate disgust. I suppose the lesson for us is to pray fervently, for the Lord will not fail to answer the fervent prayers of His faithful ones for the perseverance of our children.
 
mythbuster1 said:
If baptized infants are surely saved, whereas a multitude of adults are damned despite having been baptized, is it better to die as an infant?
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Merit is required for glory in heaven and if one cannot gain merit through many meritorious actions, then the glory will not be as great.
 
How do you know a multitude of adults are damned? I wasn’t aware that God ever released statistics on the populations of heaven and hell?
 
CCC 2288 Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must take reasonable care of them, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.
 
Related to this is the matter of not evangelizing to the innocently ignorant because as soon as they become aware of the faith they risk winding up in hell.
 
KevinK said:
Related to this is the matter of not evangelizing to the innocently ignorant because as soon as they become aware of the faith they risk winding up in hell.
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If you consider that heaven means having the Beatific Vision and that is given surely only to those with merit. Then is it possible to end in hell (no Beatific Vision) without actual mortal sins, and without merit, in a state of natural peace.
 
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No. The soul is created with powers that are particular to being human. Powers that make us human. Powers that give our lives all that is inherent to human nature.

Although fully realized at conception they seek perfection. For the human soul is immortal and the powers proper to immortality seek the perfection proper to immortal life. The perfection the higher faculties seek are only found united to a body. Our lives are fulfilled when the powers of the soul that animate our bodies are perfected.

The soul that animated a body that departed in it’s infancy has had no opportunity, therefore, has not enjoyed any measure of perfection. No opportunity to fulfill it’s reason and purpose which is the perfection proper to immortal life.

Nobody should prefer that. A life unfulfilled because it lost the opportunity.

The question asked here makes that it’s end and purpose if the answer is yes
 
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Benadam said:
No opportunity to fulfill it’s reason and purpose which is the perfection proper to immortal life.
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Benadam said:
A life unfulfilled because it lost the opportunity.
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You presume to know God’s plan? Who are you to determine a fulfilled life? Not everyone must live 80 years. There have been saints who’ve been children. Granted they lived longer than someone who died at or near birth; nevertheless, God knows our futures and our life purpose. If we are to join him sooner rather than later it’s his will.
 
If baptism were merely an innoculation, this might work.
Baptism opens the door to Christian life by participating in Christ’s victory over death. Our human lifespan is an opportunity, not a curse.

That’s the whole point of Christianity. Christ redeems our life. We have the glorious opportunity for response, not the lifetime of slavish fear.
 
Cruciferi said:
You presume to know God’s plan? Who are you to determine a fulfilled life?
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Just a little theology I learned from reading St. John Paul II’s writings Cruciferi

Besides I didn’t even touch on the plan of God. Or the fate of infants the die and lose the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and aspirations like most of us do. They lost the opportunity to form dreams and aspirations. Oh, ooops, don’t want to step om God’s plan by saying that:wink:

Also, what I wrote is just another way of expressing what St. Augustine expressed when he wrote

Our heart is continually restless until it rests in God.
 
I have never heard that one can be in Hell and in a state of peace. What is your source for this?
 
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