Do the mentally handicapped go to hell?

By Link
United States
June 30, 2010 9:26pm CST
This does not apply to my religious beliefs but in other religions, such as Catholocism, you have to confess your sins and take communion and be baptised and keep up with the confessing or you can't go to heaven. So if someone is mentally handicapped any probably does not understand religion, isn't able to confess or take communion, then within the beliefs of that religion wouldn't they go to hell? An answer I saw from someone else on this on another site was : "If a person does not have the capability to know they are sinning how could it possibly be considered a sin, by a loving god?" I thought this was a good question but also brings up the fact of: so if a person does not realize they are sinning they just get into heaven? So people who do not know of religion or don't know what sins are get to go to heaven? People raised in other religions don't know of the Christian sins so would they be "eligible" for heaven? Or are they exempt because they are of a different religion? Does it matter what the religion of the handicapped person's parents or caretakers are? What are your views on this? Sure, by a loving god we'd mostly all like to believe that they would allow the handicapped into heaven, but if they were a loving god they wouldn't force people to believe in only them or follow certain rules or deny anyone into heaven even though they are supposed to love everyone. So if the Christian god were a loving god wouldn't he allow more than just handicapped people into heaven? Wouldn't he be more forgiving and not require people to make confession or let them live their lives the way they want etc etc and still love them despite their mistakes and still let them into heaven? I'm just curious, not trying to start anything or put any religions down. I'm just wondering what people who are part of these religions think about these questions as everyone has different opinions, even within the same religion. Thanks!
2 people like this
8 responses
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
1 Jul 10
You have asked some very GOOD questions here!!! I don't think God says we must confess & take communion in order to get into Heaven!!! I believe it is MAN saying others are going to hell for not doing what their religion says in order to go to Heaven. I was raised a Southern Baptist & Southern Baptist don't believe in confessions. We do take communion, but it is to honor Jesus NOT to get us into Heaven. Most religions were put in place by man & I'm not so sure God will send us to hell for following man's rules. As long as we follow God's rules, I believe He will forgive us. According to the Catholic Church ALL Southern Baptist are going to hell. And according to the Southern Baptist ALL Catholics are going to hell!!! I believe that if you believe in God & worship Him, it doesn't matter what the religion of man says!!! ALL religions are different EXCEPT that they ALL say we need to worship God!!! When I was young, we sent a lot of missionaries into foreign countries in order to teach them the Word of God. My question always was how can they be sinners if they have NEVER been told what sin even is??? It was explained to me that they were NOT sinners until they were introduced to God & sin. They became sinners once they didn't follow the Word!!! Then I asked why we were taking sin to people & condemning them to hell. Needless to say I was NOT very popular in my Church!!! I believe that God is a LOVING God who is much MORE lenient than the pharisees lead us to believe. NO religion is perfect. I believe even murderers can get into Heaven if they believe in God & pray for forgiveness before they die!!! The Bible gives us Guidelines...man makes unbreakable rules
• United States
1 Jul 10
Thanks for your insight! Yes, many Christian religions believe that all other religions are wrong and all the people are going to hell. Not all religions believe they should worship one god. Some Christian religions don't even seem like they worship the same god because of their differences in what their god is like or what they say they should do in worship etc. Mormons believe in a Christian-like god yet they have very different ways of doing things. Catholics worship differently, Evangelicals, etc. They all say they worship god, yet they believe all the other religions are wrong, and all of their gods apparently say something different. And in Paganism many of the religions don't really worship to appease their gods, some don't worship at all, and some do not even include any gods in their beliefs. So not all religions say that people need to worship a god. Now, your story about missionaries. Why would you send missionaries to people who aren't sinners and then make then sinners so YOU can say that they now HAVE to follow your god or go to hell. That is basically trying to trick people into your religion, and from what I believe of gods that just doesn't work. That would be like me saying you aren't a criminal unless you steal something and then I hide something in your pocket or bag and you unknowingly steal it and I tell you that you took it and now you are a thief. I tricked you into stealing. Even if you take it back you still took it, even if I snuck it onto your person, just like the missionaries sneak the fact that people will go to hell once they learn about your god, into their work. Make sense? I see you didn't agree with that, and I don't either. While I still disagree with many religions I have found that many religions have many things in common that everyone can believe in, even atheists. It is when it comes to what god talked to what person and what was apparently said that splits people up, and how to worship that god. I don't understand why everyone just can't be tolerant of other people's religions and beliefs. Pretty much all religions just basically want people to be happy, acknowledge their god or gods, not harm others (physically, mentally, emotionally), not to steal, and basically just make the best choices they can. Not harming others sort of sums up many many other acts, in my religion the only real "rule" (which is actually more like a suggestion) is "and harm none do what ye will". Its pretty reasonable, do whatever you want as long as you do not harm others in the process. I went get too into it but it definitely covers everything. If you steal you are hurting someone's business and hurting them and their profits. If you sleep with someone else's spouse you are hurting them and their marriage. Obviously if you kill you are not only hurting that person but many friends and loved ones. Etc, etc. Even people who do not believe in any god at all can follow that rule. Just think about if what you are about to do is going to hurt someone in any way. Anyway, I'll stop there I think you get it, but thanks for your answer it was appreciated!
