A question that often raises concern in the minds of Christians is that of the eternal state of children or intellectually challenged people who obviously cannot understand the gospel or make a conscious decision to accept it. Unfortunately the Bible is, for the most part, silent on this subject. Perhaps the most simple answer is that if we hold to the truth that God is completely righteous and just, whatever plan He has for these people must also be completely righteous and just. To go beyond this, however, it may be possible to suggest theories based on the few references to this topic that can be found in the Scriptures and our overall knowledge of God. The following is my personal belief as to how God may view and judge these people.
We can see from Jewish culture, that there was an 'age of accountability' at around age 12, at which point the child then took responsibility for their own standing in regards to the Law of God. It was assumed that at this age the child was now capable of understanding and choosing to obey or disobey the Law. We also note that neither God, nor Christ in His earthly ministry, have any recorded objection to this convention. This idea certainly seems feasible as part of the answer to God's view of children.
In a fast-paced modern society, it may be argued that the age at which a child can make rational decisions for themselves may in fact be younger than 12. This may mean that God decides the 'age of accountability' for each individual person based on their own personal development rate. In Romans 1:19-20 and 2:14-16 we see some evidence of the idea that God's judgement may vary in relation to the individual's understanding and the attitude of their heart. This may be true also of those who have, through demographic isolation, never been able to receive the message of the gospel. In cases like these, God may choose to judge on the individual's lifestyle choices based on the knowledge they did have. We must be careful, however, not to use this theory as an excuse to deny the urgency of the Great Commission especially to those parts of the world yet to hear the gospel. Even if this theory is true, it is certainly not preferable to a person possessing the full blessings of a new life in Christ and the assurance of salvation, which they may have if and when the gospel is preached.
In the same way, it is possible that God employs a similar standpoint when it comes to those who are intellectually challenged to the extent that comprehension and rational thought is impossible. It would follow that due to such infirmities, these people may be regarded in similar vein to children under the age of accountability. As humans we cannot, of course, be judge of how much spiritual understanding God gives to these people. Many Christians who work with intellectually handicapped people are often amazed at occasional glimpses of the deep workings of the inner mind of those they care for. It may be feasible to assume that God judges their accountability based on His complete and total knowledge of the mental capacity of each individual mind.
For infants and severely intellectually challenged people it is impossible to commit personal sin. This is because personal sin involves a conscious choice to sin. Therefore, although they share with all humanity the effects of original sin (sickness, physical death etc.), they do not face the punishment of hell because they are not inherently guilty of any personal sin against God. Some passages of Scripture do seem to show that God views these people differently to the rest of condemned humanity. (See: Deuteronomy 1:39; Jonah 4:11; Matthew 18:5-6, 10-14). These passages, although admittedly not conclusive, certainly add weight to the aforesaid theory.
With all this in mind, I believe that we can be certain that infants and severely intellectually challenged people are assured entrance into heaven, and that those older children, demographically isolated people and moderately intellectually impaired persons will be judged fairly in relation to their own mental abilities and level of knowledge.
This article was taken from "Statement of Belief - by Cameron Stefferson". You can view the complete document by clicking on 'Statement of Belief' in the top menu.
