What Will Be The Fate Of Those Who Are Mentally Handicapped Or Comatose? (church, abortion)

[MontanaGuy]

brittZ wrote:

what about people who are sociopsychotic and criminally insane?

There are some who are truly mentally ill and don't know what they've even doing but Ted Bundy wasn't one of them. I think I've mentioned before that I had a supervisor in Seattle and her step-sister was one of Bundy's victims. He manipulated the system and I believe he knew what he was doing was wrong so he should be held responsible. I do think there are a great many criminals who try to put on an act of insanity after they've been caught just so they won't have to face more serious consequences like the death penalty. I'm not religious as you know but this does raise some interesting questions for those who are because if a person is truly insane they're really not aware that what they're doing is even wrong and they don't even have a concept of right or wrong to begin with.

[brittZ]

Originally Posted by MontanaGuy

brittZ wrote:

There are some who are truly mentally ill and don't know what they've even doing but Ted Bundy wasn't one of them. I think I've mentioned before that I had a supervisor in Seattle and her step-sister was one of Bundy's victims. He manipulated the system and I believe he knew what he was doing was wrong so he should be held responsible. I do think there are a great many criminals who try to put on an act of insanity after they've been caught just so they won't have to face more serious consequences like the death penalty. I'm not religious as you know but this does raise some interesting questions for those who are because if a person is truly insane they're really not aware that what they're doing is even wrong and they don't even have a concept of right or wrong to begin with.

Actually, I didnt realize that about your supervisor or specifically about Ted Bundy. You are right though many people use the defense of insanity. God knows the truth and the deepest pits of hell are reserved for people like that.

As for people who are truly insane and do not know the difference between right or wrong and maybe don't even know there is a right and wrong, but end up killing people or commiting crimes, I know God will handle them perfectly and I don't have a clue about how that would be. It is just interesting to see people's take on it.

[maniac]

In the LDS church we have always looked at those who are mentally handicapped as God's elect, he put them into those handicaps so that they will not be drawn in by the things of the world and they will return to him, they are (for lack of a better term) very special people. I had not thought of the criminally insane though, if they truely don't have the ability to judge right from wrong though, I would assume that God would still have mercy on them, but again, I am no expert on this, perhaps that the victims would have to forgive them too, I have no idea.

[Phil Hughes]

Hi everyone,

This is a very interesting topic. Fundamentalists give trite answers to this sort of question and universalists don't want God to seem unfair.

Here are some thoughts for both of them.

Think about the thief on the cross. Jesus chose to reveal himself in his dying moments. Heaven is a gift from God, not depending on our works but on His grace.

Jesus talked about the "little ones" and he blessed them with his hands- even saying that the kingdom of God belonged to such as these. We do not see evidence that he preached to them. Why would Jesus bother to do something with children?

John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. This means God can give spiritual birth to those who are not able to mentally grasp the gospel.

If you believe in the fall of Adam, then you believe that we are born with the consequences of original sin and that this manifests itself in physical and spiritual forms i.e. we are all crippled , blind , deaf , dumb or handicapped from birth until the Son of God arises in our hearts. It is impossible for a "normal" person to believe in Christ simply because this belief is a miracle from God. We cannot understand it.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it will but you do not know where it comes from etc.... and so it is with the Spirit of God

When I was a teenager, my pastor (who is a world reknowned theologian) would always preach about heaven and hell. He would mention that the Jesus talked more about hell than heaven. Many years have gone by since those times and now I realize that he is completely deceived. Jesus talked more about heaven but he did not use the word "heaven" When Jesus healed someone, heaven was spoken to the soul of the individual, when Jesus talked about His Father- he was talking about heaven. When Jesus talked about himself and the way and the light and the life.. he was talking about heaven. Jesus said " This is eternal life.. that they may KNOW me and the one who has sent me.

Jesus spoke in parables, so that everyone could not understand the love and justice of God with their intellect alone. Many of the people who became believers had questions, doubts and fears about so many things in their minds. When Jesus gave peace and the presence of God to man, he relieved man of those questions

[Padgett2]

And are we very, very sure that the comatose patient has no awareness at all? Perhaps deep down inside that quiet, unresponsive shell, there is an alert being that is capable of understanding.

Maybe. But, it's not up to us to make those decisions. We may believe certain things. We may not always be correct. IMHO

[dorado0359]

What happens to people who are comatose or mentally handicapped?

Christianity says: They go to Hell for not accepting Jesus Christ as Savior.

Islam says: They go to Hell for not submitting to Allah and the laws of Islam.

Judiasim says: They go to Hell for not being born a Jew.

Therefore, it appears that unless those unfortunately individuals, who suffer from either of the above conditions, find a more compassionate God or religion than those listed, they do not have much of a chance of entering into Heaven.

[Padgett2]

Perhaps those people don't know or care that there is or isn't a heaven.

Maybe they are the smart ones.

[kawgpz550]

Question: "Do mentally ill people go to heaven? Does God show mercy to those who are mentally retarded, challenged, disabled, or handicapped?"

Answer: The Bible does not specifically say whether or not mentally ill people go to heaven. However, there is some biblical evidence that anyone who is not able to make a decision for salvation is covered by Christ’s death. This is similar to how it is commonly believed that children are automatically taken to heaven when they die until they reach the point in which they are able to make a decision for or against Christ. David had a child die, and he comforted himself with the thought, “Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23). David knew that he would see his child in heaven one day. From that statement, we can assume that babies and young children were, by God's grace, covered for salvation by Christ’s death.

We can postulate from this that mentally retarded people are covered by this principle as well. The Word of God does not specifically say this, however. Knowing the love, grace, and mercy of God, this would seem consistent with His character. Any person who is mentally challenged to the extent that he could not be aware of his sinful state and believe in Christ for salvation, is in the same category as a child and it is not unreasonable to assume that person is saved by the grace and mercy of the same God who saves babies and small children.

As in everything, however, we must be careful not to be dogmatic about any issue the Bible does not specifically address. We do know that Jesus receives as His own all that the Father has given to Him and He will lose none of them along the way (John 6:39). Jesus said of these “And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:28). We can take comfort in knowing that our God’s plan is always perfect, He always does what is right and just, and His love and mercy are infinite and everlasting.

[GCSTroop]

So when God killed the first born child of every man and woman did that child go to heaven or was he just playing his games again?

Personally, to me, it seems that the very presence of handicapped people negates any proof of God. If we are all God's creations and God helped each one of us here on earth than why in the heck would he do something like putting a mentally handicapped person on earth? What sick thought process is this?

"Well, I'll give the parents their own trials and tribulations with this child so that they can recognize me better! So I'll make one of my creations handicapped so that they have a hard time with it. Nevermind the fact that one of my beloved people is going to suffer on earth."

Again, I ask, what kind of being would do this to someone he loves? I thought the days of teaching people through genocide, torment, and plagues were over with the NT. But, he still throws the occasional mentally challenged individual out there? Sometimes he even throws the physically AND mentally challenged out here on earth. For that very reason alone, I can see no reason WHY there would be a God in heaven. At least one that loved us anyway.

As far as someone going comatose, and not being saved, those are probably the ones that he turns into the mentally challenged. What else would you expect from someone who loves his people so much?

[Padgett2]

We need to remember that a large number of those that are comatose, or severly retarded would not have lived if it had not been for medical intervention. So, I don't think we can blame God for not having mercy. Perhaps we should blame medical science for not allowing God's will to be done.

People can be kept alive a long, long time in a comatose condition. Brain damaged babies can be "saved" now. Man, not God, makes that sort of decision now.