What is the age of accountability?

[Lanolin]

Hi @Lanolin. I agree that every person is different, so it really depends on their maturity, understanding, and revelation of what is right or wrong, good or evil. IMO it begins with the same question that was posed to Eve in the garden.

Yes thats probably were it begins for most people.

We all sort of have this idea of what is 'forbidden' or a bad thing to do, or what happens when we don't follow instructions from our parents, but for those not brought up to know who God is, at the time, it's just your parents making the rules. A good girl or boy obeys his/her parents, a naughty one rebels.

 

[Lanolin]

Also, you don't really question your parents as a child Its just the way it is. They are bigger and more powerful than you, and if they threaten to leave you homeless or not give you dinner they can actually do that lol

Some children get it worse than others, their parents beat them up if they do something that makes them angry or are disobedient.

 

[Lanolin]

I also found you can't blame your siblings for something you did. But also, it's bad when your sibling blames you for everything, especially for things THEY did wrong.

you may profess innocence, or you didn't know but sometimes its 'you should know by now' or 'you're old enough to know better' but a lot of times, you aren't taught all the things you need to know, sometimes you just pick things up by copying others.

Also there is peer pressure to conform to whatever the leader/majority is doing

 

[GWH]

My parents were not Christians or religious.

My parents didn't represent God they were just my parents. They looked after me, fed and clothed me and made sure I went to school.

Now you are calling it the 'stage of accountability'?? ok whatever,

You are quite wrong in your assumptions. They did not witness God because they didn't know God.

I assume that every normally intelligent atheist in NZ and the rest of the modern world surely knows about God and sin,
although because they do not believe in the NT God they disagree/disbelieve that sin is rejecting belief in that God.

I think even many Christians fail to understand that caring for kids represents God's love. My parents credited God,
so it was easy for me to believe God is loving/caring.

I have been indicating all along that the age of accountability "about eight" is a stage of mental maturity like that of Adam and Eve.

Happy trails until we talk again!

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

Was it a bad because you intended to curse someone? i.e were you talking to someone when you said it? or was it just a swear word everyone else was saying as an expletive. Like 'dang or 'darn' for the other 'd' word.

The bad word I said to someone was "sucker" because he was duped, lol! But I felt terrible after I said it.

 

[Lanolin]

I assume that every normally intelligent atheist in NZ and the rest of the modern world surely knows about God and sin,
although because they do not believe in the NT God they disagree/disbelieve that sin is rejecting belief in that God.

I think even many Christians fail to understand that caring for kids represents God's love. My parents credited God,
so it was easy for me to believe God is loving/caring.

I have been indicating all along that the age of accountability "about eight" is a stage of mental maturity like that of Adam and Eve.

Happy trails until we talk again!

You'd be surprised how many DO NOT KNOW

But also, not everyone sings the national anthem (Jehovahs witnesses actually refuse to!) which is God Defend New Zealand. Some schools don't teach it, and they don't talk about sin. Its just bad behaviour or wrong doing.

The God save the Queen thing was from the British empire days, and the whole Church of England sense of tradition was what the English bought over, but there's other christianity aside from CoE, there's Catholics and Presbyterians too, as well as some home-grown religions.
And other ones that aren't from the Bible, i.e Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age etc.

Just don't assume everyone grew up in a church and had God fearing parents LIKE YOU DID.

 

[Lanolin]

The bad word I said to someone was "sucker" because he was duped, lol! But I felt terrible after I said it.

Well 'sucks' is kind of a rude word for a lot of people who don't know what it means, also actually it kind of implies someone is a baby. Used as an insult, so, kind of cursing someone.

No you shouldn't ever say it about someone.

 

[Lanolin]

Agnostics are not the same as Athiests who fervently deny that God or anything spiritual exists.

Agnostics just don't know who God is or have a relationship with Him.

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

Well 'sucks' is kind of a rude word for a lot of people who don't know what it means, also actually it kind of implies someone is a baby. Used as an insult, so, kind of cursing someone.

No you shouldn't ever say it about someone.

Right, which was why I felt terrible about it. I knew it was wrong - I realized that at age 11 years old.

 

[tourist]

According to what I could find in scripture, when someone can understand God’s commands, grasp right and wrong, and knowingly choose rebellion, they are accountable; before that, they are not. Obviously, there is more than that but that's the whole of it.

Good explanation.

 

[Lanolin]

Good explanation.

What age was it for you..?

God's commandments are not taught all the time, esp for non Jewish people (Gentiles) .613 applied to those circumcised.
Usually for most christian religions it's the 10 that are drummed into people's heads, SDAs especially. Other churches say there are only 2 we need to remember.