Opus 2014-39: What Is the Age of Accountability?

At what age do human beings become responsible for their actions?

What is the age of accountability?  How do we know?  Alistair Begg was talking about the Garden of Eden and how God came to Adam and Even in their nakedness.  After eating the apple and sinking into sin they suddenly became aware of their condition.  With awareness came shame.

That got me to thinking about how an awareness of their sin went with embarrassment of their nakedness.  Where do we see that parallel?  New born babies think naked is normal.  As children grow they are not very self conscious.  They might be shy.  They have personalities.  They are all different but none of them seem to care is they have their shirt on backwards or buttoned wrong.  That changes.  Eventually there comes a time when they begin to realize they are skinny or fat, gawky or clumsy.  They become aware of their bodies.  Perhaps that is an indication of the point where they have matured enough to be accountable for their sin.

So what is the age of accountability?  When you see the piece of candy that fell on the floor as dirty instead of desirable?  When mustard on your nose is a reason to stop and use a napkin?  When combing your hair becomes important?  When you stop hating taking a bath?  With awareness comes moral judgment.

Perhaps this could be used in the courts as a measure of when to put someone on trial as an adult.

Perhaps the rejection of the concept of sin is the reason the courts don’t want to hold people responsible for their actions.

homo unius libri