Everything depends on how Romans 5 is interpreted, and that's the problem.

Pelagian view: Romans 5:12d, “death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”, means: “all incurred eternal death by sinning after Adam’s example.”

Augustinian view: Romans 5:12d refers to physical, spiritual and eternal death for all men, because all sinned in Adam their natural head.

Arminian view: Romans 5:12d is understood to mean that physical and spiritual death is experienced by all men because all consent to their inborn sinfulness by acts of transgressions.

It seems to me that the only view which explains why babies die is the Augustinian view.

The SDA Church doesn’t have an official position about the original sin, although I think EGW’s statements seem to favor the Augustinian view:

“Adam sinned, and the children of Adam share his guilt and its consequences; but Jesus bore the guilt of Adam, and all the children of Adam that will flee to Christ, the second Adam, may escape the penalty of transgression.” {FW 88}

“As related to the first Adam, men receive from him nothing but guilt and the sentence of death.” {6BC 1074}

No, im not. Theoretical Adventism as found in the 28FB is also real adventism.

How does Adventism relate to what Augustinianism and Pelagianism teach concerning our responce and responcibility towards Gods grace?

I guess I am somewhat confused here.

What do you mean by "is also real adventism"?

In other words, are you saying that folk adventism, along with theoretical adventism, is also real adventism?

From the "original sin" document:

I see conservative Adventists taking some concepts from both sides. But I don't think anyone accepts that our good deeds are meritorious.

Many others expanded on this theme after Pelagius and Augustine. One of them was Arminius, who taught that “Adam, in his original state, was fully capable of total and voluntary obedience to God. Because of sin, he became destitute of original righteousness and exposed to misery and death. This infirmity was passed on to his descendants. As a result, without God’s help human beings are wholly unable to obey God or attain eternal life. The Fall resulted in total depravity. However, from the very first dawn of consciousness, God imparts to each individual 'prevenient grace,' a special influence of the Holy Spirit, which restores free choice and enables the hearer of the gospel to respond freely to the call of Christ” (Handbook of SDA Theology).

There seems to be some resemblance between this and what Ellen White says:

“God declares, ‘I will put enmity.’ This enmity is supernaturally put, and not naturally entertained. When man sinned, his nature became evil, and he was in harmony, and not at variance, with Satan. The lofty usurper, having succeeded in seducing our first parents as he had seduced angels, counted on securing their allegiance and cooperation in all his enterprises against the government of Heaven. . . . But when Satan heard that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, he knew that though he had succeeded in depraving human nature . . . , yet by some mysterious process God would restore to man his lost power, and enable him to resist and overcome his conqueror. {TMK 16.3}
“It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul that creates the enmity against Satan. Without this grace, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. The new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts, enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper. Whenever a man is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, when he resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within, there is seen the operation of a principle wholly from above. The Holy Spirit must be constantly imparted to man, or he has no disposition to contend against the powers of darkness.” {TMK 16.4}

No one but Adam is guilty of the sins he committed. God does not count us guilty of the sins someone else commits. There is nothing corporate about guilt and sinning. We are only guilty of the sins we ourselves commit. This is true whether or not we realize we are sinning. Sins of ignorance require the death of Jesus, too.

Ezekiel
18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

If so, then all babies, including those of the most wicked, are all equally guiltless. Therefore, they will all have the same eternal fate. Is that right?

Nobody is guiltless. "All have sinned." I assume that includes children. Being guilty and being saved are two different aspects of the truth. Children are not accountable for their thoughts, words, and behavior until they reach the age of accountability. Whether or not they are saved should they die before they are accountable is up to God.

That's where the Pelagian/Augistinian/Arminian rubber meets the theological road. How does a baby, who has no volition, incur guilt? Or does it? IOW, can guilt come from an external source?

If you say the baby is born with guilt, then that is Augustinian. If you say the baby is born as Adam was in Eden, then that is Pelagian. If you say the baby is born without guilt but damaged in a way, then that's Arminian. Roughly speaking.

Then the next question follows the same path: Can merit come from an external source?



Whether or not the baby is saved is a separate issue, I think. The fundamental issue is one of guilt/grace. Does the baby need grace? If so, why?

I think that the Augustinian view is true in many aspects. Having said that, I know that many of my conservative colleagues would then label me as partaking of the "Augustinian error" and/or teaching the "New Theology." Oh well.