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
10 Jul 10
THANK YOU FOR THE BR!!!
• India
1 Jul 10
Hi, Lets put some reasons here. As per my consideration mentally retarded people must go to heaven, if there is any such place. According to the popular belief, we go do hell because of our sins. Mentally challenged people don't commit sins. Even if they do, they don't have any motif for personal gain. So I don't think there should be any hindrance in their going straight to heaven. Thanks. God bless you
• United States
1 Jul 10
Cool, thanks for your answer. I agree it seems unfair to keep out mentally handicapped people or even babies since they really have no concept of it.
@smacksman (6053)
1 Jul 10
Let me tell you all that mentally handicapped people can be just as devious, naughty, sinful and destructive as any small child but with the power of an adult body. They know the difference between right and wrong and so can sin the same as anyone else. Whether they know that they are sinning will depend on the individual. So yes - the mentally handicapped can go to hell if they are bad, but generally their life on earth is already a living hell already. They need our support.
• India
2 Jul 10
Confessions, communion and baptism have some other significance. They tell you would go to heaven or you would go to hell because how else they would persuade the ignorant. If they tell them, that it is good to confess after you have done something wrong; after you have uttered a lie because it would lighten your heart; you will not suffer from diseases like hypertension, blood pressure, diabetes then who would listen to them. Besides, after you have done something wrong, or you have disturbed someone’s peace of mind through you actions; then the person would abuse and curse you after you die. You would ever live in his memory and there you will experience the pangs of hell. If they tell you that after you die you go to live in the memory of others would anyone believe them? Purpose of a religion is just to make one live according to one’s given nature. They have devised ways to make you do it. All the dogmas in the religion are part of this exercise. We will get nothing by questioning these dogmas. The best thing is to follow them and if one does not want to follow them then he or she should at least let others follow. I am speaking in general. My statements are not directed towards you. Further, a mentally challenged person does no harm to others. Why should anyone abuse and curse him? They already know he does so out of ignorance. On the contrary, they would feel sorry for him. Why should he then go to hell?
• Germany
1 Jul 10
I think the mentally handicapped will be guided in the opposite direction .... they are like kids or babies .... God, as their Father, will surely lead them in the right path. That is God's Love.
@doug37 (83)
• United States
2 Jul 10
who are we to judge and say where a person will go? only god knows.
@digidogo (444)
• Philippines
1 Jul 10
Heres what i think. People who do not entertain religion or do not know what sinning is, do know what is right and wrong. Religion is based much more on morals and that pertains to doing what is good and wrong which means even a person without a religion or do not know sinning have in someway the knowledge of sinning. Yes our Christian God is a loving God, that is the reason why we were given the choice to choose, the freedom to make our own decisions. Also, we shouldn't judge our Christian God by what is being taught to us, only remember that our God is a loving and FORGIVING God and that no one can measure the depth of his mercy. So we should not judge the way he has given the commandments and teachings, most of it focuses on our morals. Lets just do our part, do good and stay away from evil if we believe that there is a afterlife awaiting for us depending on what we have done here on earth.
@Joshuael (109)
• China
1 Jul 10
Is mental handicap a punishment imposed by God to those who committed vice ever? But I think even it is a punishment,punishment is also a mean to save them by God. One who cannot discern between right and wrong shouldnot be taken as a man of good.I believe only a good man can get better treatment.Those people who have no good bliefs will not be treated with fortune. But I aslo believe the handicapped poeple have equal chance to be saved by God.And people around him should also try to help him out of troulbe and let him realise himself's spirituality connected with Logos.That is the only way for him,for everyone of us to be saved.