What is the age of accountability?

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GWH said:
Yes, both Paul and I ground moral accountability in revelation (Rom. 1:20) and conscience (Rom. 2:14-15), which occurs at about the age of eight and is called the mental stage of abstract thinking/understanding.

Your "precedes" and "later" is what some refer to as "parents representing God" and "awareness of God Himself".
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Your “age‑eight abstract thinking” claim still imports a developmental threshold Paul never uses; Rom 1:20 and Rom 2:14–15 ground accountability in revelation possessed and conscience functioning, not in when a child can conceptualize God.
Your “parents representing God” vs “awareness of God Himself” distinction is just a psychological gloss on the same assumption — that accountability begins only once cognition matures — but Paul treats conscience as morally operative before theological articulation, which means suppression begins with revelation, not with abstract reasoning.
 
There is that verse Paul talks about I reasoned like a child, I spake like a child...
But now I am a man I put childish things away.

This was quite as interesting as the one about having milk and meat. There is definitely a spiritual progression from seed to fruit i.e spiritual maturity.

As parable of the sower demonstrates, some have good soil and can grow deeper roots, some seed just gets pecked out by birds or falls on rocky soil, or grows amongst thorns.
 
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Spiritual understanding is something that doesn't really have an age threshold it needs to be revealed as I've experienced.

In the flesh, yes we all get hurt, bleed and cry. We can feel pain. Even a baby knows this.
 
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Lanolin said:
Were you a churchgoing boy?

Or your parents told you off for offending God? Just wondering. What did you do that was wrong? I mean your 8 or 9 year old sins. Can you remember?
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What I did wrong was getting into a lot of trouble and disobedience of parents. Usual stuff, set a few harmless fires, a little shoplifting, staying out pass curfew, etc. I was a churchgoing boy. Needed Jesus. Said a lot of prayers.
 
Lanolin said:
There is that verse Paul talks about I reasoned like a child, I spake like a child...
But now I am a man I put childish things away.

This was quite as interesting as the one about having milk and meat. There is definitely a spiritual progression from seed to fruit i.e spiritual maturity.

As parable of the sower demonstrates, some have good soil and can grow deeper roots, some seed just gets pecked out by birds or falls on rocky soil, or grows amongst thorns.
Click to expand...
Informative post.
 
Lanolin said:
Spiritual understanding is something that doesn't really have an age threshold it needs to be revealed as I've experienced.

In the flesh, yes we all get hurt, bleed and cry. We can feel pain. Even a baby knows this.
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Felt a lot of pain in my life, and recently too.
 
tourist said:
What I did wrong was getting into a lot of trouble and disobedience of parents. Usual stuff, set a few harmless fires, a little shoplifting, staying out pass curfew, etc. I was a churchgoing boy. Needed Jesus. Said a lot of prayers.
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Wow thats sinful stuff. I never did any of that.
But I wasn't allowed to light candles inside, I never stole anything because all my food and clothing was provided so didn't need anything else from the shops, and I don't think I had a curfew --didn't go anywhere without my parents at age 8.

My parents never said any prayers for me lol - they didn't need to. If they were concerned they just sent me to the doctor.
 
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Lanolin said:
Wow thats sinful stuff. I never did any of that.
But I wasn't allowed to light candles inside, I never stole anything because all my food and clothing was provided so didn't need anything else from the shops, and I don't think I had a curfew --didn't go anywhere without my parents at age 8.

My parents never said any prayers for me lol - they didn't need to. If they were concerned they just sent me to the doctor.
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Got caught shoplifting when I was a lad. Left the store in handcuffs and got a ride in a police cruiser. No charges were filed though. My dad was quite upset. Told him I was sorry.
 
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I can understand the shoplifitng breaking one of the ten commandments about not stealing..but what about the fires and being past curfew, what of God's commandments were broken there?

Did you lie? Or was that false witness?

Of course I didn't know these growing up, I didn't go to church. I only knew the Golden Rule.
 
As I have thought about this question and how to find an answer, it seems to me that scripture indicates that the age is young, clearly before age 4 if one looks at what can be learned by reading the 23rd psalm, that is if one knows enough to spot it.
 
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tourist said:
Stole a pipe and some pipe tobacco. Liked to smoke in the garage. 13 or 14 years old at the time. My dad had previously found my stash of cigars and confiscated them. Both of my parents smoked at the time. Used to pilfer their cigarettes.
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oh should have known

I have never seriously wanted something so bad that I had to steal it.
 
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rewriter said:
As I have thought about this question and how to find an answer, it seems to me that scripture indicates that the age is young, clearly before age 4 if one looks at what can be learned by reading the 23rd psalm, that is if one knows enough to spot it.
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You may have to spell it out for those of us who are ignorant
 
OMC said:
Your “age‑eight abstract thinking” claim still imports a developmental threshold Paul never uses; Rom 1:20 and Rom 2:14–15 ground accountability in revelation possessed and conscience functioning, not in when a child can conceptualize God.
Your “parents representing God” vs “awareness of God Himself” distinction is just a psychological gloss on the same assumption — that accountability begins only once cognition matures — but Paul treats conscience as morally operative before theological articulation, which means suppression begins with revelation, not with abstract reasoning.
Click to expand...
Looping, so HAND. 👋
 
GWH said:
Looping, so HAND. 👋
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Deflection, that's ok. Your fair words and fine speeches may fool others but not anyone who actually reads. You act like you're educated but you're just playing the game everyone else is. And when you can't match brain cells you deflect and call it my fault. Yeah, that's a pattern most follow around here. Well I'll be here, exposing the Bold Shenanigans you and others produce.
 
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