Responsibility

Catholics played off the idea Grace covered those who by no fault of their own had not heard the Gospel. They would be saved if their love was sufficient to have obeyed if given opportunity. Thus grace to ignorant but loving adults and thus a precedent to infants who had not heard the gospel.

It doesn't make sense because God did not judge Sodom and Gomorrah based upon what they would have done if Christ had preached to them, but judged based upon their sin with knowledge of right and wrong. Even if a person grows to love in a mature fashion, love itself cannot cover sins occurring before maturity, and no one grows to perfect ability in this life. Yet Catholics still persist.

(Trent, l. c., can. xii: "Si quis dixerit, fidem justificantem nihil aliud esse quam fiduciam divinae misericordiae, peccata remittentis propter Christum, vel eam fiduciam solam esse, qua justificamur, a.s."). Since our Divine adoption and friendship with God is based on perfect love of God or charity (cf. Galatians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 13; James 2:17 sqq.), dead faith devoid of charity (fides informis) cannot possess any justifying power. Only such faith as is active in charity and good works (fides caritate formata) can justify man, and this even before the actual reception of baptism or penance, although not without a desire of the sacrament (cf. Trent, Sess. VI, cap. iv, xiv). But, not to close the gates of heaven against pagans and those non-Catholics, who without their fault do not know or do not recognize the Sacraments of Baptism and Penance, Catholic theologians unanimously hold that the desire to receive these sacraments is implicitly contained in the serious resolve to do all that God has commanded, even if His holy will should not become known in every detail.

It really isn't a good example because God never said adults were excused. It is a made up doctrine that is just human speculation. The idea they should be saved because they would have repented if given sufficient time and proof is not a doctrine of Christ.

Jesus did not Judge based upon what they would have done, but what they had done (Matt 11:20); so there is no evidence God judges infants based upon what they will do in the future. Physical death passed upon all men because of Adam's sin, and God is proven right in that all subsequent humans who grow in age end up sinning. Yet, eternal punishment and the second death are based upon what we have done not what we would have done.

It is true some may be judged more harshly, having seen the miracles and not repenting thereby, such as the city of Capernaum, but this shows a harsher judgment on some without teaching a lesser judgment on the ones who are still guilty. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were still destroyed even though not seeing Christ's miracles. Even if they would have repented if seeing Christ's miracles and testimony.

Christ never says the cities would find grace without repentance to his word, only that they had a mindset that would have repented if they had seen and heard Christ.

Mat 11:20  Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:

Mat 11:21  Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they "would have" repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Mat 11:22  But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Mat 11:23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it "would have" remained until this day.

Mat 11:24  But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

The Catholic idea that those would be saved who "would have" repented and been baptized,, if they had a chance, is met with Christ's teaching that Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented; yet they were still destroyed. They were still wicked and God never promised any wicked a personal miracle to repent by.

In times before the resurrection salvation may have been possible as God winked at some sin, but the resurrection was a universal sign to all mankind. So that all would hear the Gospel and have a chance to follow Christ. After the resurrection God required all people with reason to repent to Christ's word.

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

All humans of age in our society are given the sign of the resurrection, thus making all men culpable for sin and culpable for not following Christ to remove sin.

This does not include infants, but includes all humans with reason. The word all men by context is restricted to those of age to repent. Not infants.

The Catholic doctrine of salvation to those who would have repented holds no water. Perhaps God will judge some less harsh, but Sodom and Gomorrah and Tyre and Sodom were still judged to some degree. They were not set free from guilt because of their ignorance of miracles.

Jesus did not free from guilt when all men knew that evil was sin, Sodom was still guilty, he just taught a stricter judgment for those with personal witness to his miracles.

Also, the Jews were only given the sign of Jonah, that is 3 days and three night in the belly, then life again. The resurrection was the sign of Jonah. The Jews were given the same sign as all mankind.

Luk 11:29  And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

Luk 11:30  For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.