"But who are we to make God less merciful, or even seem that way? What if, to show how merciful He really is, He did so by taking those people in infancy to save them some kind of physical suffering here on earth or something?"

Hey Kalled2Preach. My name is Colby.

I, personally, am one who believes in the total depravity of man and unconditional election. I hold to original sin as it has been taught throughout the church age by men like Jeremiah, Paul, and Christ himself. I'm telling you this so you know exactly where I'm coming from.

The bible tells us that God is merciful, but he is also just. Original sin is a damnable offense against God, and Adam's sin has been imputed to us, because he was the represenative, or federal head of the human race. When Adam sinned, the entire human race sinned with him. That was the covenant that God made with Adam.

Does it seem odd that God would punish the human race for the transgression of one?

Not as odd as it would seem that God would save the church for the obedience of one.

We Christians have no obedience in and of ourselves:

When Adam sinned, he imputed to us a sinful nature. Adam's sin became ours. It IS our sin. Babies have this sin.

When Christ died for the elect, he imputed to us a righteous nature. It IS our righteousness. Christians have this righteousness.

Some babies who die in infancy are saved. (1 Corinthians 7:14.) Some are damned. (1 Corinthians 7:14.)

We need to understand this fact in order to live a righteous life, that it is not our righteousness, but Christ's. When we are born again, we are imputed righteousness not by our own merit, but by Christ's.

Your arguement is because God would send babies to hell, he is not merciful.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, unfortunately, would say that you are saying God is not merciful, because you believe he would send ANYONE to hell!

How foolish and absurd is such a thing! To say that an unloving God would send anyone to hell.

Unfortunately, your argument is along the same kind of logic: That because God sends an infant to hell, he is unloving or unmerciful.

I hope this has helped you out, and I pray for your studies in the scriptures, that you would reach truth that cannot be resisted. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Colby