From: Mike.Hahn@p57.f714.n7102.z5.fidonet.org (Mike Hahn)
Subject: The doctrine of Original Sin
Lines: 32

Stephen A. Creps writes to All:

[...]

 SAC> Also, we know that
 SAC> the Bible says that _everyone_ must be baptized to enter Heaven.

Where exactly does it say that?

 SAC> _Everyone_ includes infants, unless there is other Scripture to the
 SAC> contrary, i.e. an exception.  Since there is no exception listed in the
 SAC> Bible, we must assume (to be on the safe side) that the Bible means what
 SAC> it says, that _everyone_ must be baptized to enter Heaven.

I think we do see an exception in the case of Cornelius and his
household, mentioned in Acts. Of course, they were baptised, but only
after "God showed that He accepted them by giving them the Holy
Spirit". This means they were already acceptable to God before their
baptism, and had they suddenly died they would have gone to heaven.

In case that seems far-fetched - an ancestor of mine was a missionary
who worked among the Hereros in Namibia. Some of the tribesmen were
jealous of Christianity, and they poisoned the first convert before he
could be baptised. Surely he still went to heaven? I'm inclined to
agree with a comment recorded at the time: "It is not the neglect of
baptism, but its contempt, that condemns."

Mike
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