Would unbaptized babies go to Heaven?

MANY preachers, like Eliseo Soriano of the group "Ang Dating Daan" (The Old Path), teach that it is not necessary for babies to be baptized.

According to them, children--especially babies--are sinless. These have nothing to repent for and nothing to be forgiven of. Such preachers claim that only sinners who have something to repent for need to be baptized.

They usually refer to Acts 2:38, which says:

"Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

There, they say, a person needs to repent before he can be baptized. Babies, they conclude, have nothing to repent of so they do not need to be baptized.

Such preachers add, "Heaven belongs to children. If heaven is already theirs the no longer need to be baptized. They will enter heaven even if they do no undergo baptism."

They support their belief by citing Matthew 19:14, which says,

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

They say it was the Lord Jesus who Himself made this assurance so children are sure to enter heaven.

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MISUNDERSTOOD
Soriano and people like him grossly misunderstand what they are saying.

Baptism is necessary for babies and children. To deny them baptism would be to rob them of Heaven.

Indeed, Acts 2:38 requires repentance for baptism but that is because Peter was talking to adults, who had most likely already committed sin.

The apostle was not talking about baptism in general. He was talking to a particular group of people: grown-ups.

For adults, particularly those who have already committed sin, repentance is a must.

But repentance is NOT a prerequisite for all and this was proven by the Lord Jesus Himself.

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WHAT SIN DID JESUS COMMIT?
In Matthew 3:13-16, we will read that Jesus Himself was baptized.

The text says,

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' 

"But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.' 

"Then he consented. 

"And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him."

Jesus was baptized.

If Soriano and those who opposed baptism for babies, infants and children are correct that repentance is a requisite for everyone to receive the sacrament, what sin did Jesus repent of before he got baptized?

None.

Like a baby, Jesus was sinless. Like Jesus, babies don't have sins to repent of.

And like Jesus who was baptized, babies must also be baptized even though they have not made any sin that needs repentance.

Therefore, the baptism of Jesus proves that repentance is NOT a requisite for all. It is only required for those who have committed sin.

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FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
When Jesus was baptized, He was like a baby who had no sin to repent of. And yet, the Lord was baptized.

Why?

He was baptized because, according to Him, baptism is needed "to fulfill all righteousness." (Mt 3:15)

So, anyone who wishes to be righteous before God should agree that baptism is not reserved to those who have sinned but is also necessary for those who have NOT SINNED, especially babies.

To deny baptism to babies or children is to turn away from the righteousness required by God.

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HEAVEN BELONGS TO CHILDREN
To deny baptism to babies and children, some say that they don't need it because "Heaven already belongs to them," citing Matthew 19:14.

"See?" say critics of infant baptism. "Heaven already belongs to children (babies), so their is no need for them to be baptized."

Really?

Indeed, Heaven belongs to children, as Jesus said. But Jesus also said that to enter Heaven, one must possess the KEY to His Kingdom.

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KEY TO HEAVEN
One may claim to own a house or to live in a place of residence but if that person does not have the key to it, his or her claim is an empty one. It is useless.

For Heaven, the Kingdom of God, Jesus Himself identified the key, which is Baptism.

Jesus said in John 3:5,

"Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.'

Nothing can be clearer than that.

According to Jesus, who is God and the King of Heaven, no one can enter His kingdom "UNLESS he or she is BORN of WATER and of Spirit."

Jesus became man, died on the cross, and rose from the dead to save humankind so that all men and women can go to Heaven. So, Heaven belongs to all of us.

More so, Heaven belongs to babies, our children.

But despite that, Jesus said, we will not be able to enter Heaven UNLESS we are BORN of WATER and of Spirit. This being born of water is the KEY to entering God's Kingdom.

This being born of water is none other than BAPTISM.

Baptism is the key to the Kingdom of God.

Without baptism, one will never enter Heaven.

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DENYING HEAVEN TO CHILDREN
If baptism is needed and necessary for one to enter Heaven, what will happen to children--especially babies--who die without receiving the sacrament? Will they be allowed to enter God's Kingdom?

One may speculate that God's mercy will allow these innocents to enter Heaven.

Perhaps, that is why the Catholic Church leaves it to God's mercy the fate of the souls of infants, babies or children who die without receiving baptism.

But then, the Catholic Church is not leaving their fate to chance when their salvation and opportunity to enter God's Kingdom can be assured. That is why the Catholic Church requires the baptism of babies and children at the earliest possible time.

The Code of Canon Law, the law of the Church, says in Canon 867:

Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it. 

If the infant is in danger of death, it is to be baptized without any delay.

The Catholic Church's love for God's children demands that babies be baptized to assure their entry into God's Kingdom because Heaven belongs even to children.

Critics of infant baptism also claim to love children but are willing to endanger their salvation by depriving them of the key to Heaven. Can that be called love?

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HEAVEN LOST
Heaven belongs to children, as Jesus said in Mt 19:14.

But in Jn 3:5 we see that infants, babies and children will not be able to enter God's Kingdom if they die without being baptized.

And that makes us pity the children of members of Soriano's group and members of other groups that refuse baptism to their members' babies and children.

Heaven is lost to them.

They are robbed of the blessing of entering God's Kingdom.

Is Disobedience The Original Sin?

ORIGINAL SIN is an essential truth of the faith, says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is the reason why God had to become man, suffer, die and rise again to save mankind.

Had the first man and woman not committed Original Sin, we would all have been born in Paradise.

Because of Original Sin, man was thrown out of Paradise. And with that came suffering and death. (Genesis 3:16-24)

Now, some ask: What is The Original Sin? What is this sin that started it all?

Many say it was "disobedience" and for good reason: God commanded the first man and woman to not eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Genesis 2:17) Despite that prohibition, they still ate the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:6)

The first man and woman disobeyed God.

So, was disobedience the Original Sin?

No.

Disobedience was only an offshoot of The Original Sin, which was pride.

Pride was and is the very first sin of man. Pride is The Original Sin.

To understand this, let us read the events that led to the fall of man.

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Genesis 3:1-6

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’”

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate."

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From the start, the devil (serpent) wanted to test or explore any weakness in man. He did this through distortion and deception. Genesis 3:1 did say that the serpent was "crafty."

God created man perfect, innocent yet rational. One top of that, He gave man free will and allowed him to think and decide for himself. This is in part the essence of man being in the "image and likeness" of God. (Genesis 1:26-27)

It was through this innocent, rational nature that the devil began his attack on man.

In Genesis 3:1, the devil asked the woman: "Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

Take note, the serpent distorted the command of God.

When God made His first command to man in Genesis 2:16-17, He said: “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”

God told man that he “may freely eat of every tree of the garden.” The devil reversed this saying: “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

In God's command, He told man to avoid only the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Notice how the woman responded to the serpent's question. She said: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’”

God never prohibited the first man and woman from touching the forbidden fruit. Wittingly or unwittingly, the woman added to God's command.

The Creator gave an order and she put in her own "command."

The devil saw this and saw that she was trying to play God. And it was there that the serpent focused his attack.

In Genesis 3:4-5 the devil said, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

These words echoed in the woman's ears: “... When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.”

“You will be like God.”

At that moment, the woman saw the tree as "good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise."

The serpent's words tickled her desire: "You will be like God."

She would no longer just be a creature. She would be "like God."

The creature was desiring to become like the Creator.

Pride had crept up in her.

It was this pride that prompted her to take the fruit and eat it. "And she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:6)

Because of pride, man and woman disobeyed God.

It was pride that started it all.

Pride was and is The Original Sin.