Sin is first recognized in Genesis 4:7. Now the question of whether physical death was a planned part of creation or not is a far different question, but paleontology would imply that it was. Spiritual death becomes a different question, but spiritual death and physical death are different events, but when the term just references "death" without specifying, analysis becomes difficult.
What is the age of accountability?
- Thread starter Lanolin
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Yes if you are someone who believes we all inherit Adams sin, then Logically there can not be an age of accountability. Is this not why why the Catholic Church started to Baptise infants? Because they need saving from Birth?
BTW I do not believe we Inherit sin myself - Just stating the logic
I'm not opposed, per se, to an age of accountability. Clearly there is a time in the development of children where they do exercise volitional morality when before they did not. I'm simply saying that that isn't the extent of what scripture has to say on the subject.Yes if you are someone who believes we all inherit Adams sin, then Logically there can not be an age of accountability. Is this not why why the Catholic Church started to Baptise infants? Because they need saving from Birth?
BTW I do not believe we Inherit sin myself - Just stating the logic
Yea it don't make sense.
So what would you say is a clear time in the development of children? Say what age- 3-4 years of age? 5 when they start school? What if they never learn how to read, and their parents don't tell them Bible stories, or fairy tales that actually DO have a moral to them?
So what would you say is a clear time in the development of children? Say what age- 3-4 years of age? 5 when they start school? What if they never learn how to read, and their parents don't tell them Bible stories, or fairy tales that actually DO have a moral to them?
It seems very few people on the Bible Discussion Forum have children or remember when they first learned right from wrong. Or teach children.
Instead there seems to be arguments over theology. Not everyone is a Christian is a scholar you know. What do you observe, and how did you teach your child the difference between good and evil/right and wrong?
At what age was your child held accountable for everything they did?
Instead there seems to be arguments over theology. Not everyone is a Christian is a scholar you know. What do you observe, and how did you teach your child the difference between good and evil/right and wrong?
At what age was your child held accountable for everything they did?
I already told you: there's no NUMERICAL age in the Bible. You seem to be demanding one. The ABILITY to account develops in each unique child at their own unique age.
If Gen. 2:17 is true, then it referred to spiritual death, because Adam and Eve did not physically die that day,
and the same is true of souls who reject God's Lordship ever since. Such rejection seems possible at about the age of 8, not 4,
although toddlers know what disobeying their parents means on the day they do--possibly a pop on the butt!
Well why do people say it then
I'm not the one who talks about it all the time. I'm just asking what it is. If its the age a child knows how to count, then it would probably be like 4-5 when most children learn their numbers.
It seems children are taught about Santa Claus/Father Christmas and believe in him as an actual miraculous gift giving figure, and there is even a tradition, life 'the elf on the shelf' where the child has to be good to receive any gifts. If they are naughty they receive nothing, maybe a bit of coal.
So good or bad is predicated on obeying their parents. Sort of like how you train a dog. But as we know unlike dogs, children cannot be kept on a leash or muzzled, and eventually they will grow up and learn to be independent and leave home, vote, drive and earn their own money. Is this the 'age of accountability' then?
If it's not in the Bible, what is it?
So good or bad is predicated on obeying their parents. Sort of like how you train a dog. But as we know unlike dogs, children cannot be kept on a leash or muzzled, and eventually they will grow up and learn to be independent and leave home, vote, drive and earn their own money. Is this the 'age of accountability' then?
If it's not in the Bible, what is it?
Parents prepare the way for a child's concept of God. Mine were loving/godly parents, so it was easy for me to believe in a loving God,
and I never hated my parents nor rebelled against God, but I did not have enough courage to walk the aisle until about nine. Ditto with my own children.
My parents spoke of Santa and the Easter bunny, but I never did encourage my kids to believe in personalities that might compete with Jesus or open me up to accusations of being deceitful when they learned the truth.
Again, I believe the age/stage of accountability is indicated in Scripture by the story of Adam and Eve.
Ok but they had plenty of time, and they lived to be hundreds and hundreds of years old.
So I don't think they can be comparable to the way humans live now. Also they didn't have Jesus.
By walking down the aisle, did you mean accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? Or something else. Sometimes it's a pressure tactic used by churches. I have seen this. Of course when you are a baby/toddler, your parents or nanny or caregiver would have carried you/put you in a pushchair/stroller.
Once a toddler learns to walk, they realise they can make independent choices. This is around age 2-3. The innocence of children is they haven't experienced much of life yet, their world is very small. Also their brains are growing and apparently do not stop developing until age 25!
I don't recall any specific age being given as the threshold age for accountability.
James 4 says, So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
So,that may be inferred as someone who is of an age to know the right thing to do,knows right from wrong.
Likely that's why no specific age is given.
Because individuals mature at different rates,ages.
Just do the right thing...at any age.
Old, young, middle aged....no excuse.
Old, young, middle aged....no excuse.
Okay, there is no indication of the age accountability in Scripture if you reject A&E's stage of accountability as being comparable.
I loved Jesus as my Savior from infancy, so walking the aisle was the way to profess saving faith in a Baptist church.
Brains can understand abstract ideas such as God and sin at about the post-toddler age of eight.
What was your age of understanding sin against God and professing saving faith?
Lots of people don't actually know what they are doing and whether it is right or wrong though.
They may THINK they are right, and doing what they are told, but actually they could be doing it the wrong way because the way they were taught was wrong.
They may THINK they are right, and doing what they are told, but actually they could be doing it the wrong way because the way they were taught was wrong.
I didn't know who Jesus was as an infant, and I never went to church at age 8.
I didn't know who God was if He was an idea or a spirit, and certainly wouldn't have known about sin against someone I didn't even know.