21/04: No Limbo
Category: General
Posted by: an okie gardener
The Vatican has decided to drop the doctrine of limbo--the teaching that unbaptized infants upon death spend eternity neither in heaven nor hell. Prior to elevation to the papacy Cardinal Ratzinger expressed doubts about the existence of limbo. For the present, the Roman Church is taking no official position on the fate of unbaptized babies, expressing hope that God will bring them to salvation. Story here.
Joab wrote:
21Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food."
22He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.'
23"But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."
{2 Samuel 12:21-23}
David believed that the infant was with God, where he believed he would end up himself. Unless in its original Hebrew David was speaking of death (I do not know biblical languages) it seems clear that he believed the child was with with Lord.