Atheists taint their credibility when they pretend the Bible contains a thuggish God who capriciously throws a big red switch with just two settings: HEAVEN and HELL. Anyone who perpetuates this disturbing charade of a cavalier and grossly unfair judgment shows they are either immensely under-educated in basic theology or plainly out to sabatoge the image of Jesus.

Does God Send Children to Hell? Let's see:

Children are ARE THE MOST CERTAIN CITIZENS OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH

Matthew 18:1 The disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth,

unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said,

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

Adam and Eve could not be judged until they sinned by taking forbidden fruit and what did that fruit do? It brought them into adulthood by opening their eyes to good and evil. Paul said:

Romans 5:13 Before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law.

For God to consider any kind of judgment, one must first go through a process, as Did Adam and Eve did, from childhood to a state of awareness and understanding of right and wrong which, when transgressed, brings the consquence of spiritual death:

Romans 7:8-11 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

The Old Testament confirms that children do not fully understand right from wrong in the same way adults do. Here is a PROPHESY ABOUT CHRIST WRITTEN AT LEAST 700 YEARS BEFORE HE CAME:

Isaiah 7:14-16 Therefore the Lord himself will give you {14 The Hebrew is plural.} a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and {14 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and he or and they} will call him Immanuel. {14 Immanuel means God with us.} 15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. 16 But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

The above has 3 components: A prophesy about the Messiah - Immanuel - God among us, the timing of the fall of 2 kingdoms and the third is our focus today: Children do not fully understand right from wrong and are not judged!!

Jesus will put the fininshing touch on this slam dunk case:

Mark 10:15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

God Does Not Show Favoritism

God will use your conscience and your own words and attitudes as part of your Judgment

Romans 2:11 God does not show favoritism. 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and

their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Here Jesus judges a man by his own words against God:

Luke 19 "His master replied,

I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in and

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See how fairly God treats everyone, allowing our consciences to play a role in our own judgment for those who have not been exposed to Jesus. This covers the theoretical man on the island and the bushmen who never hear about Jesus in any substantial way.

What about those who KNOW JESUS?

Hebrews 2:1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3

"how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" -Heb2:3

Jesus himself said even the wicked religious people would not be guilty, if he had not come and spoken to them:

John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.

Clearly Jesus describes two categories: Those who have heard his words and those who have not. Those who have an excuse and those who have no excuse for their sin.

So Is Ignorance a Defense? Not Exactly:

Luke 12:47 That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Here Jesus states his judgment plainly. Can you see that God's judgment is definitely not a one size fits all construct; born out even more here:

Revelation 3:7" To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8  I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars-- I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To another church, Jesus was much more harsh:

Revelation 3:14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

If you read the first 3 chapters of Revelation - they are quite detailed about Jesus' expectations of people. That's why we have the Bible - to prepare God's people by showing them God's personality and his judgments in all kinds of scenarios.

Do you want peace and joy? Spend 15 minutes, before your day begins, in the New Testament - then pray. And when you've finished the NT, the Old Testament will be much easier to understand.

And if you read a Psalm before your bed time prayers, you will probably start to glow :-)

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