With all of the children being brainwashed and becoming suicide bombers I am wondering of their place in the next world. Will they be forgiven by God or will they suffer some ultimate damnation? I realize that they have no real knowledge of a higher power and are just puppets in the hands of the monsters who train them but will they be forgiven or even at an early age, do they have the ability to know right from wrong.
That's an interesting question. Does God give credit for intent or is accuracy all that matters? If there is one spiritual truth, then all of the others must be wrong, yet many of them are earnest in their wrongness. The American media has been instructed to refer to them as homicide bombers, and frequently the talking heads will refer to them as cowards. Cowards? They might be stupid but there is surely nothing cowardly about strapping a bomb to yourself and blowing it up.
These are teens who are deliberately radicalized by someone at their mosque. They are willing to be involved in a suicidal act of terrorism because they have become convinced, by what they are repeatedly told, that they will go directly to heaven and receive preferential treatment there as a defender of Islam. They are not being brave or doing it to please their religious leaders, they do it because they will be envied by others who will never enjoy the special privileges they expect to receive after dying for their religion. The fact is that these are young men and women who are groomed, in the same way that vicitims of child sexual abuse are groomed, by isolating them from normal society and building their trust in the person who is treating them as being someone really special.
This is an extreme example but children of all religions are groomed to follow without question the beliefs of that religion. Most go through life believing what they are told without ever wondering if it is true.
Most do? Do you really think so? Gosh, I never saw it that way and I hope it isn't true. I'm sitting here thinking on it, though, and I honestly can't think of a single person I know who didn't question at least a part of his or her faith along the way. The questions seem to me to be what helps us to grow in our faith in the first place.
I think that most people, particularly as they move from their teen years into adulthood, begin to question the faith that they were raised with. I walked away from the church for a few years and, quite honestly, I didn't go back until I adopted a son, because I wanted him to have a background in the church. Even so, although I have remained a Christian, my beliefs are much different than those of my parents and of the church that I was raised in. Many years ago, it was probably true that most people would continue to attend the same church that they were raised in, but this had much to do with the fact that people didn't move around that much then, so there were a great deal of cultural and social pressure to remain in that same church. Even then, I am the only one of my brothers to have moved far from the town in which we were raised, yet only one of my brothers continues to attend the same church. My oldest brother helped to found another church in the same town, another brother is attending a church of another denomination, and I don't believe my youngest brother attend church at all.
Although I don't agree with you as far as "most", there seems to be quite a bit of people who live in a tunnel vision religious mode.
Richard, your question is such a good one. I wanted to give it an answer last night when I read it, but decided to think on it awhile instead. Many people believe that one's decisions in this world decide one's fate in the next with no wiggle room allowed. I'm not so sure it's all that black and white. God knows our hearts well while we're here in this world, and certainly he would know us just as well in the next. Not to mention having known us before. I really believe that God is a loving God. And just. One who takes all things into consideration. I do believe that these young people (these suicide bombers) may still have a chance at forgiveness. I think much depends upon the state of their hearts when coming face to face with God in the hereafter. I personally don't see how anyone could come face to face with the Lord and their hearts not melt; but I believe there are some whose won't. Imagine a heart so hard that upon looking into the eyes of God it wouldn't melt. That would be an evil heart, indeed. And not belonging to a child of God. But there must be others who will look into the eyes of God and melt and know true repentance of their actions. These I believe may well be forgiven. Will God forgive them? I don't know. But he's so kind that I find it near unimaginable that faced with a melting heart in his presence he wouldn't forgive even the vilest of acts. I believe in the concept of salvation coming too late, but not so much in it coming too late for eternity. More in the sense of it coming too late in this world. Too late, in other words, to save one's life in this world. Too late for one to have a personal relationship with God while still in this world, and so too late for one to live a joyful and abundant life now. Salvation is always for now, I believe, whenever now might be. But that's just some of my thoughts after having lived what I've lived thus far. God is God and can do what he wants, but I believe it's in him to be able to forgive tragically misguided souls even after death. And I think that these souls are worthy of our prayers whenever it comes upon us to consider them. I doubt, though, that my opinion is a very popular one.
That is a great answer, Allie! I especially like "One who takes all things into consideration." I seem to think that so many people look upon God as a very strict deity who has not passion for any. OUCH, that really sounds harsh!
That is harsh, but it's also why I say my opinion is probably not a popular one. I just tend to see God as having a mind that's alive and well, as of a very thoughtful person. I can't see him as having a mind that is like dead and set in stone. Anyone who has more than one child knows that the measure of each child is different, and what one might do from a poor motive the other might do with very good reason. Of course, I'm not saying I can see a good motive behind the actions of the suicide bombers. I'm only saying that while I might judge their actions I cannot judge their hearts. It could be that some of these kids find themselves in way over their heads and knowing it. They might be going out of this world with the thought, "God, Please don't let this work. It's wrong. Please forgive me even if you choose not to make my actions fail," or some such. Or, they may have decided in their hearts that it is wrong but fear they've gone too far already. Repentant without saying anything and accepting what they think will be. It could be that these will be pleasantly surprised. God is full of grace, and every day people find it in situations they cannot imagine receiving it in. God is good.