We're agreeing again... :)

At least about the "age of accountability" varying. I think that children *can* give their hearts to Christ before getting to that age, though. I remember getting saved... I remember the story about the resurrection and Jesus knocking at the door of your heart. A story I'd heard before, but that time it clicked, and I realised He was knocking at the door to MY heart, that this was about ME. I went home and prayed to let Him in by myself... and it was over a year later that I decided to be baptised (on my own, surprised my mom... and it's the only altar call I've ever answered). So... influenced? Yes. I went to church and Sunday school and read Bible stories with my mom. But no one sat me down and said, 'You need to do this now, you need to make this choice". It was just there. Not even directed at me particularly, just part of the learning. And my other "salvation prayers"? None of them made me feel any different. That one did. The only other prayer that changed my life was the one where I surrendered and threw Jesus the car keys. I suppose you could (and some do) say that only surrendered folks are truly saved... but I don't think so.

I very much respect the Soviet Mennonites and the martyrs. I don't know if I mentioned to you that I spent a year in China as a child? So my parents had many friends who were allowed to leave China with the same understanding... "we have your relatives, you'd better come home". Some of them didn't anyway, accepting that meant they'd never GO back. (And twenty years later and much prosperity on both ends, the government relented). I understand that environment of threat. We were all followed, all assigned "official friends", our mail was read... horrible. (And yes, even eight year old me had official friends aka spies).

Martyrs... there are still martyrs. Some are pacifists like your family in Russia. Some are missionaries. Some are just folks holding their heads up for Christ. And every one of them deserves the white robes and honor that they'll receive in Heaven. I feel ashamed of my luxuries and life of ease when I compare myself to them.

Further age-of-accountability thoughts: I tend to think it's somewhere in the twenties, and that it varies from person to person. One person might be really tuned into religion and really get that there is a choice to be made and another could barely be aware of it at all. An interesting thought on this and Heaven, as so very much of humanity has died well before reaching that age (miscarriage, abortion, childhood illness, infant mortality), Heaven must be FULL of children! I wonder if they're given "adult" bodies? It will be interesting to meet someone who was raised at the foot of the Throne.