This has been debated by the learned and by the ignorant alike. With both professing accurate truth in it.
Basics of the scriptures:
1--if there is a passage that seems to contradict other passages, then there is a problem with the reader's understanding.
2--if a passage that can be understood more than one way seems to contradict some very, very blunt and clear passages, then the understanding of the passage is incorrect.
3--if a passage is not as clear than other passages, the other passages have priority in determining the truth.
4--if a passage is a general statement, the more specific statements of the word have priority in determining the truth.
If these basics, no matter the subject matter, by they spiritual thing, physics, math, history, construction, engineering, linguistics, architecture, law, etc., are not adhered to, then all sorts of very, very serious problems ensue. Often that results in lawsuits in today's day and age.
Yet it seems that in regard to spiritual things, the very opposite of common sense seems to be the rule of the day. And this topic is no exception.
People often use a passage that very learned scholars clearly have issues with, with many of them outright professing that there are linguistic challenges that we do not have the understanding to fully dissect it with, in order to negate the very, very clear passages of the word of God that go against the personal beliefs of many Christians. My brethren, this aught not be! That can only lead to divisiveness and errant beliefs. Even secular disciplines understand this. Perhaps we should too.
Now, not even to get into various scriptures, for so many will completely ignore them, no matter what they say, let's just use a little bit of very basic, simple logic here...
1--If a child is born sinless, then they fall into sin. Thus, if they are sinless, then any infant death would have atoned for our sins. God was thus most foolish to send His son to die for our sins.
2--if a child is born sinless, then it was equally foolish for God to bring Christ into the world.
3-- if a child is born sinless, then it was equally foolish for God to miraculously bring Christ forth -- why the difference in how Christ was conceived, as there is then no need for any difference between Christ's conception and everyone else's?
4--if a child is born sinless, then abortion is indeed one of the greatest blessings imaginable -- therefore, why would God condemn the killing of humans (in this instance, infants, such as in partial-birth-abortions)?
5--if a child is born sinless, how is it that God is suddenly a respecter of persons based solely upon age, when there is no exception given on any basis?
5--if a child is born sinless, why are there so many scriptures that attest to the opposite of this?
#5 is no different that those who believe that all will be saved, using a few general statement verses to negate a whole plethora of very cleary statements to the contrary, and #5 is no different than those who state that homosexuality and Christians can be one and the same, even though scripture states that such go to hell and cannot partake of the kingdom of God, and #5 is no different than those who use one verse to negate a whole slew of verses in regard to God hating the wicked, as opposed to loving the sinner for hating the sin, when scriptures clearly also state that we sin because we are SINFUL, our very spiritual nature is wicked, from whence the sinful acts flow.
We sin because we are sinful: we are not sinful because we sin. And that is the basic truth taught by Christ and His disciples very repeatedly and bluntly. Why is it that so many do not accept the word of God on these things? We won't get into that here. A lion attacks prey because it is a lion. If it is a lion because it attacks prey, then tigers are also lion, dogs are lions, cats are lions, sharks are lions, etc.. The faulty logic is most readily seen when applied to nature, but do we throw that same logic out the window when it comes to the basic, simple spiritual things? Change the well, and all that flows from it will be changed. If the well is impure, the water that flows from it is impure, Christ said. So what was the solution? Change the well! The world seeks to change the stuff flowing out of it, and thus they assume that the well will then be changed. That doesn't work in nature or spiritual things. Yet Christendom has bought into the vain philosopies of the world, it would seem, and clearly so, on many fronts. And this topic is one in which the ways of the world are clearly seen by those who accept the blunt statements of the word of God.
So we are left with the same critical choice for everything: will we humble ourselves and state that God's word is correct, and our beliefs have been wrong, or will be remain in power in our own little spiritual bannana republics, and errantly use one or two scriptures wrongly to negate a whole plethora of very, very clear and blunt scriptures to the contrary of our beliefs?
We will know them by what they do in these most basic things when reading the word of God.
And when the scriptures, the very, very clear and blunt scriptures are given, we will know who's who by whether or not the fully accept them, and make their beliefs align with them.
Christ and the apostles repeatedly told us of those who will accept the word of God fully and bluntly, and those who will not. And the told us who their spiritual father is. Apollos is a great example of firmly believing incompletely, but when the word of God with blunt, clear statements was presented to him, he immediately changed. And those who did not, Christ lambasted and stated that they knew not God.
The beloved apostle spoke numerous times on that very thing, blessing the one group and damning the other group.
Apparently, God takes this far more seriously and accurately than many of us do.
This concerns me.