You are comparing earthly justice to God's justice. Of course we wouldn't condemn a baby for being addicted to the drugs his mother put in him, and neither does God. But everyone dies which proves that everyone is under the curse of death. Death comes because of sin. Did I personally eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Is it "just" that I have to die because of what Adam did? Yes it is....because God said so.
I have had unbelievers try to make this same argument with me many times. They give me the "God is not fair" speech. "Why should I be punished for Adam's sin?" The truth is that God has imputed Adam's sin onto us. The proof is in the fact that we die. If there were no sin in a newborn baby, then no babies would die. We are all in need of the blood of Christ, without exception because of the state of sin that we are born in.
Thank you Amy for having the courage to answer, though I would completely disagree with you. Romans 5:12 is speaking of spiritual death, not physical. Examine the terms used in this chapter such as judgment, condemnation, justification, righteousness, sin, etc... Not one word that applies to physical death.
Romans 5:12 says that all men die (spiritually) for that (or because) all have sinned. Verse 14 says death reigned over them that
had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's sin. If Adam's sin was imputed to us, then it would properly be said that all men sinned after the similitude of Adam. No, these persons died spiritually for their own personal sin.
Romans 5:12 does not say SIN passed upon all men, it says DEATH passed on all men for that all have sinned. So, I completely disagree with your view.
God's justice is not different from man's. If it would be wrong for man to condemn a newborn baby who was born addicted to drugs through no fault of his own, it would likewise be unjust and wrong to condemn men for being born sinners through no fault of their own. Abraham understood this;
Gen 18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said,
Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Abraham understood that it would not be right, it would not be just to destroy the righteous for the sake of the wicked. God did not disagree, but promised to spare Sodom if there were 10 righteous people there. Unfortunately, there was only Lot, his wife, and two of his daughters, and God spared them.
It is clear from Romans 9:11 that little children have committed no sin.
Physical death is actually a blessing, not a curse. If man were to live forever in his wickedness, that would be worse than dying physically, as there would be no incentive to turn from wickedness. Imagine how corrupt man would be if he lived forever! One of the greatest incentives to trust Christ is our mortality. If all men lived forever, why would man repent?
All men die as a CONSEQUENCE of Adam's sin, not because they are guilty of Adam's sin. It is like a bus driver getting drunk and driving off a cliff, all his passengers die as a consequence of his sin, but none of his passengers are guilty of his sin.
I thank you for answering honestly, no man would condemn a newborn child for being addicted to drugs because his mother used drugs, neither would God condemn a newborn child because his parents were sinners.
God commanded the Jews to execute a man for his own personal sins. They were not allowed to execute a man for their father's sin. This is because this is JUST.
Deu 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers:
every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
God does not have a double standard, he does not have another set of rules for himself, but every man shall die for his OWN sin.
