Over the last few weeks, the internet has seen several discussions on infant salvation. Some of those discussions were started, oddly enough, as ways of launching assaults against Reformed Baptists. I’ve been reading from Loraine Boettner recently and came across the following and thought some might find it helpful. It addresses, among other things, charges that the Westminster Confession of Faith and/or Calvin himself taught that some children who die will not be saved, and whether or not there is room in Reformed theology to believe that infants who die will be saved. Boettner argues that not only is there room in Calvinism for this view, only Calvinism can consistently teach that children who die will be saved.

The following comes from Presbyterian theologian Loraine Boettner, from his book The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, and deals with the question of infant salvation: Read the rest of this entry »

It is amazing what children come up with, particularly children who have faced extraordinary struggle.

For a few months now I have been following the cancer struggle of three little girls. It started with Kate McRae, who was mentioned several times by Matt Chandler (who continues his own journey with brain cancer). Then I learned about Susana Whitaker, a little girl whose parents went to Haiti as missionaries only to rush back to the US with a suddenly sick child who was diagnosed with serious cancer. The most recent is Daisy, a little girl with a recurrence of Wilm’s Tumor.

We live in a broken, fallen world and sin makes its presence known everywhere, even in the bodies of little children. Pray for these children. Keep up with them and others like them. It is hard for us to see what they have to go through, but we must see it and we must pray. Make the choice to lift up those who had no choice.

But this post is about something Kate has recently said. Her progress has been encouraging though there is still danger ahead. Kate knows what she has been through, and she knows that others have faced the same battle and lost. The following comes from a recent journal from Kate’s mom.

Kate draws pictures of her friends that have passed away. And I never fail to notice the large smile she draws on their faces. The simple yet profound understanding of a child. She knows their pain is done, and they are free to enjoy an eternity with Jesus. She always adds to me though, “I know they aren’t sad, but I bet their mommies are crying a lot because they miss them.” She realizes the heartache is left to those who must live without the ones they love. Continue to keep these families in your prayers. They walk a very difficult road.

Pray for the love of Christ to fill these dear children with eternal hope. And pray for healing mercies, that God would remove every trace of cancer from their bodies.

Kate McRae

Daisy Love

Susana Whitaker

Hunter Baker at Mere Comments has a great post on having children. Here’s a snippet:

For those of you who CHOOSE to be childless, think twice about it.  It’s true you won’t enjoy restaurants as much and your time won’t be your own.  But the emotional return on watching this little person, who really is part of you, grow up is impossible to duplicate with ski weekends or trips to Mexico.

As the father of two daughters the subject of fashion is one that already gives me grief. My girls are three and one and yet even at those ages we are already coming across clothes that I am giving the axe. I do not look forward to the challenge growing as my girls inch toward the teen years.

Over at Gender Blog a series of posts by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones has just been started addressing the subject of Clothing and the Character of the Child. I recommend all parents and non-parents, humans and fashion designers, check it out.